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Olney On Orioles, Red Sox, Cubs

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The Orioles have a significant perception problem, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. Executives on other teams believe Baltimore’s next general manager will have less power than any other GM in baseball. Here are the details, plus other notes from around MLB:

  • Orioles owner Peter Angelos is less involved in baseball operations than it may seem and manager Buck Showalter would love to work with bright executives, but outside executives don’t see Baltimore as an attractive place to work.
  • Jerry Dipoto and Tony LaCava have turned away the Orioles in favor of other teams and some other highly-regarded assistant GMs have said they wouldn’t be interested if Baltimore called.
  • One executive suggested Showalter should take over as GM and hire a new field manager, according to Olney.
  • Red Sox executive Allard Baird has come up in the Orioles’ GM conversations, according to Olney (on Twitter). Here are the latest details on Baltimore’s search.
  • Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum has a good chance of obtaining his first permanent job as an MLB manager, since the Cubs and Red Sox are both interested in his services. As Olney notes, the Red Sox and Cubs are working from similar managerial lists.

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Oswalt, Sabathia

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Red Sox GM Ben Cherington confirmed to reporters that the Red Sox and Cubs have obtained a one-week extension to work out compensation for former Boston GM Theo Epstein. Here are some more notes from the division, starting with the Red Sox…

Cubs Notes: Hoyer, Epstein, Ramirez

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The Cubs will have a new manager in 2012, but it won't be Ryne Sandberg. Here are some links for Wednesday, as Cubs fans imagine their longtime second baseman in a Cardinals uniform…

  • The Cubs aren't focused on former Red Sox skipper Terry Francona and aren't likely to pursue a current manager, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
  • Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein reached out to Sandberg to explain why he's not being considered for the managerial job, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
  • GM Jed Hoyer suggested the Cubs will spend some time rebuilding their pitching staff, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.
  • Long before he was a Major League GM, Hoyer was a skilled fantasy baseball player, according to the Sun-Times. Hoyer excelled in fantasy leagues as a youngster, even against adult professionals. For fantasy news on relief pitchers, check out CloserNews.com.
  • On a related note, Hoyer says he expects Carlos Marmol to close next year, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. 
  • Epstein, Hoyer and the rest of the front office are a team, but the GM remains impressed by Epstein's ability. "When he turns it on, it's pretty clear he has a gear the rest of us don't have," Hoyer said, according to Sullivan.
  • Former Cubs GM Jim Hendry graciously said the team hit a "home run" by hiring Epstein, according to Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. "Tom Ricketts did the city of Chicago and the Cubs organization a great service by hiring Theo," Hendry said. The former GM hasn't ruled out returning to the game, but he's enjoying some time off for now. Hoyer said he's looking forward to reaching out to Hendry, according to Sullivan.
  • The Cubs don't have to pay Aramis Ramirez's $2MM buyout, since he declined his side of his contract option for 2012, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat.

Cubs Will Have New Manager For 2012

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The Cubs announced Mike Quade will not return as their manager in 2012, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  New Cubs president Theo Epstein said the following in a statement:

"The managerial search process begins immediately.  We are looking for someone with whom and around whom we can build a foundation for sustained success.  The next manager must have leadership and communication skills; he must place an emphasis on preparation and accountability; he must establish high standards and a winning culture; he must have integrity and an open mind; and he must have managerial or coaching experience at the major league level.  I want to thank Mike for his nine years of excellent service to the Cubs, and we certainly wish him well in the future."

The statement seems to rule out Ryne Sandberg as a candidate for the next Cubs' manager.  The Cubs are expected to talk to Dale Sveum, tweets MLB.com's Carrie Muskat.  Sveum interviewed for the Red Sox manager job today.

Cubs, Nationals May Have Interest In Buehrle

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The Cubs and Nationals might be among the suitors for free agent lefty Mark Buehrle this winter.  Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune hears from a source that the Cubs "would be interested Buehrle if the price tag and years aren't astronomical."  And Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post wrote yesterday that "some individuals with ties to the Nationals believe they will pursue Buehrle."

Buehrle, 32, has spent his entire career with the White Sox after they drafted him in the 38th round in 1998.  In each of the last 11 campaigns, he's reached a minimum of 201 regular season innings.  Last year Buehrle posted a 3.59 ERA, 4.8 K/9, 2.0 BB/9, 0.92 HR/9, and 44.9% groundball rate in 205 1/3 frames.    

Buehrle is a Type B free agent, and SI's Jon Heyman wrote last month that the White Sox are expected to try to re-sign him to a two-year deal.  Buehrle said in September he'd like to play two or three more years.  He considers the NL a potentially interesting challenge, and has talked many times about pitching for his home-state Cardinals.  However, the Cards don't appear to have a rotation opening for him.  Buehrle doesn't seem inclined to play too far from home, yet he may have reservations about going to the crosstown Cubs.  In theory, the Royals could be in play, but we haven't heard anything yet.

I ranked Buehrle 12th on my top 50 free agents list, predicting a return to the White Sox.  Make your pick for Buehrle and 49 other free agents for a chance to win great prizes in MLBTR's new contest.

