Cafardo On Arroyo, Kendrick, Braun, Cano
Timing is everything in baseball and Joe Girardi is hitting the open market at the perfect time, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes. The Cubs always saw landing Girardi as a longshot, but they'll give it another go this winter. From the Yankees perspective, they'd be foolish not to lock Girardi up with a lucrative new deal, in Cafardo's opinion. Few managers, he argues, could have survived the injuries that the Yankees were dealing with and kept them in the playoff chase in September. If Girardi bails for Chicago or elsewhere, Cafardo suggests Don Mattingly as a candidate. Of course, the Dodgers would have to fire him or work out a trade for that to happen. Here's more from today's column..
- Bronson Arroyo says he wants a three-year deal and he feels his time in Cincinnati is likely over. “I have no preference on where I want to pitch but I’ll certainly consider the team, their chances of winning, and all of that,” he said. “I feel I can pitch effectively at 37, 38, and 39 years old. I’ve never missed a start. Never been injured. I’m not a max-effort guy out there, so there’s no big-time wear and tear on me. I loved Cincinnati but I don’t think they’re in position to give me what I want.” Cafardo suggests the Blue Jays, Orioles, Brewers, Cubs, Giants, Pirates, Cardinals, and Dodgers as possibilities.
- It's looking increasingly likely that Angels second baseman Howie Kendrick will be traded for pitching or prospects. The Royals need second base help and would have interest. The Orioles may also be interested if they cut ties with Brian Roberts this winter. The O's haven't decided what to do with Roberts just yet but they wouldn't go beyond a one-year deal to keep him.
- It has been suggested that the Brewers could trade Ryan Braun, but finding someone willing to take on his baggage and lucrative deal could be tricky. “I don’t think he’s going anywhere. Someone would have to take a big chance and nobody’s doing that on PED guys, especially for that length of contract,” said one exec.
- Bench coach Tony Pena is not likely to replace Girardi as manager if he goes elsewhere. “I don’t think anyone in our front office is even thinking about that,” said one Yankees official.
- Many believe that the Dodgers won't be serious players for Robinson Cano, but things can change with an early exit from the playoffs.
Quick Hits: Wainwright, D’Backs, Hultzen, Royals
The Cardinals rolled to a 9-1 win over the Pirates in Game One of their NLDS series today, as A.J. Burnett allowed seven runs in just two innings while Adam Wainwright allowed a run on three hits over seven innings. Pittsburgh has had to deal with Wainwright as a division rival for years yet MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch (via Twitter) points out that Wainwright could've been a Pirate 13 years ago. The Bucs were preparing to take Wainwright as an outfielder in the second round (with the 59th overall pick) of the 2000 draft, but the Braves took Wainwright 29th overall and the rest is history.
Here are some more news items as we look ahead to Friday's ALDS series openers…
- Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers said his team will look for a left-handed bat this offseason, MLB.com's Steve Gilbert reports, and that next hitter will likely come in a trade. "We're going to look at free agents, but I think this is one of the weaker free-agent markets I've seen in some time, so that might lead us toward looking at trade partners more," Towers said.
- Mariners southpaw Danny Hultzen underwent left shoulder labrum and rotator-cuff surgery on Tuesday and could miss the entire 2014 season while recovering, Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times reports. MLB.com ranked Hultzen as the 18th-best prospect in the sport in the site's preseason rankings, while Baseball America (#29) and ESPN's Keith Law (#66) also thought highly of the 23-year-old lefty. Hultzen was the second overall pick of the 2011 draft and was quickly moving up the Seattle farm system, posting a 2.05 ERA, 4.86 K/BB and 10.0 K/9 in six Triple-A starts last season.
- Some of the flaws of the new collective bargaining agreement can be seen in the case of the Royals, ESPN's Keith Law (Insider subscription required) argues, as small-market teams who finish just shy of the postseason are somewhat "punished" by the system.
- Andy Martino of the New York Daily News looks at which players in the postseason could be targets for the Yankees or Mets in free agency or the trade market this winter. Some players could fit on either club, such as Ricky Nolasco. Martino says the Mets "tossed around" Nolasco's name when discussing a Giancarlo Stanton trade with the Marlins last spring.
