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Odds & Ends: Glaus, Orioles, Figgins, Papelbon

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Links for Sunday, as Jeremy Hellickson aims for his third win in his third career start….

Manager Rumors: Baker, Torre, La Russa

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Looking ahead to the offseason, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports opines that as many as ten teams could be searching for new managers. Let's check out the latest updates on a few of the National League's current skippers….

  • In his newest Full Count video, Rosenthal suggests that Dusty Baker will likely have a handful of suitors if the Reds decide they can't afford to give him a raise next year.
  • Adding that Jerry Manuel is looking more and more like a "goner," Rosenthal says the Mets may be the only team Joe Torre would consider managing if the Dodgers' skipper doesn't return to Los Angeles.
  • For his part, Torre tells MLB.com's Ken Gurnick that he won't announce his plans for next year while the Dodgers are still in contention for the playoffs. Having dropped their last three games, the team now sits 6.5 games back in the wild card hunt.
  • Tony La Russa also won't discuss his plans for next season yet, but admits to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link) that he's been weighing his options.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Royals, Rays, Burrell

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On this date 41 years ago, Major League owners unanimously elected Bowie Kuhn to a seven-year term as commissioner. It was under Kuhn that the reserve clause was eliminated, paving the way for free agency as we know it.

We've got a lot of links to get to, so let's dive right in…

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Odds & Ends: Garcia, Guillen, Dunn, Reds

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Links for Monday night, as Brandon Phillips' choice words make this week's Reds-Cardinals series that much more intriguing…

The Reds’ 2011 Rotation

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The Reds have an abundance of major league starters under team control in 2011. Mike Leake, Homer Bailey and Travis Wood are not yet arbitration-eligible and Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter. All except Wood, a 2005 second-rounder, ranked among Baseball America's top 100 prospects before they became prominent major leaguers. That's an entire rotation's worth of former top prospects and they're all still cheap.

Of course it takes more than five starters to get through a season. The Rays, who relied on their own quintet for the first four months of the year, are finding that out now that Wade Davis and Jeff Niemann have sore shoulders. Tampa Bay has more pitching depth than most teams, so they can call on Jeremy Hellickson and Andy Sonnanstine. Like the 2010 Rays, next year's Reds should have rotation depth.

They will be able to stretch out Micah Owings or call on one of three minor leaguers. Aroldis Chapman, who is now pitching out of the bullpen, has the potential to be a frontline starter, according to Baseball America. The left-hander has a 3.90 ERA with 11.3 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 at Triple A this year and has allowed less than one hit per inning pitched, though his command clearly needs work.

A pair of 26-year-old starters are pitching well at Triple A. Right-hander Sam LeCure has a 3.15 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 for Louisville and left-hander Matt Maloney has a 3.36 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9. Those two starters won't make more than the MLB minimum in 2011 and even Owings (headed to arbitration for the first time) and Chapman ($1MM salary) are affordable.

That kind of depth means Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo don't have obvious roles on next year's club. Both veterans have $2MM buyouts for expensive 2011 options, and at this point, it's extremely hard to imagine the Reds picking up both options. The Reds are probably not going to pay $23.75MM to bring Arroyo and Harang back when they have so many affordable and potentially effective arms around. 

It's easy to over-estimate pitching depth; injuries and unexpected performances can change plans. Arroyo, who has pitched well this year, would not re-structure his contract, but the Reds could decline his option and try to bring him back for less. The same goes for Harang, who has some value even though he has been hittable this year. 

Harang's $12.75MM option isn't worth picking up and Arroyo's $11MM option is no bargain, either. It would be a major surprise to see the Reds bring both pitchers back, but they could re-sign one for depth. For now, that's the last thing the Reds are concerned about. Both pitchers will be part of the club's late-season push for its first playoff berth in 15 years.

Reds Acquire Jim Edmonds

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The Reds acquired Jim Edmonds from the Brewers for outfielder Chris Dickerson, according to the team.  Reds GM Walt Jocketty continues to reacquire favorites from his time with the Cardinals.  Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweets that the Reds won the claim on Edmonds despite another team making an attempt.  That means the Phillies, Cardinals, and Giants passed.  Jocketty and Brewers GM Doug Melvin matched up on a trade exactly one year ago, when the Brewers purchased David Weathers from the Reds.

