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Angels Rumors

Quick Hits: Heaney, Blanco, Padres, Ross

By Jeff Todd | September 11, 2015 at 11:07pm CDT

Young Angels lefty Andrew Heaney has become the first professional baseball player to sell a piece of his future earnings through Fantex, a company which markets shares of that interest to individual investors, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Heaney, 24, will sacrifice ten percent of all his future “brand” earnings — including dollars earned through his MLB contracts as well as endorsements and appearance fees — in exchange for $3.34MM. (The agreement has been approved by the league and the union, but is still dependent upon financing.) We’ve seen an increasing willingness of players (and teams) to consider creative ways to lock in earnings over recent years. This could be a new frontier in that regard, though the model is obviously still in its infancy and other methods of locking in salary (such as insurance and early-career extensions) have greater traction at present. Heaney has shown plenty of promise in his first year with the Halos, throwing 84 1/3 innings of 3.52 ERA ball with 6.6 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9, but he won’t achieve real earning capacity until he qualifies for arbitration in 2018. Free agency will have to wait until 2021, but he certainly has the potential to take down quite a bit of cash over his career — if he can maintain his performance trajectory and avoid injury, of course.

Here are some more notes to round out the evening:

  • The Giants have shut down outfielder Gregor Blanco after he was diagnosed with a concussion, as Chris Haft of MLB.com tweets. Manager Bruce Bochy said today that the team may not receive any more contributions this year from Blanco, Nori Aoki, and Hunter Pence, as John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group adds on Twitter. It’s been that kind of year for the San Francisco outfield, with center fielder Angel Pagan also having dealt with a fairly significant injury lay-off. While the club won’t reach the postseason regardless, barring a miracle, that group of maladies represents one of several areas where the team will hope for better fortune in 2016.
  • As the Padres look ahead to what could be another offseason of change, the club intends to take its time in addressing its managerial situation, GM A.J. Preller tells MLB.com’s Corey Brock. Interim manager Pat Murphy could get the permanent post, or the organization could look elsewhere, but the latter course would involve competition with a number of other teams that will be looking for new dugout leaders. “It’s an important decision for us,” said Preller. “We just want to make sure we make a good call and we don’t feel pressure from what’s going on in the industry or anything like that. We’ll get to a spot where we’re comfortable making a good decision and we will make a good hire.”
  • Among the many other questions facing the Padres, deciding on a course with righty Tyson Ross could be among the most impactful. The 28-year-old has once again been excellent — in part, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes, due to the addition of a cutter to his arsenal. He had used the pitch previously, but relied almost entirely on a fastball-slider combination in the majors before this season. “I just think it’s a different look,” Ross said. “It’s movement (away from) the barrel, trying to get poor contact and just avoiding the hitters being able to sit on anything.” The successful re-introduction of that offering represents another feather in the cap of the sturdy hurler, who was in high demand at the trade deadline and would be again if marketed this winter. Since the start of the 2013 season, he’s thrown nearly 500 frames and carries a strong 3.05 ERA with 9.0 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9 to go with a well-above-average groundball rate (61.5% this year). Ross can be controlled for two more seasons via arbitration after earning $5.25MM in his first trip through the process this year. It remains to be seen, of course, whether San Diego will have any real interest in moving him. If not, Ross could profile as an extension candidate.
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Los Angeles Angels San Diego Padres San Francisco Giants Andrew Heaney Gregor Blanco Pat Murphy Tyson Ross

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Heyman’s Latest: Harvey, Cespedes, GM Openings, Offseason Decisions

By Jeff Todd | September 11, 2015 at 4:59pm CDT

The Mets expect that they’ll receive calls on righty Matt Harvey, but have no intentions of discounting his trade value based on the recent shutdown controversy, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. Harvey is reportedly displeased with some statements from the front office, per Heyman, though it’s far from clear whether there will be any long-term ramifications from the flare-up.

