Dodgers Name Dave Roberts Manager
NOV. 23: The Dodgers have formally announced the hiring. In the press release announcing the move, Friedman issued the following statement:
“We could not have been more impressed with [Roberts] through this process. His energy is infectious and he has the rare ability to make a genuine connection with every person he comes across. He has developed strong leadership qualities and accumulated a breadth of baseball experience over his career as both a player and coach. He is a “baseball man” and “people person” in the truest sense of those words. We feel fully confident that he will effectively lead our team in pursuit of its ultimate goal — bringing a world championship back to the city of Los Angeles.”
NOV. 22: 11:12pm: The official introductory press conference will be held after the Thanksgiving weekend, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports. Roberts will sign a three-year deal, Nightengale reports, and Hernandez adds that the contract also contains a club option on a fourth season. (Both links to Twitter.)
7:28pm: The Dodgers are expected to hire Dave Roberts as the team’s next manager on Monday, sources tell Dylan Hernandez, Bill Plaschke and Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. Talks are in the “final stages” according to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, and ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reports the last contractual details are expected to be completed by tonight.
Roberts, 43, has spent the last five seasons on the Padres coaching staff, first acting as a first base coach from 2011-13 and then as the bench coach for the last two years. He wasn’t a candidate for the Padres’ managerial vacancy, though he did interview to be the Mariners’ next manager before Scott Servais was hired. This will be Roberts’ first managerial job at any level of pro baseball, aside from one game last summer as a fill-in for the Padres after Bud Black was fired.
It’s not, however, Roberts’ first time wearing Dodger blue. The Dodgers (2002-04) were one of five clubs Roberts played for during his 10-year Major League career, as he amassed a .266/.342/.366 line over 3092 with the Indians, Dodgers, Red Sox, Padres and Giants from 1999-2008. Roberts is probably best known for his brief tenure in Boston, as his steal of second in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS is hailed as the key turn-around moment in that incredible Red Sox comeback (and their eventual march to a curse-breaking World Series title).
Roberts may have also somewhat come from behind in getting the Dodgers job, as director of player development Gabe Kapler was heralded as the early favorite. Team ownership, however, insisted on a thorough search that expanded to include experienced former managers such as Bud Black, Kirk Gibson and Bob Geren, Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez, University Of Nebraska head coach Darin Erstad and Dodgers coaches Tim Wallach and Ron Roenicke. According to the latest reports, the search had been narrowed to Roberts and Kapler.
Roberts will jump right into the deep end as a rookie manager, as he will be tasked with leading a star-studded roster with a $200MM+ payroll to its first World Series appearance since 1988. The Dodgers won three straight NL West titles under Don Mattingly’s leadership, though the team only won one playoff round in those three seasons. Mattingly and the Dodgers, of course, mutually parted ways after the team was eliminated by the Mets in this year’s NLDS and Mattingly went on to take over the Marlins’ managerial job.
Roberts is Andrew Friedman’s first managerial hire since taking over as the Dodgers president of baseball operations, and thus it could be argued that Friedman now has all of his ideal personnel in place in both the front office and the dugout. It’s also just the second managerial hire that Friedman has made in a decade as a top executive; as he did in hiring Joe Maddon to manage the Rays in 2006, Friedman has again picked a well-regarded bench coach to become a first-time big league manager.
Dodgers Have Checked In On Aroldis Chapman
Though the rotation is a more obvious area of need in Los Angeles, the Dodgers have nonetheless checked in on Aroldis Chapman, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. L.A. has recently been connected to Darren O’Day as well, and Heyman writes that they’re “very determined” to upgrade their bullpen however they can.
The Dodgers already possess one of baseball’s best closers in the form of Kenley Jansen It’s understandable that they’d be perhaps interested in acquiring help at the back end of the ‘pen because Jansen is a free agent next season, but so, too, is Chapman, thus making it a bit more of a questionable fit than a closer with more team control (e.g. Ken Giles, who is also rumored to be available).
Jansen and Chapman would, however, represent perhaps the most dominant late-inning duo in all of Major League Baseball, albeit at a highly premium cost. Chapman projects to earn $12.9MM this winter in his final offseason of arbitration eligibility, while Jansen is projected at a slightly more affordable (but still expensive, relative to his peers) salary of $11.4MM. The Dodgers typically operate with less regard for finances than any other club, however, so the notion of spending nearly $25MM on two relievers in a single season isn’t as outlandish for them as it would be another team.
Heyman does note that the Dodgers’ level of interest in Chapman isn’t yet known, though Chapman isn’t the type of player a team would kick the tires on in hopes of landing him at a bargain rate; president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, GM Farhan Zaidi and the rest of the staff know full well that Chapman will be moved for a relatively steep price. The Reds reportedly are seeking controllable, MLB-ready talent in exchange for Chapman, and Cincinnati president of baseball operations Walt Jocketty recently expressed hope that the Reds will get a trade worked out prior to the Winter Meetings, which begin in two weeks.
