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West Notes: Padres, Lopez, Dipoto

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Some items from around both the NL and AL West divisions…

  • Between existing salaries and arbitration salaries (as projected by MLB Trade Rumors), the Padres may not have much available payroll space for 2016, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes.  The Padres will have just under $104MM committed to 14 players, as per Sanders’ calculations, leaving GM A.J. Preller with little to spend if the team’s payroll is staying in the $120MM range.  Some players could be non-tendered, of course, and Sanders suggests that San Diego could get some additional payroll relief by signing Tyson Ross to an extension and exploring trades for Craig Kimbrel, Andrew Cashner and Derek Norris.
  • Cuban righty Yoan Lopez had a rough year on and off the field in his first season of American baseball, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.  The 22-year-old posted a 4.17 ERA, 6.3 K/9 and 1.33 K/BB rate over 54 innings (48 of which were at the Double-A level) in a season shortened by a blister and elbow soreness.  Lopez didn’t particularly impress scouts, as “the most positive among them viewed him as a potential back-of-the-rotation starter.”  Perhaps even more troubling was an unsanctioned absence Lopez took from his team in July.  The Diamondbacks signed Lopez to an $8.27MM bonus last January, surpassing their international signing pool and thus limiting them to signings of $300K or less during the current international period and the next.
  • Both Jerry Dipoto and the Mariners have a chance at quick redemption after a messy resignation in Anaheim and a disappointing 2015 season, Tracy Ringolsby writes for Baseball America.  While the situation with the Angels wasn’t entirely Dipoto’s fault, he still bears a share of the blame and will have to learn from the situation to succeed with the M’s.

Angels Designate Jo-Jo Reyes

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The Angels have designated lefty Jo-Jo Reyes for assignment, the club announced. His roster spot was needed for the claim of outfielder Todd Cunningham.

Reyes returned to the big leagues this year for the Halos, but faced just one batter. That went well, at least: he recorded the out and managed to line himself up for a win in the process. Over his 150 innings at Triple-A, Reyes put up a 4.32 ERA with 6.5 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9.

Angels Claim Todd Cunningham

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The Angels have claimed outfielder Todd Cunningham off waivers from the Braves, Mark Bowman of MLB.com tweets. The move represents the first acquisition of the tenure of new GM Billy Eppler.

Cunningham is a 26-year-old switch-hitter who saw his first real taste of big league action this past season. Over 93 plate appearances, the former second-round pick slashed just .221/.280/.267.  As poorly as he fared with the bat in that short sample, though, Cunningham impressed advanced defensive metrics. Playing mostly in left field, UZR rated him at +18.4 runs-per-150 innings and he racked up six Defensive Runs Saved.

Cunningham was Atlanta’s 23rd-rated prospect coming into the year in the estimation of Baseball America. He has spent most of his time in center field during his minor league career, but BA said — and the metrics suggest — that Cunningham is a plus defender in left. Offensively, he is known as a contact hitter with good speed. But Cunningham hit just .261/.325/.337 in 375 Triple-A plate appearances last year.

It’s possible that the out-of-options Cunningham could find himself back on the waiver wire soon, as MLB.com’s Aldez Gonzalez tweets that the Angels will try to “slip him [through] waivers.”

Heyman’s Latest: Ng, Ziegler, Wieters, Arrieta, Angels, Kershaw, Gordon, Aoki

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Kim Ng, the senior vice president of baseball operations at MLB’s central offices, will interview for the Phillies’ GM vacancy, writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports in his latest Inside Baseball column. Ng, who has previously interviewed with the Dodgers, Angels, Mariners and Padres, still hopes to become the first female general manager of a team. (She has previously worked in several front offices as well.) Her pursuit of the Phillies’ job brings up the issue of diversity among front office execs and managers, Heyman notes, and commissioner Rob Manfred discussed with Heyman some steps the league could take to increase the hiring of minority candidates for such roles. Manfred places a good deal of blame on his own office, telling Heyman, “I am concerned that we at Central Baseball have to do a better job.” Manfred emphasized a need to better prepare minority candidates and to encourage the hiring of such candidates for entry-level positions, so as to deepen the pool of minority candidates from which MLB clubs can select.