That’s just one of many interesting notes in a column that is chock full of information. Here are some more notable items:

  • Also in the news recently, of course, is outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, who has thrived with the Mets and just tweaked his contract to make a re-signing possible. Heyman says that the movement on that front was generated by Cespedes’s side, with the team readily agreeing to the proposal. Steve Adams and I discussed this on Thursday’s edition of the MLBTR Podcast, generally agreeing that he’s unlikely to return despite that agreement given other needs and the presence of Curtis Granderson, Michael Conforto, Juan Lagares, and Michael Cuddyer. But Heyman hears that New York is “expected to make a serious play” for the soon-to-be free agent. Certainly, that’s an important open market storyline to watch this fall and winter. Despite the presence of several other highly-regarded players on the coming market, Heyman says a deal of $175MM (or even more) for the Cuban star would not be surprising.
  • The Red Sox’ GM hiring appears to be wide open, with Heyman writing that Diamondbacks senior VP of baseball operations De Jon Watson presents one possibility from another organization and AGM Mike Hazen could be an internal option. Other names that have come up include the frequently-mentioned Frank Wren and Brewers VP of amateur scouting Ray Montgomery.
  • There is a “prevailing belief” that Reds GM Walt Jocketty will keep his position, says Heyman, though manager Bryan Price seems somewhat more likely to lose his job after a rough season. On the other hand, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale did suggest today on Twitter that Jocketty could be shifted into an advisory role, with Cincinnati hiring a new general manager.
  • Yankees GM Billy Eppler is seen as the favorite to take the GM position with the Angels, says Heyman. Rangers GM Thad Levine could also get a long look, per the report.
  • The Phillies’ GM position just opened, of course, and Heyman says it will be in high demand among young executives — not only because of Philadelphia’s resources, but because the new general manager could be handed fairly broad authority. Possible names have been filtering out since even before Ruben Amaro Jr. was let go, and Heyman lists Angels AGM Matt Klentak, Giants scouting director John Barr, Royals AGM J.J. Piccolo, and the aforementioned Levine as some of the possibilities.
  • Fans calling for the Braves to replace manager Fredi Gonzalez may not get their wish, says Heyman. Gonzalez is “said to be in no jeopardy,” per the report.
  • The Tigers have a lot of work to do under new GM Al Avila, and Heyman says their “winter wish list” includes an outfielder — possibly Cespedes, though he may be too expensive, along with two starters and several bullpen arms. Detroit expects to plunk down some cash in the offseason, he adds.
  • It’s always seemed likely that the Blue Jays would pick up their $12MM option over veteran righty R.A. Dickey, and Heyman says that is highly likely as things stand. Toronto will also at least attempt to retain lefty David Price, who has obviously been outstanding (even by his lofty standards) since being acquired at the deadline.
  • The Dodgers will likely extend lefty Brett Anderson a qualifying offer. The 27-year-old has been well worth the $10MM that Los Angeles paid him this year, putting up a 3.36 ERA over 158 innings — his highest tally since his rookie campaign way back in 2009. Given his age and the fact that he has a nice platform to work from, it would seem likely that Anderson will decline a QO (if extended), though he’ll face a crowded market.
  • Padres president Mike Dee tells Heyman that the organization is frustrated, but has good relationships in its upper front office and is looking forward rather than looking back at last winter. San Diego will need to make a permanent decision with its field staff, and is said to be undecided on whether to retain interim skipper Pat Murphy.
  • Meanwhile, the Padres are assessing “whether to tweak or completely retool” its roster. Interestingly, Melvin Upton has played well enough that he could end up with a regular role as a platoon partner in center alongside Travis Jankowski. San Diego will face a somewhat difficult decision on whether to make starter Ian Kennedy a qualifying offer, but it appears the organization is leaning towards doing so.
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Arizona Diamondbacks Atlanta Braves Boston Red Sox Cincinnati Reds Detroit Tigers Kansas City Royals Los Angeles Angels Los Angeles Dodgers Milwaukee Brewers New York Mets New York Yankees Philadelphia Phillies San Diego Padres San Francisco Giants Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays Billy Eppler Brett Anderson Bryan Price David Price Frank Wren Fredi Gonzalez Ian Kennedy John Barr Matt Harvey Matt Klentak Pat Murphy R.A. Dickey Walt Jocketty Yoenis Cespedes