Dodgers Notes: Roberts, Estevez, Int’l Spending
It’s been a busy days for Dodgers news, with no item bigger than the report that the club is on the verge of hiring Dave Roberts as its next manager. Here’s the latest from Los Angeles…
- Roberts was the right choice over director of player development Gabe Kapler, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal opines. Kapler might’ve had to combat “that players would perceive him as a puppet of the front office due to his close relationship with Andrew Friedman,” while Roberts comes from more of a traditional coaching background and has more dugout experience. Kapler may end up being a very good manager in the future, Rosenthal writes, but Roberts was the better option if the Dodgers were going to pick a first-time skipper.
- When the Dodgers reached the final stage of their manager search, several Dodger veterans informed upper management that Roberts was their choice, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports (Twitter link).
- Cuban second baseman Omar Estevez agreed to a $6MM bonus with the Dodgers earlier today, and Baseball America’s Ben Badler passes on a scouting report on the relatively unknown 17-year-old. Estevez is 5’11, 185 pounds and a right-handed hitter who seems to be lacking in both plus tools and athleticism, according to both Badler and a scout. What Estevez does have, however, is maturity beyond his years at the plate. “Estevez was kind of under the radar tools-wise, but he can hit,” said the scout. “It’s playable defense and he’s not the most agile guy to be in the middle of the diamond, but he has a polished bat. It’s not an athletic body, it’s not what you get excited about, but the way he recognizes pitches, his approach—you don’t see a lot of kids his age doing that.”
- Estevez and Yusniel Diaz are just the latest players to sign with Los Angeles during this international signing period, as the Dodgers have far exceeded their bonus pool to stock up on young talent. Badler (via Twitter) says that this spending spree is one reason why several other teams have shied away from similarly exceeding their bonus pools during the 2015-16 signing period, as they’re simply worried about getting into bidding wars with the well-heeled Dodgers. Exceeding your bonus pool by more than 15% results in a penalty of not being able to sign international players for more than $300K during the next two signing periods, so it makes sense that teams won’t splurge unless they’re sure they can land the particular player or players they want. The Giants, Cubs and Royals are the only other teams to incur the two-year penalty during this signing period, while the Blue Jays only face a one-year ban for 2016-17 as they stayed under the 15% threshold.
Minor MLB Transactions: 11/22/15
Here are the latest minor transactions from around the game…
- The Dodgers have signed infielder Charlie Culberson to a minor league deal that contains an invitation to their big league Spring Training camp, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo reports (Twitter link). Culberson, drafted 51st overall by the Giants in 2007, last appeared in the majors in 2014 as a member of the Rockies. He’s slashed .221/.265/.314 over 360 career Major League plate appearances from 2012-14 and .269/.315/.404 over 3151 minor league PA.
Dodgers, Cuban OF Yusniel Diaz Agree To $15.5MM Deal
The Dodgers have agreed to sign Cuban outfielder Yusniel Diaz to a $15.5MM deal, according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com. Furthermore, the Dodgers and Omar Estevez have agreed to a pact that will pay the infielder $6MM. When considering the 100 percent luxury tax the Dodgers will have to pay on each player due to the fact that they’ve already shattered their league-allotted international bonus pool, Los Angeles will be paying a combined $43MM or so to add the pair of prospects to its ranks.
Even though he’s only 18, Diaz has been known in Cuban baseball circles for years thanks to his offensive prowess while playing center field in Cuba, Ben Badler of Baseball America (subscription required and recommended) wrote earlier this year. In fact, as a 14-year-old in Cuba’s 16-and-under league, Diaz garnered the attention of scouts when he slashed .367/.519/.517 across 80 plate appearances. In his writeup, Badler praised Diaz for his athleticism, speed, and his production in Serie Nacional, where he faced competition at his own age level as well as veteran talents. Despite having seen time in the corner outfield in the past, Diaz’s best position is center field and that’s where Badler sees him playing at the major league level.
Diaz likely would have been chosen as Serie Nacional’s Rookie of the Year in 2015 but that award went to another player after he defected from Cuba in April. In August, Major League Baseball issued a memo to all teams announcing that Diaz was free to sign. Badler ID’d the Dodgers as one of the logical destinations for Diaz at the time since they were one of the clubs that were already over their 2015-16 bonus pools and facing spending restrictions starting on July 2 next year. The Dodgers will be handcuffed from spending more than $300K on any international player during the next two periods, so they essentially decided to go out with a bang before entering their penalty period.
Estevez, meanwhile, “showed above-average power in games and solid raw power in batting practice,” Sanchez writes. While he doesn’t have the strongest arm out there, he does have good instincts for the second base position. The Dodgers’ international haul for the 2015-16 period has been rather expensive between Diaz, Estevez, Cuban right-handed pitcher Yadiel Alvarez ($16MM), outfielder Starling Heredia ($2.6MM), infielder Ronny Brito ($2MM), outfielders Christopher Arias ($500K) and Carlos Rincon ($350K), and shortstop Oneal Cruz ($950K). That grouping along cost more than $87MM when factoring in luxury tax expenditures, although by Sanchez’s count, the Dodgers have signed 28 international prospects since the signing period began on July 2.