Some highlights from Heyman’s weekly piece…

  • The Diamondbacks plan to exercise Brad Ziegler’s $5.5MM option — an expected outcome considering questions throughout the team’s bullpen and the strong numbers that the side-arming Ziegler posted this season. Arizona will focus on adding starting pitching this offseason, though young arms Robbie Ray and Rubby De La Rosa have positioned themselves well to join Patrick Corbin in the rotation.
  • The Braves will be eyeing pitching upgrades and catching help this winter, and re-signing A.J. Pierzynski will be one option. Heyman also lists a run at Georgia native Matt Wieters as a possibility. I’d expect Wieters to receive and reject a qualifying offer, though Heyman notes that no decision has been made on Wieters’ QO situation just yet.
  • The Cubs are expected to pursue top starting pitchers such as David Price and Jordan Zimmermann, but they’ll also attempt to work out a long-term deal with Jake Arrieta, whose dominant second half and Wild Card performance have thrust him into the national spotlight. As a Scott Boras client, however, it could be difficult for the two sides to come to any sort of agreement. Arrieta is controlled through 2017.
  • A big left-handed bat will be a priority for the Angels this winter, and they’ll be hoping to add at second base and third base, specifically. As for David Murphy’s $7MM club option, Heyman notes that the team might want to put those resources toward a more impactful bat.
  • Clayton Kershaw turned down a $300MM contract offer a few months before signing his seven-year, $215MM extension that featured an opt-out clause after the fifth season, per Heyman. While that’s a shocking number to reject, we also don’t know the length of said deal or the amount of deferred money it contained. Sticking with the Dodgers, the CBS scribe adds that Zack Greinke will exercise his own opt-out clause this winter. That was a foregone conclusion, though Heyman notes that Greinke is said to have enjoyed the L.A. clubhouse much more this season, so his chances of re-signing may be better than previously expected.
  • Once they hire a manager to replace Dan Jennings, the Marlins’ first order of business will be to pursue an extension with All-Star second baseman Dee Gordon. The 27-year-old led the Majors in hits and stolen bases in his first year with the Marlins. A client of the Beverly Hills Spots Council, Gordon is currently controlled through the 2018 season. He earned $2.5MM in 2015 after avoiding arbitration for the first time as a Super Two player last offseason.
  • The Giants are planning on picking up Nori Aoki’s $5.5MM club option. Considering the $700K buyout attached to the deal, it’s essentially a $4.8MM decision for the Giants, making it seem like a fairly easy call. San Francisco also plans to pursue top-of-the-market arms like Price and Greinke.

AL Notes: Tigers, Rotation, Rondon, Gwynn, Bundy, Yanks

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Tigers GM Al Avila addressed the press today, and Chris Iott of MLive.com has the story (or, if you prefer, the video). We already touched upon his comments regarding the possibility of a J.D. Martinez extension. He also noted the importance of bolstering the pitching staff, saying that the “hope is to find two starting pitchers” — one toward the top of the staff and another back-end arm. The club will also consider newly-acquired youngsters Daniel Norris, Matt Boyd, and Michael Fulmer for starting jobs, along with the struggling Shane Greene — who could instead move to relief duty. Speaking of the pen, Avila noted that adding a lockdown closer would be “a tough task” given the paucity of 9th-inning arms on the market. He also noted that pitching was a greater priority than adding in the outfield, where the team feels good about youngster Tyler Collins. Though Avila didn’t reveal details, he said the cash would be there to make the additions that the team needs: “We’ll have a highly competitive payroll, as we have in the past.”