Royals Hire Dale Sveum
The Royals announced that they have hired recently fired Cubs manager Dale Sveum and added him to their 2014 coaching staff. Sveum will be in charge of infield instruction, and his in-game responsibilities will be determined at a later date.
Sveum joins a coaching staff led by manager Ned Yost — the very man that Sveum replaced when he briefly took over as the Brewers manager and led them to an NLDS berth back in 2008. Sveum has a career 134-202 record as a manager between the Brew Crew and the Cubs, and he's also served as a bench coach and third base coach at the big league level. Cubs president Theo Epstein noted how difficult he found the decision to let Sveum go earlier in the week, adding that he expected Sveum to catch on with another organization quickly.
The Royals also announced that the contracrs of third base coach Eddie Rodriguez and bench coach Chino Cadahia will not be renewed, so it's possible that Sveum will fill one of those vacancies.
Central Notes: Hinch, Royals, Tigers
The Cubs will contact A.J. Hinch as they search for a replacement for manager Dale Sveum, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports suggested earlier in the day (on Twitter) that Hinch might be a possibility. Hinch, who is now in the Padres' front office, served as the Diamondbacks' manager for parts of the 2009 and 2010 seasons. His work in the Diamondbacks organization with players like Justin Upton, Max Scherzer, Stephen Drew and Miguel Montero might be a positive for the Cubs, who have a strong core of prospects in place. Here are more notes from the Central divisions.
- It will be tough for the Royals to keep their roster together while staying within their budget, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star writes. GM Dayton Moore says the Royals' 2014 payroll will be "about the same" as 2013, when it was around $82MM. Starting pitchers Ervin Santana and Bruce Chen will be free agents. Chen shouldn't be terribly hard to replace, but Santana will be, especially when, as Dutton points out,the Royals will have to pay James Shields, Alex Gordon, Jeremy Guthrie, Wade Davis and Salvador Perez a total of about $13MM more than they made in 2013. The Royals are expected to extend a qualifying offer to Santana.
- Compared to other playoff teams, the Tigers have relied less heavily on their farm system to build their roster, writes Jim Callis of MLB.com. GM Dave Dombrowski has acquired much of Detroit's roster through shrewd trades, getting, for example, Miguel Cabrera, Max Scherzer, Austin Jackson, Anibal Sanchez and Doug Fister. But he's also acquired players like Prince Fielder, Torii Hunter and Victor Martinez. There are only six players on the Tigers' projected playoff roster who came through their farm system, although one of those is Justin Verlander.
Royals Extend Ned Yost
The Royals have issued a press release announcing a two-year contract extension for manager Ned Yost. Yost joins Ron Gardenhire of the Twins and Terry Collins of the Mets as managers to receive two-year extensions following the completion of the regular season on Sunday.
Royals owner David Glass said two weeks ago that the decision on Yost's future was firmly in the hands of general manager Dayton Moore, and Moore plainly said last week that he wanted to bring Yost back on a new contract.
Yost has managed the Royals since 2010, compiling a 284-329 record (.463 winning percentage). The team's record has improved in each of the past three seasons, with this year marking the first winning season for the Royals since 2003. Kansas City's 42 second-half wins were the most in all of baseball, though they fell short of the playoffs, finishing 5.5 games of a Wild Card berth and seven games behind the Tigers for the AL Central crown.
Prior to taking over as the Royals' skipper, Yost managed the Brewers from 2003-08, totaling 457 wins and 502 losses (.477). For his career as a manager, Yost is 741-831 (.471). He has yet to manage a postseason game, as he was relieved of his duties with the 2008 Brewers in favor of Dale Sveum shortly before the team clinched a Wild Card berth.
Minor Moves: White Sox, Royals
Here are today's minor moves from around the league…
- The White Sox announced that they have outrighted catcher Miguel Gonzalez to Triple-A Charlotte, thereby reducing their 40-man roster to 39 (Twitter link). Gonzalez picked up a pair of singles in nine at-bats with the ChiSox this season but spent much of the year in the minors where he slashed .254/.326/.349 between Double-A Birmingham and Charlotte.
- Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star reports that the Royals have released seven minor leaguers: right-handers Cory Hall, Ben Tomchick, Corey Rhoney and Ryan Mattes as well as infielder Andrew Ayers, first baseman Bobby Brown and outfielder Chris Sweeney (Twitter links).
- Padres catcher Chris Robinson and Rangers outfielder Joey Butler are both in DFA limbo at this time, as can be seen in MLBTR's DFA Tracker.
AL West Notes: Donaldson, Trumbo, Wedge, Astros
Hunter Pence's new five-year deal with the Giants isn't the only extension talk in the Bay Area. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that Josh Donaldson is very open to the idea of signing a long-term deal with the Athletics. Donaldson tells Slusser that he and his agent, Hunter Bledsoe, have discussed the possibility, and he would "absolutely love" to sign an extension, provided it's a fair deal.
Said Donaldson: "I'm a guy who's been downplayed my entire career. Even when I was a first-round draft pick (in 2007), I took 10 percent less than the guy before me. I just want something fair, something that's justified." Donaldson's .302/.383/.502 batting line, 24 homers and elite third base defense should earn him some AL MVP votes. Here's more from the AL West…
- Mark Trumbo might be the Angels' best trade chip in their quest for controllable young pitching this offseason, writes MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez. The Mariners, Pirates and Royals all had interest in Trumbo this past July, according to Gonzalez, and more teams figure to be interested over the winter. Trumbo told Gonzalez that he doesn't fear the change that would come with a trade like he would have earlier in his career.
- Mariners manager Eric Wedge, who has told the team he won't be back in 2014, told reporters (including Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times) that he wouldn't even accept a five-year extension from the team. Wedge cited a difference between his vision for the team and the vision of GM Jack Zduriencik, president Chuck Armstrong and CEO Howard Lincoln. Wedge felt the team needed to supplement young talent with proven talent and told Baker that he didn't have as much say in personnel decisions as he'd have liked.
- A statement released by the Astros explained the team's position in the wake of a report that Comcast filed an involuntary bankruptcy petition on behalf of the Comcast SportsNet Houston network that the Astros co-own with the Houston Rockets and NBC Universal. Brian McTaggart has the gist of the statement in an article for MLB.com. The statement alleges that Comcast improperly filed the petition to try to block the Astros from terminating the club's media rights agreement with Houston Regional Sports Network. "We will continue to work toward obtaining full carriage so that all of our fans are able to watch the Astros games while making sure that the Astros are able to compete for championships," the statement read.
Aaron Steen contributed to this post.
Central Notes: Peralta, Brewers, Yost
After serving a 50-game suspension for his role in the Biogenesis scandal, Tigers shortstop Jhonny Peralta returned to his team Friday, now playing left field. Jose Iglesias has hit fairly well while living up to his defensive reputation since the Tigers acquired him in the three-team Jake Peavy trade at the July deadline, and so Peralta's team isn't the same as it was when he left it. Luckily for Peralta, Tigers left fielders, headed by Andy Dirks, haven't been spectacular, and there's still room for Peralta's potent bat in the Tigers' lineup and on their bench. He now appears set to make the Tigers' ALDS roster. Here are more notes from the Central divisions.
- Brewers owner Mark Attanasio acknowledges that his team has had a "disappointing" season, Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel reports. But the team's struggles created opportunities for players like Scooter Gennett, Khris Davis and Tyler Thornburg, and those players took advantage. "It certainly is going to affect how we plan in the offseason," Attanasio says. "We did our full group staff meetings, and a lot of these guys are in the mix now, and I don’t know if you would have had any of them in the mix three to four months ago." Attanasio suggests that the Brewers will pursue pitching this offseason, even though there aren't "a lot of obvious candidates" on the free agent market.