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Reactions To And Effects Of Ruben Amaro’s Dismissal

By Steve Adams | September 11, 2015 at 9:54am CDT

The Phillies made a move that many felt to be inevitable yesterday when they announced that Ruben Amaro Jr.’s contract would not be extended, and assistant GM Scott Proefrock would become interim GM immediately as the team began its search for a new full-time general manager. Plenty has already been written about the decision and what it means for the Phillies’ future, and here are some early reactions and aftereffects in the wake of the fifth front-office shakeup we’ve seen in about two months’ time…

  • Amaro’s firing was “only a matter of time,” writes ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, but he did well to position his successor for a quick turnaround with recent trades of Cole Hamels, Jonathan Papelbon, Chase Utley and others. Crasnick lists former Angels GM Jerry Dipoto, former Cubs GM Jim Hendry and current Royals assistant GM J.J. Picollo as potential candidates, also noting that former Red Sox GM Ben Cherington isn’t likely to pursue any GM opening at present, thus removing him from consideration. President-to-be Andy MacPhail told Crasnick that he isn’t limiting himself to targeting a specific “type” of GM (e.g. a young, analytically savvy candidate or a more traditional, scouting-based GM). Said MacPhail to Crasnick: “Let’s look at a wide spectrum of candidates. You might be surprised.”
  • MacPhail said at yesterday’s press conference (via MLB.com’s Paul Hagen) that while he will, of course, have a role in roster decisions and general baseball operations — “…let’s face it, I’m not here for my marketing acumen,” he joked — any GM he hires will have a good deal of power. “I’ve had GMs under me before,” said MacPhail. “If you talk to them, I think they feel like they had a fair amount of autonomy, which I think is important to them to be able to do their job. They can’t be in short pants running back to the president every time they have to make a decision. … They should keep me apprised, but that is a balance I’m going to have to strike.”
  • MacPhail feels that it would be ideal to have a new GM in place by the time the Phillies hold their organizational meetings on Oct. 26, writes Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com, but he admitted that said timeline may be a bit “ambitious.” Hiring an outside-the-box thinker is key to the hire, whether he comes from an analytical background or scouting background, writes Salisbury, though if the selection is of the latter variety, MacPhail will look to add to his analytics department in other ways. Proefrock, who has worked for MacPhail in the past (with the Orioles) will receive some consideration for the full-time position, per Salisbury, but Angels assistant GM Matt Klentak could be the early favorite. Klentak, whose name has been mentioned in connection with the Phillies’ presumed GM vacancy in the past, was the Orioles’ director of baseball ops while MacPhail served as president. Also named by Salisbury are Dipoto, Picollo, Hendry, Yankees AGM Billy Eppler, Giants scouting director John Barr and Angels pro scouting director Hal Morris.
  • Partial owner John Middleton offered his take at yesterday’s presser as well, Salisbury notes, stating that he wants MacPhail to find a young version of himself. “And I say that because, 30 years ago, a very young Andy MacPhail was a general manager, a newly minted general manger at that,” said Middleton. “This guy was sitting in an office in Minneapolis and he was playing with mathematical, statistical, analytical tools. And he was using them to try to figure out how he could make better evaluations and therefore better personnel decisions. Andy was constantly pushing himself to get better.” (Salisbury has a second piece with further, more in-depth quotes from the press conference for those interested.)
  • Interim manager Pete Mackanin has a good chance at returning in 2016, sans the “interim” label, writes MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. “I would encourage everybody not to make any assumptions about what’s happening today to have any domino impact on the manager,” said MacPhail. “…I know the tradition is that the GM picks his manager. I’ll just go full disclosure here, if that happens, and it takes you a while to find a GM and then he gets consumed the first month or two with a manager and coaching staff, look how much of the offseason we’ve lost. That’s a high price to pay.” MacPhail said the best way to measure a manager is by the energy, effort and enthusiasm he gets out of whatever talent is provided to him, and Mackanin has shined in that area thus far.
  • MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro tweets that he expects to see Dan Jennings’ name connected to the Phillies’ GM opening if he does not return to his former post as Marlins general manager following the season.
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Kansas City Royals Los Angeles Angels Miami Marlins New York Yankees Philadelphia Phillies San Francisco Giants Andy MacPhail Ben Cherington Billy Eppler Dan Jennings Hal Morris J.J. Picollo Jerry Dipoto Jim Hendry John Barr Matt Klentak Pete Mackanin Ruben Amaro Jr. Scott Proefrock