Here’s more from Detroit and the rest of the American League:

  • Tigers reliever Bruce Rondon took the closer job briefly but was ultimately sent home early for an apparent lack of effort. Avila says that the fireballer will need to prove that he is committed and capable, with the GM saying he’s “keeping my fingers crossed that the lesson was learned and he comes back ready to go.” One player who won’t be coming back is veteran infielder Josh Wilson, who has been told he’ll not be re-signed. And Avila said that long-time backstop Alex Avila — who is, of course, his son — is also expected to end up with a new organization.
  • Changes in the Mariners’ front office continued on Thursday, as Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reported that director of player development Chris Gwynn has stepped down from his post (Twitter link). The Mariners have since confirmed Gwynn’s resignation, and Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times tweets that his expectation for the role to be filled by Angels assistant GM Scott Servais — a lieutenant of new Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto when the two worked together in Anaheim.
  • Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy threw off a mound on Wednesday for the first time since shoulder troubles caused him to be shut down for the season in May, writes the Baltimore Sun’s Eduardo A. Encina. Bundy, formerly rated as the No. 2 overall prospect in the game by both Baseball America and MLB.com, threw 20 pitches in the side session. Director of player development Brian Graham said that Bundy has no physical issues and showed good velocity. The team will decide if he’s to throw in winter ball or possibly the Arizona Fall League, but as Encina notes, getting him some work will be important. Bundy is out of minor league options and will have to stick on the Opening Day roster to avoid waivers next season, so getting him back into game shape carries extra importance for Baltimore.
  • The Yankees have quite a bit of work to do heading into the offseason, writes MLB.com’s Barry M. Bloom. Unfortunately, the team doesn’t have much in the way of financial “wiggle room” to pursue the likes of David Price, Zack Greinke or Justin Upton, despite the fact that each player would fill a need for the club, Bloom opines. Perhaps chief among the Yankees’ needs will be to determine if age, injuries or simply general wear and tear contributed to the decline of Jacoby Ellsbury, Alex Rodriguez, Brett Gardner, Brian McCann, Chase Headley and Carlos Beltran down the stretch, he adds.

 

Outrighted: De Fratus, Pettibone, Kratz, Green

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Here are the day’s minor moves:

  • The Phillies announced that they’ve outrighted seven players from the 40-man roster. Right-hander Justin De Fratus, catcher Erik Kratz, infielder Chase d’Arnaud, outfielder Jordan Danks and lefties Adam Loewen and Ken Roberts were all outrighted off the roster. Additionally, right-hander Jonathan Pettibone was activated from the 60-day DL and outrighted. The 27-year-old De Fratus has been a regular member of the Philadelphia bullpen for the past three seasons but struggled to a 5.51 ERA in 80 innings this season. Pettibone, 25, tossed 100 1/3 solid innings for the Phils in 2013 but has struggled to recover from shoulder surgery. He threw just three innings last year and didn’t pitch in the Majors in 2015.
  • The Angels announced today that infielder Grant Green has cleared outright waivers and will be assigned to Triple-A. Green, 28, was designated for assignment just before the end of the regular season. He was once a prized young player, and continues to perform in the upper minors, but has slashed just .249/.283/.335 over an even 300 career plate appearances. Notably, the move does not necessarily mean that Los Angeles will be able to stash Green in the minors. Now that he’s off of the 40-man, he’ll be eligible for minor league free agency.

AL West Notes: Astros, Daniels, Mariners, Angels

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Making it into the postseason and then advancing to the divisional round has “brought a measure of validation” to the Astros’ all-out rebuild, Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal writes. “Your work speaks for itself,” said GM Jeff Luhnow after last night’s win. “There’s always critics along the way if you’re trying to do something different or something unique. But we had confidence that we were on the right path, and I think the results are starting to show.” As Costa rightly notes, it’s important to bear in mind that “many of the most promising young players acquired by Luhnow haven’t even reached the majors yet.” The true measure of the Houston project, I’d suggest, is in how lengthy and fruitful an overall contention window it creates (with all the economic benefits that would be expected to come with that).