- The Royals and manager Ned Yost haven't yet begun talks on a new contract, but it's nearly certain he'll return, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star writes. "I’ve got too much invested here," says Yost. "These players are a joy to be around. They’re a fun, fun group." Royals GM Dayton Moore recently expressed interest in keeping Yost in the organization. The Royals are the midst of their first winning season since 2003.
Managerial Notes: Mattingly, Yost, Wedge
The Phillies recently shed the "interim" tag from Ryne Sandberg's title and signed him to a three-year deal as the team's new skipper. Elsewhere in the NL, rumors are circulating about the security of Dale Sveum's job with the Cubs, and over in the AL, many are wondering about Joe Girardi's future now that his contract with the Yankees is ending. Here are some more links pertaining to managers and their contract situations…
- Dodgers manager Don Mattingly hasn't had any discussions regarding a new contract for 2014, and he's just fine with that, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Mattingly says he's content to be leading his team into October, and isn't thinking about his future with the team beyond that at this time: “This would be the worst time to talk about something like that. There’s no talk – and no need.”
- Royals general manager Dayton Moore wants manager Ned Yost to return in 2014, he tells Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Dutton quotes Moore: "…Ned has done a terrific job, and I definitely want him back. We’ll sit down and talk about it. Contractually, Ned’s up, and we’re going to work together to negotiate a new deal." Owner David Glass said last week that the decision on Yost's future is entirely in Moore's hands. Moore told Dutton that he and Yost have an agreement that there will be no discussions until after the season, but it certainly sounds as though Yost isn't going anywhere.
- Ryan Divish of the Tacoma News Tribune and Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times were among the reporters that spoke with Mariners manager Eric Wedge prior to today's game as he addressed his job situation. Wedge said that he's disappointed that he's been left "hanging out there." Wedge said the constant speculation and uncertainty surrounding his future with the team isn't fair to him or the players. He elaborated by explaining that it's tough to have one-on-one talks with young players about how to improve and build for the future when both members of the conversation know that Wedge may not have a future in the organization at all.
Central Notes: Chen, Konerko, Brewers, Axford
For the first time since 1992, the Pittsburgh Pirates are going to the postseason. The Buccos and Reds each clinched playoff spots tonight, though it remains to be seen if those two clubs will face each other in the Wild Card game, or if one of them can catch the Cardinals for the NL Central lead. Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis all won on Monday, so the Cards retained their two-game lead.
Here's the latest from both the NL and AL Central divisions…
- Bruce Chen loves pitching for the Royals and wants to re-sign the team this winter, the veteran southpaw tells Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Chen said that he hasn't yet sat down with agent Scott Boras to determine his market and that the Royals "haven’t talked to me" about a new contract, but Chen said he hopes to pitch for at least another four or five seasons. The 36-year-old has a 3.13 ERA, 5.7 K/9 and 2.30 K/BB ratio in 109 1/3 IP this season, making 13 starts and 19 appearances out of the bullpen. Dutton shared some more Royals items earlier today.
- Paul Konerko won't decide on his playing future until after the season, a source tells ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine. Konerko has been toying with the idea of retirement all season, though he has reportedly told friends he intends to play in 2014.
- Norichika Aoki earned a $250K bonus upon making his 140th start of the season tonight, MLB.com's Adam McCalvy reports. This ups Aoki's salary to $1.5MM for the season, and he can earn $0.5875MM for playing in one more game this year. The Brewers have already gotten a huge bargain from Aoki's original two-year, $2.5MM contract and they hold a $1.5MM team option on the outfielder for 2014.
- In other Brewers contract news from McCalvy, right-hander Kyle Lohse will earn a $350K bonus on Wednesday when he retires his first batter and reaches the 190-inning mark for the season.
- John Axford is "open to discussing something with the Cardinals" about a new contract this offseason but for now is just looking forward to the postseason, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Axford has posted a 1.93 ERA in 9 1/3 IP since joining the Cards three weeks ago but he could be a non-tender candidate due to his high arbitration number. Axford is arbitration-eligible for the second time this winter and will earn a raise on his $5MM salary, plus he has two more arb years remaining after that as a Super Two player.