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AL Notes: Scioscia, Angels, Orioles, Price

By Jeff Todd | September 10, 2015 at 8:40pm CDT

Reiterating what Angels manager Mike Scioscia recently said himself, club president John Carpino says that the skipper “will not be involved in the GM selection process,” Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports. But he also acknowledged that a new hire won’t have full authority to chart the organization’s operating philosophies. Instead, per Carpino, that will be determined through a “collective effort,” which Shaikin says appears to be an implicit validation of the widely-held notion that the incoming GM will face some notable restrictions. Indeed, Scioscia expanded upon his recent comments regarding the need for philosophical harmony, which, he said, “encompasses, certainly, how you are going to recruit talent, the draft, free agents, international scouting, and the development process.” 

  • Answering some Angels fan questions, MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez provides a look at some theoretical free agent targets. The Halos have rotation depth, but some within the organization believe a top-end arm would make sense, he says. If not, a significant corner outfielder — he addresses Yoenis Cespedes — could be under consideration.
  • The collapse of the Orioles has been somewhat overshadowed by other divisional storylines, but has nevertheless been dramatic, as ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick explores. “It’s a snowball time of the year,” said manager Buck Showalter. “There’s so much positive and negative feeding frenzy this time of year, nothing is as good or bad as it seems.” There is immense uncertainty in Baltimore entering the offseason, and Crasnick sets the stage well for what figures to be an interesting winter.
  • Blue Jays lefty David Price says he enjoyed his relationship with then-Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski, but doesn’t envision being uniquely moved to sign with the Red Sox just because Dombrowski is now at the helm there, as John Tomase of WEEI.com reports. Price did note that he has found his time in Toronto thus far to be “pretty special.”  While it’s not at all clear whether Boston will pursue the star lefty, Dombrowski is obviously a fan (having acquired him at last year’s trade deadline) and has indicated that the team intends to improve the top of its rotation.
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Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox Detroit Tigers Los Angeles Angels Toronto Blue Jays David Price

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Front Office Notes: Jennings, Brooks, Eppler, Nationals

By Jeff Todd | September 9, 2015 at 9:50am CDT

Dan Jennings has a standing offer from the Marlins to return to the GM seat, but has not yet informed the team whether he will accept, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. Miami seemingly expects that Jennings will slot back in at that role, unless he is able to land a job elsewhere with more conclusive decisionmaking authority. As the Fish continue their front office maneuvering, the club has hired Marc DelPiano as VP of player development, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports on Twitter.