  • Of course, Houston did not manage to hang on to its division lead, and the Rangers’ surprising surge to the top of the West is every bit as validating to its general manager, writes Mac Engel of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Engel praises Jon Daniels for a series of moves that helped the club wade through its significant injury and performance issues of 2015. Certainly, it’s impossible to argue with the results, particularly since they came as Daniels and company were simultaneously making various future-oriented decisions.
  • Left in the wake of the those two division leaders were a trio of disappointing teams. Whatever other issues were involved, the Mariners never recovered from a single disastrous homestand in late May and early June, writes Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. They’ve turned the baseball operations department over to Jerry Dipoto, of course.
  • As for the Angels, who parted ways with Dipoto in mid-season and fell just short of qualifying for post-season play, new GM Billy Eppler faces a lengthier to-do list than Dipoto did last winter, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register writes. Another middle-of-the-order bat, preferably left-handed, might be the biggest need, while a resolution at third base is also critical. Fletcher also says that the club could look to bolster its output at second base and catcher, while contemplating the addition of a top-end arm. The piece goes on to talk about possible trade chips, theoretical trade and free agent targets, and other contractual matters.

AL West Notes: A’s, Reddick, Pomeranz, Mariners, Astros, Angels

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Athletics VP of baseball operations Billy Beane and GM David Forst sat down with the media today to round things up after the season. As Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle was among those to report, generally, the club is not planning to trade away young assets but also won’t rush them to the big leagues. That could suggest a sort of transition season at the major league level. The sense seems to be that pitching additions — at least one starter as well as some pen help — could be offseason targets. Slussers notes to keep an eye out for deals to address “poor clubhouse chemistry.”

Here’s more from Oakland and the rest of the AL West:

  • Beane made clear that the Athletics see outfielder Josh Reddick as a keeper, noting the possibility of an extension before he hits the open market after 2016. “Josh is a good player and he’s still young,” Beane said. “We’ve always liked having him here. Talented guy, does everything well. … We’re all very pleased with the year Josh had.” Fellow outfielder Coco Crisp, meanwhile, still profiles as a starter — if, that is, he can return to health.
  • Athletics lefty Drew Pomeranz is likely headed for AC joint surgery on his pitching shoulder, John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group tweets. The 26-year-old, who’ll be arbitration eligible for the first time this winter, put up a 3.66 ERA in 86 innings while serving in a swingman capacity.
  • The Mariners have begun turning over their front office after making a change at the top, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). With new GM Jerry Dipoto at the helm, the organization will part ways with special assistants to the GM Duane Shaffer and Joe McIlvaine, pro scouting supervisor Pete Vuckovich, and pro scout Joe Nigro.
  • While the Astros are preparing for an exciting post-season trip, that doesn’t mean the club’s front office won’t see some change as well. As Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle reports, farm director Quinton McCracken and assistant director Allen Rowin could end up being reassigned within the organization if they stay in Houston. GM Jeff Luhnow has a “new vision,” apparently relating to player development, that has created some uncertainty, per the report.
  • Luhnow recently discussed the Astros’ trade deadline in retrospect, noting that some less-than-ideal performances didn’t change his evaluation. As Drellich reports, the Houston GM defended his approach this summer. “We made those trades for the right reason and I’m comfortable with the process that we went through and why we made those trades,” said Luhnow. “The players on this team that put us in a position to make those trades at end of July deserve the opportunity for us to add talent, and that’s what we did. It doesn’t always work out. I think we know that, we knew that going in. Fortunately for us, we have Fiers and Gomez next year, and we’re still in it.”
  • Newly-appointed Angels GM Billy Eppler discussed the kinds of players he’ll be targeting with his new organization, as Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports on Twitter. Eppler noted the idea of finding baseball intelligence in his position players, with a preference for hitters “with a patiently aggressive approach.” In building a staff, he wants arms that not only have quality offerings, but “can set up a hitter [and] execute a game plan.”
  • Angels owner Arte Moreno left no doubt that he will provide Eppler with the means of delivering a competitive club, as Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports (Twitter links). “Our plans are not to rebuild,” said the veteran owner. “We would like to become more competitive.” As for the topic of payroll, Moreno indicated that he would not allow the luxury tax threshold to get in the way of an appropriate acquisition. “If it’s the right player, in the right situation, we’ll do whatever is needed,” he said.