Edmonds, 40, sat out 2009 and signed a minor league deal with the Brewers in January.  He hasn't shown much rust, hitting .286/.350/.493 in 240 plate appearances.  Edmonds has been shielded from lefties somewhat, but he'll make a nice complement to right-handed bats like Jonny Gomes and Drew Stubbs.

Dickerson is currently on a rehab assignment in Triple A after surgeries on his hand and wrist.  The 28-year-old is a solid return for less than two months of Edmonds.  He won't be arbitration-eligible until after the 2011 season, a big factor for the Brewers according to Melvin.  Before the 2009 season, Baseball America ranked Dickerson 12th among Reds prospects, praising his athleticism. 

2011 Vesting Options Update

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We began the season with nine potential vesting options for 2011, but they're dropping like flies.  With Alex Cora and Magglio Ordonez now off the board, we look at the remaining three:

  • Trever Miller, Cardinals.  The lefty needs 45 appearances for his $2MM option to vest, and he's made 41 on the season.  He could lock in next year's salary within a week, though a DL-worthy left arm or shoulder injury changes this to a club option. 
  • Darren Oliver, Rangers.  Oliver needs 59 appearances for his $3.25MM option to vest, and he's got 46 so far.  Barring injury, he'll get there.
  • Ramon Hernandez, Reds.  Hernandez needs 120 games for his $3.25MM option to vest.  He's played in 65 so far.  The Reds have only 50 games remaining, so we can cross this one off the list.
  • An honorable mention goes to Billy Wagner, whose $6.5MM option vests with 50 games finished.  Wagner has finished 46 so far.  However just last month he repeated his desire to retire after the season.  Having a guaranteed salary for 2011 might not sway Wagner, since he would've made at least that much on the free agent market anyway.  But what if he finishes the season just shy of the fourth spot on the all-time saves leaderboard?  He's currently 12 away from John Franco, who finished with 424.
  • Also of note is Scott Podsednik, who needs 525 plate appearances to be able to void his $2MM club option.  Pods is 41 PAs shy of that mark.

Odds & Ends: Lee, Brewers, Repko, Delgado

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Saturday night linkage..

Rosenthal On Dunn, Red Sox, Rays, Reds

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Let's dive into the latest edition of Full Count by Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..

  • Rival executives still can't figure out what the Nats were thinking by not trading Adam Dunn as some believe that they will not re-sign the slugger.  If they dealt him, they would have saved about $4MM in salary and another $2MM in draft pick bonuses.  The players they would have gotten in return would already have minor league track records and would have been closer to the majors.  Though next year's draft figures to be very deep, Rosenthal notes that draft picks take money and time.
  • If Boston stays in contention, they will push hard to get a left-handed bat to complement Lowell at first and Carlos Delgado may just be the beginning.  Even after signing Delgado, the BoSox will continue to scour the market for players such as Adam LaRoche and Lyle Overbay.  Earlier today, we learned that the Red Sox have shown interest in another left-handed hitting first baseman, Chris Davis of the Rangers.
  • Jeremy Hellickson gives the Rays a sixth rotation option for 2011, but that doesn't mean that the Rays will have enough of a surplus for a trade.  They have depth but they're not quite as deep as they were following the 2008 campaign.  Rosenthal believes that they are better off keeping what they have intact and putting one of their starters in the bullpen.
  • Recently, Reds manager Dusty Baker told reporters that the club has approached him about a contract extension.  Logically, he deserves a pay raise based on the team's performance this season.  However, ownership may not want to go that route.  Given the volatility expected in the managerial ranks this winter, the Reds will have plenty of options should they look elsewhere for a skipper.

Odds & Ends: Bautista, Red Sox, Dunn, Greinke

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Links for Friday, exactly two years after the Rockies claimed Livan Hernandez from the Twins…

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