Here’s more on some front office and managerial situations around the league …

  • The Brewers are set to interview Pirates director of player personnel Tyrone Brooks for the open GM position in Milwaukee, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports on Twitter. We have heard some chatter about possible names to watch for the Brewers, but it appears that Brooks is the first reported candidate to receive an interview. Brooks has held his current role in Pittsburgh for about four years, overseeing an impressive delivery of young talent onto the big league roster. He gave an interesting interview with MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch back when he received that promotion, acknowledging at the time that he ultimately hoped to keep climbing the front office ladder.
  • Both the Mariners and Angels have been given permission to interview Yankees assistant GM Billy Eppler, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. Eppler has long been considered a top general manager candidate, and interviewed with several teams in the past, so it’s no surprise to hear his name linked to multiple openings.
  • The Nationals have dropped two straight to the Mets in hard-to-believe fashion, squandering an opportunity to re-start the division race in the season’s final weeks. Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post encapsulates the situation well in his piece on the frustrating turn of events. Despite the obvious cause for disappointment, GM Mike Rizzo says there is no consideration to making a late-season change at manager. “Matt Williams is our manager,” said Rizzo, “and he’s going to lead us through this stretch. I’ve always supported him. We’re not going to talk about 2016 while 2015 is ongoing.” Rizzo himself is not believed to have any job security issues, says Svrluga, though he adds that the team’s ownership can be “opaque” in its decisionmaking.
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Los Angeles Angels Miami Marlins Milwaukee Brewers New York Yankees Pittsburgh Pirates Seattle Mariners Washington Nationals Billy Eppler Dan Jennings Matt Williams Mike Rizzo Tyrone Brooks

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AL West Notes: Dipoto, Zunino, Skaggs, Paulino

By Steve Adams | September 8, 2015 at 10:11pm CDT

Former Angels GM Jerry Dipoto is expected to be the first external candidate to interview for the Mariners’ GM vacancy, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link). Dipoto resigned this summer after a highly publicized feud with Halos skipper Mike Scioscia and has since taken an advisory role with the Red Sox. The Mariners fired Jack Zduriencik in late August and are said to prefer an experienced general manager to step into the GM’s chair.

Here’s more from the AL West…

  • Mike Zunino won’t return to the Mariners in 2015, writes Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. Instead of being recalled to the big league roster in September, he will report to the instructional league to “overhaul” his swing with hitting coach Cory Snyder and Edgar Martinez. The 24-year-old Zunino, formerly the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, batted just .174/.230/.300 in 386 plate appearances this season. Zunino unquestionably has power — he hit 22 homers in 2015 — and is considered a very strong defender, but he’s highly strikeout prone and has a career .193 average/.252 OBP. Many feel that he was rushed to the Majors, and for what it’s worth, he obliterated Triple-A pitching in a small sample after being demoted the day Zduriencik was fired.
  • Angels left-hander Tyler Skaggs — a player for whom Dipoto traded on two separate occasions — tells Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times the he, his agent, his doctor and the Angels will discuss an innings limit for 2016 this offseason. Skaggs will enter the 2016 campaign about 18 months removed from Tommy John surgery. The story, of course, comes in the wake of the Matt Harvey controversy — a scenario which Skaggs says he wants to avoid.
  • David Paulino, whom the Astros acquired in the 2013 trade that sent Jose Veras to the Tigers, has shown very serious big league potential and emerged as a “steal” for Houston, opines Fangraphs scribe James Chipman. Paulino has battled injuries throughout his pro career but has made huge strides with his fastball and curveball over the past nine months, writes Chipman. If he can hone his changeup, he’s a potential mid-rotation arm, but if not, he could still be a high-leverage reliever. Chipman’s piece includes video and a full scouting report.
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Boston Red Sox Houston Astros Los Angeles Angels Seattle Mariners Jerry Dipoto Mike Zunino Tyler Skaggs

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AL West Notes: Zych, Zito, A’s, Astros

By Mark Polishuk | September 6, 2015 at 4:57pm CDT

Mariners right-hander Tony Zych made his Major League debut on Friday night and gained an unusual distinction in the process.  Of the thousands of players who have appeared in an MLB game, Zych is now alphabetically last on the list, replacing past Dutch Zwilling (who last played in 1916).  “Breaking a record is pretty cool. I really didn’t have to do much for that one,” Zych tells Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune.  As Dutton notes, the Mariners have also previously employed the first player alphabetically in baseball history (David Aardsma) and the first player with a hyphenated name (Ryan Rowland-Smith).  Here’s more from around the AL West…