Mike Scioscia To Return As Angels’ Manager In 2016

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Angels skipper Mike Scioscia has played his intentions surrounding the opt-out clause in his contract close to the vest, but he announced today at the press conference to introduce new GM Billy Eppler that he will not exercise his out clause and will return to the Angels’ dugout in 2016 (Twitter link via the Orange County Register’s Pedro Moura).

Scioscia, the game’s longest-tenured manager, has been at his current post since 2000. The 56-year-old previously signed a 10-year, $50MM extension that covers the 2009-18 seasons, meaning he has three years and $15MM to go on his current deal. As recently as last night, Scioscia publicly refused comment on the possibility of an opt out.

As Angels manager, Scioscia has compiled a 1416-1176 record and captured one American League Championship and one World Series (2002). The Halos also have six American League West Division Championships under his watch, not including that historic 2002 season, when they entered the postseason as a Wild Card club.

Scioscia has seen his name in headlines often this season, as a dispute between him and Jerry Dipoto was ultimately said to be the final straw that pushed Dipoto to resign as the team’s GM. (Dipoto has since been hired as the new general manager of the division-rival Mariners.) Asked about any possible concerns working with Scioscia because of that rift, Eppler said the matter is a “non-issue, probably because of where I worked,” referring to his time with the Yankees (quote via MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez, on Twitter).

Angels Name Billy Eppler GM

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11:59pm: The Angels have officially announced the hiring of Eppler, who receives a four-year contract to become the team’s GM. Eppler will report directly to owner Arte Moreno and, according to the team’s release, will “oversee all aspects of the club’s baseball operations.”

7:12pm: The Angels will announce tomorrow that Yankees assistant general manager Billy Eppler will be their next GM, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Eppler will replace Jerry Dipoto, who resigned in July.

The Angels were, of course, eliminated from playoff contention today, so they won’t be playing the Yankees in the AL Wild Card game. FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal noted yesterday that the possibility of an Angels/Yankees matchup might be one reason the Angels were waiting to officially hire a top Yankees executive.

The Angels had been connected to a number of other candidates, including Dodgers executive Josh Byrnes (who had reportedly been the other top candidate), Red Sox assistant GM (and now GM) Mike Hazen, Blue Jays assistant Tony La Cava, Indians VP of player personnel Ross Atkins, Rangers assistant Thad Levine, Mariners farm director Chris Gwynn, and internal candidates Hal Morris, Matt Klentak and Scott Servais. Several reports, however, had previously named Eppler as the front-runner.

Eppler worked as a scout in the Rockies organization before being hired by the Yankees in 2004. In 2005, the Yankees promoted him to director of pro scouting, and he became assistant GM following the 2011 season. He had long been considered a future GM, and he interviewed for the Angels job in 2011 before it was ultimately awarded to Dipoto. Last year he interviewed for the Padres GM position, and he was also a potential candidate for the Diamondbacks job that went to Dave Stewart, although he declined to formally interview for that position. Eppler is a native of San Diego.

Eppler, 40, is generally regarded as likely to be statistically savvy, although he also has a scouting background, and it’s difficult to tell how a GM might make decisions until he or she actually becomes a GM. “He checks all the boxes,” Brian Cashman said of Eppler last year. “He’s got the analytics side checked off, he’s got the administrative side checked off and he’s got the scouting side checked off. He’s got the leadership side checked off because he’s a great communicator.”

Eppler will inherit a situation in Los Angeles that is in some ways envious and some ways not. Tension between Dipoto and manager Mike Scioscia led to Dipoto’s departure, and the fact that Scioscia remained while Dipoto left suggests that Eppler will have to find a way to work with Scioscia, regardless of any differences that might arise. Owner Arte Moreno has a reputation for being heavily involved with baseball decisions. Also, the Angels don’t have a particularly strong farm system.

On the other hand, he Angels won 85 games this season and have a relatively strong talent base led by one of the one or two best players in baseball in Mike Trout. That’s a rare starting point for an incoming GM. Eppler will also have access to a big budget, as Moreno has rarely been shy about spending on top-tier free agents.

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