Cubs Notes: Ramirez, Zambrano, Epstein

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Today the Cubs introduced two of the top assistants for president of baseball operations Theo Epstein. They named Jed Hoyer their executive VP and general manager and Jason McLeod their senior VP of scouting and player development. Here's the latest from this afternoon's press conference:

  • Though Epstein didn’t rule anything out, he said free agent third baseman Aramis Ramirez will probably not return to Chicago. “Likely he'll be moving on," Epstein said, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter links).
  • Epstein says he had an enlightening conversation with Carlos Zambrano’s agent and is looking forward to speaking to the right-hander himself, according to Wittenmyer.
  • The Cubs expect to reach a decision on manager Mike Quade’s future within a week, according to Carrie Muskat of MLB.com (Twitter links).
  • MLB may give the Cubs and Red Sox an extension to determine appropriate compensation for Epstein, Boston’s former GM, according to Muskat.
  • Hoyer stressed the importance of building from within today, according to Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald (on Twitter). "Relying on external solutions to building a winning baseball team is a bad idea, and it's something we need to get past," the GM said.

NL Central Notes: Cardinals, Samardzija, Votto

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Tony La Russa's retirement has highlighted a busy day in the NL Central. Here are the latest notes from the division…

  • Former Cardinals infielder David Eckstein told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that Albert Pujols would re-sign in St. Louis if the Cards make third base coach Jose Oquendo their next manager.
  • Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan told Morosi that he’s going to return to St. Louis in 2012, but it doesn’t sound as though he’s looking to manage the team (Twitter link).
  • The Cubs declined Jeff Samardzija's $3MM option for 2012, according to Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald (Twitter link). Samardzija isn't yet arbitration eligible and remains under team control.
  • One person with ties to the Reds says there's "not a chance" Joey Votto becomes available this offseason, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. The Reds control the first baseman's rights through 2013.

Aramis Ramirez Voids Option

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The Cubs exercised their $16MM option on Aramis Ramirez, but the slugging third baseman exercised a contractual right to void the option and forfeit his $2MM buyout, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (on Twitter).

Ramirez, a projected Type B free agent, will explore the free agent market following a season in which he belted 26 homers and posted a .306/.361/.510 triple slash line. With the exception of 2009, Ramirez has hit 25 or more home runs every year since 2003. Given the thin market for free agent third basemen, Ramirez should have no problem securing a multiyear deal that will guarantee him more than the $16MM he'd have earned in 2012.

Earlier in October, Ramirez made it clear he would need a multiyear commitment to return to the Cubs, so it's not surprising to see him decline the opportunity to return on a one-year deal. Exercising the option was the first transaction for Theo Epstein as president of the Cubs, and Jed Hoyer's first as the team's GM. Assuming the Cubs later offer Ramirez arbitration and he turns it down, they'll get a supplemental draft pick if he signs elsewhere.

NL Central Notes: Pujols, Oswalt, Pirates, LaHair

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The Cardinals and their fans may still be celebrating Friday's World Series victory, but it won't be long before a pair of the club's most prominent members will face decisions on their futures. Cards president Bill DeWitt III spoke to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports about Albert Pujols and Tony La Russa, two men without contracts for 2012:

"I don't want to prognosticate at all, but in the next week or so we'll hear from [La Russa]…. Albert may take a little while, I guess…. Who knows? Maybe we'll get something done in the quiet period (during which teams are only permitted to negotiate with their own free agents). But if you've waited this long, you're probably going to see what's out there."

Here are the rest of the morning's notes and rumors from the NL Central:

  • Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is surprised by DeWitt's lack of urgency regarding Pujols, and wonders if it's a good idea to allow the slugger to be wooed by teams who may be more aggressive than the Cardinals.
  • Fielding Reds-related questions for the Dayton Daily News, Hal McCoy says it's unlikely that Cincinnati makes a play for Roy Oswalt.
  • The Pirates will likely look at second- or third-tier free agents, but they won't make a huge splash this winter, writes Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Biertempfel says the Bucs will be shopping for a catcher, a first baseman, and starting pitching, naming Jason Varitek, Rod Barajas, Jeff Francis, and Chris Young as a few possible targets.
  • In a Twitter exchange, Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker and Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus discuss Bryan LaHair of the Cubs and former Pirates outfielder Lastings Milledge, two players being eyed by Japanese teams. Goldstein suggests the Cubs would like to hang on to LaHair, but hears rumblings that Milledge could sign in Japan as early as next week (all four Twitter links).

Quick Hits: Pirates, CBA, Cubs, Royals

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Some late-night links on this Saturday night …

  • The Pirates are considering exercising shortstop Ronny Cedeno's $3MM 2012 option, but they will likely pass on options for Chris Snyder ($6.75MM), Ryan Doumit ($7.25MM) and Paul Maholm ($9.75MM), according to Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. As well, Langosch adds the Bucs have interest in re-signing first baseman Derrek Lee but will probably allow Ryan Ludwick to walk in free agency.
  • MLB and the players union are close on a new collective bargaining agreement, tweets Jon Heyman of SI.com, although slotting for draft signing bonuses remains an issue of debate. Commissioner Bud Selig and some small-market teams are in favor of hard slotting, according to Heyman.
  • Cubs president Theo Epstein said he wants to talk to starter Carlos Zambrano before deciding how to proceed in handling the right-hander, according to Carrie Muskat of MLB.com, whether that be retaining Zambrano or trying to trade him. As well, Epstein hinted at one of the organization's overarching goals: "We're looking for assets," Epstein said. "We're going to scratch and claw and do everything in our power — in the Draft, internationally, small trades, waiver claims. We need to build assets because we don't have enough of them.
  • Royals GM Dayton Moore told Dick Kaegel of MLB.com that he will "explore trade possibilities to add a starter." Moore said the Royals probably won't try to sign a free-agent starter, however.
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