  • Barry Zito has heard from the Athletics that he won’t be called up this month, the veteran southpaw tells Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.  Zito last pitched in the majors in 2013 and sat out 2014 before signing a minor league deal with the A’s last February.  He’s posted a 3.48 ERA, 5.9 K/9 and 1.50 K/BB rate over 137 innings this season though he hasn’t pitched in over a month due to shoulder tendinitis.  Zito will complete his recovery throwing program to give himself the option of continuing his career, though this could well be it for the former Cy Young Award winner.
  • Also from Slusser, she notes that a number of scouts were in attendance to specifically watch A’s righty Jesse Chavez in his most recent start.  Chavez is “coveted by many teams for his versatility” and is “unlikely to be in next year’s rotation,” Slusser writes.  Chavez drew some trade buzz prior to this year’s deadline and eligible for free agency after the 2016 season, so it makes sense that the A’s could explore dealing him now with so much interest in his services.
  • The Astros’ run to the top of the AL West has produced only a modest increase in attendance, Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle writes.  A number of factors are cited, perhaps chiefly that Houston fans may simply be a bit slow to jump back on the bandwagon since the Astros had been so terrible in recent seasons.  Drellich also looks at some of the ways in which all MLB teams share marketing and ticketing strategies with the rest of the league.
  • Astros closer Luke Gregerson finished his 45th game of the season today, earning him an extra $250K in salary for 2016, as noted by Drellich (Twitter link).  Gregerson has pitched very well in the first year of his three-year, $18.5MM deal with Houston and with the bonus, his 2016 salary now jumps to $6.5MM.  More bonus money is still available, as he’ll earn another $250K at each of the 50-, 55- and 57-finish thresholds.
  • Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times breaks down the pros and cons of four candidates for the Mariners’ GM job.  Of the names listed, Divish thinks former Angels GM Jerry Dipoto could be the favorite, as Dipoto was a finalist for the Seattle job before Jack Zduriencik was hired.
  • Shane Victorino has embraced his platoon role since joining the Angels in the name of helping the club, he tells MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez.  Still, the veteran outfielder says he hopes to return to full-time action next season and is planning to retrain himself to switch-hit after injuries forced him to become a full-time righty bat in 2013.
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Houston Astros Los Angeles Angels Oakland Athletics Seattle Mariners Barry Zito Jerry Dipoto Jesse Chavez Luke Gregerson Shane Victorino

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Rosenthal’s Latest: Amaro, Eppler, Keuchel

By charliewilmoth | September 5, 2015 at 1:25pm CDT

Here’s the latest from Ken Rosenthal, via a video on FOX Sports:

  • The Phillies haven’t yet decided what to do with GM Ruben Amaro. On the surface, that seems strange, since other teams could soon hire top GM candidates to fill their open positions. The likely reason the Phillies haven’t made a move, Rosenthal suggests, is that incoming club president Andy MacPhail prefers not to rush decisions.
  • Yankees assistant GM Billy Eppler is reportedly a top candidate for the open Angels GM job, and he wants the position, even though accepting it would mean working around owner Arte Moreno and influence-wielding manager Mike Scioscia. Eppler is from Southern California and would like to return to the area, Rosenthal says.
  • Dallas Keuchel has put himself in a good negotiating position in potential extension talks with the Astros and he ought not to be desperate to accept one, Rosenthal opines. Keuchel will be eligible for arbitration for the first time this offseason and is already set for a significant payout in 2016, one that would only increase if he wins the Cy Young award. On top of that, it’s extremely unlikely that the Astros would non-tender him the following offseason, so he has already nearly guaranteed himself two years of good salaries.
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Houston Astros Los Angeles Angels New York Yankees Philadelphia Phillies Billy Eppler Dallas Keuchel

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AL Notes: Jays, Giavotella, Kelly

By charliewilmoth | September 5, 2015 at 11:02am CDT

The Blue Jays’ July additions of Troy Tulowitzki, David Price and others fundamentally changed the team, ESPN’s Jayson Stark writes. Prior to yesterday’s 10-2 loss to the Orioles, the Jays had scored 200 runs and allowed just 97 in 32 games since acquiring Tulowitzki. Both those marks were the best in baseball in that time frame. Of course, Tulowitzki himself has a modest .696 OPS since joining the Jays, but GM Alex Anthopoulos suggests that pure numbers are only part of the picture.  Earlier in his tenure as GM, Anthopoulos says, “I was mostly focused on production.” But merely acquiring productive players didn’t work if those players weren’t the right fits for the team. “So I’m probably a little more balanced now, between production and fit,” he says. Here are more quick notes from the American League.

  • Angels infielder Johnny Giavotella has been out the past two weeks, and he said yesterday that he has fourth nerve palsy, MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez writes. The condition causes Giavotella to have double vision when he looks down or to the left. Giavotella says that the symptoms have improved, however, and that the condition will not be permanent. He hopes to return this season.
  • Red Sox starter Joe Kelly has had a frustrating season that’s included a demotion to Triple-A, but he’s fared much better lately and could be pitching his way into Dave Dombrowski’s plans for the 2016 Sox, writes Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. Kelly has made adjustments lately — via Brooks Baseball, he increased his total usage of breaking balls and changeups from about 28% of pitches in June to about 42% in August. He’s only allowed 14 runs spanning 43 innings in his last seven starts. “It’s something that I’ve learned that you can’t just throw fastballs, especially in this division with hitters we see all the time and are very good hitting ballclubs,” he says. “You’ve got to throw hitters offspeed throughout the whole entire game. It’s something that, hopefully going into next year, realizing what I’m doing, I just have to keep pitching like that.” Lauber notes that the team is likely to try to add a top starter this offseason, and Eduardo Rodriguez could join Clay Buchholz (whose option the Red Sox will likely pick up as long as he doesn’t have any trouble in his recovery from an elbow strain) and Rick Porcello in the 2016 rotation. Kelly could then potentially compete with Wade Miley and Henry Owens for a starting job. Of course, much remains to be determined — Dombrowski’s plans to remake the Red Sox in his first offseason on the job might turn out to be more extensive than the blueprint above suggests.
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Boston Red Sox Los Angeles Angels Toronto Blue Jays Joe Kelly Johnny Giavotella

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Front Office Notes: Angels, Eppler, Marlins, Jennings

By Jeff Todd | September 4, 2015 at 10:36pm CDT

The front office rumblings are coming at a steady pace now. Needless to say, there are a lot of moving parts in the multiple front offices in the midst of turnover around the league. Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs breaks down some of the names and considerations that will be in play over the coming months.

On to the latest news and rumors:

  • Yankees assistant GM Billy Eppler seems to be an oft-spoken name early in the GM hiring season, and ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweets that Eppler is “expected to be a strong frontrunner” for the Angels’ opening. While Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports added on Twitter that Los Angeles had yet to request permission from New York to speak with Eppler, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times later tweeted that the clubs have been in contact regarding that matter.
  • Eppler will have competition, of course, and DiGiovanna further tweets that the Angels have been in touch with other teams seeking permission to speak with their executives. It’s still unclear at present how many will get serious consideration for the role, he adds.
  • The Marlins’ lower-level front office changes continued today, as the team fired pro scout Mikey White, per Rosenthal (Twitter links). White was close with GM-turned-manager (and possible future GM) Dan Jennings, says Rosenthal, as was recently-reassigned VP of player personnel Craig Weissman.
  • It’s not clear that anything should be read into those tea leaves, as MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports that there were “strong indications” today that Jennings is likely heading back into the Marlins’ general manager position after the season. Jennings had a meeting yesterday regarding the organization’s future direction, though he declined to discuss it. He’s also been mentioned as a possible candidate for the Seattle opening.
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