Kapler, Roberts Are Finalists For Dodgers’ Manager; Decision To Come By Monday
Since the Dodgers and manager Don Mattingly mutually agreed to part ways last month, the Dodgers have been conducting interviews to determine their next skipper. Farm director Gabe Kapler was said to be the early front-runner, although to this point, Los Angeles has also interviewed Padres bench coach Dave Roberts, Mets bench coach (and former A’s manager) Bob Geren and former big leaguer/current Nebraska head coach Darin Erstad. Last month’s updates on the search can be found here, and we’ll keep track of the November updates to the Dodgers’ managerial search in this post…
- The Dodgers will decide on their next manager no later than Monday, sources tell Buster Olney of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The club’s choice still appears to be between Kapler and Roberts.
Relief Notes: O’Day, A’s, Chapman, D’Backs, Brothers
In such a crowded market for Darren O’Day‘s services, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman observes that the Dodgers, Braves and Nationals could each have an edge. The Dodgers, of course, can offer the most money and have “big time” interest in the right-hander. O’Day’s family lives near Atlanta, so the Braves could have something of a hometown advantage. Then again, O’Day’s wife is a TV reporter working for a station in Washington D.C., which could help the Nats. Here’s more about O’Day and others on the ever-churning bullpen rumor mill…
- You can add the Athletics to the long list of teams with interest in O’Day, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. While Oakland has a clear need for bullpen help, it would be a big surprise to see a small-payroll team like the A’s win the bidding for O’Day. The right-hander has already received multiple offers and is looking for a four-year deal in the $28MM-$36MM range.
- Diamondbacks GM Dave Stewart tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that Brad Ziegler may remain as the team’s closer. “With Ziegler doing the job that he has, I am looking to better ourselves more than likely in the front end versus the back end (of the bullpen),” Stewart said. The Snakes have been linked to several big-name relievers in offseason buzz, and their particular interest in Reds closer Aroldis Chapman goes back several months, though the Reds’ demand for two pre-arbitration Major Leaguers was too high for Arizona’s liking. “I’ve made it pretty clear that I’m just not in the mood to give up three or four players for one guy at the back end of my bullpen,” Stewart said, speaking not specifically of Chapman but of ace relievers in general.
- “Surprised would be an understatement” to describe how Rex Brothers felt when the Rockies designated him for assignment, the southpaw tells Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. Brothers has come to terms with the move, however, and is looking forward to a fresh start in the bigs. It should be noted that Brothers has the choice of electing free agency since he has more than three years of service time, and while he doesn’t directly say so, it certainly sounds as if the lefty will indeed be hitting the open market. Brothers posted very solid numbers out of Colorado’s bullpen from 2011-13 before struggling in 2014 and spending most of 2015 in the minors.
NL West Notes: Rockies, Cueto, Puig, Padres
With the Rockies in need of starting pitching and the Indians in need of outfield help, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post wonders if the two clubs could fit as trade partners. Carlos Gonzalez and Corey Dickerson could both be available if Colorado could land the right arm (or arms) in return, and Danny Salazar, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer have all been mentioned as possible trade chips for the Tribe this winter. As Saunders notes, Cleveland could balk at the remaining $37MM on Gonzalez’s contract and the fact that he’d only be controlled through 2017. Dickerson comes with four years of control and isn’t even eligible for arbitration until next winter, though he’s obviously a much less proven asset than Gonzalez and also missed a lot of time with injuries last season. Here’s some more from around the NL West…
- The Diamondbacks have had internal discussions about possibly signing Johnny Cueto, ESPN’s Buster Olney reports (Insider subscription required). It’s no secret that Arizona has been targeting pitching this offseason, as they’ve been linked to such names as Shelby Miller, Yovani Gallardo and John Lackey on the trade and free agency fronts. Those pitchers carry a much lower price tag than Cueto would on the open market, however, and it would be surprising to see the mid-market Snakes make a big splurge on the type of nine-figure contract it would take to land Cueto.
- The Dodgers aren’t likely to trade Yasiel Puig this offseason since his potential is still so high, his contract is reasonably priced and he brings some right-handed hitting balance to an L.A. outfield full of left-handed bats, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times writes. The Dodgers would also be selling low on Puig in the wake of his disappointing 2015 season.
- Olney also addresses the Puig situation in his previously-linked column, reporting that Dodgers upper management “is much more open to the idea of moving Puig than they would’ve been, say, 18 months ago.” If Puig is really a clubhouse problem, Olney feels the Dodgers should cut their losses and trade him this winter, since they’re one of the few teams with the financial muscle to not have to worry about getting the best possible return back for a sell-low player.
- The trades of Craig Kimbrel and Joaquin Benoit would seem to open the door for Brandon Maurer to take on a bigger late-game role in the Padres bullpen, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes. The Padres are reportedly looking to add a mid-range bullpen arm, though Lin notes that the team could simply keep Maurer in relief to address that need. The team hasn’t closed the door on shifting Maurer back to starting pitching, however, since the Padres have rotation needs both this year and in coming seasons.
- Also from Lin, he reports that the Padres are in talks with Mark McGwire about the ex-slugger becoming the team’s new bench coach, with a source calling McGwire “a very strong candidate for the job.” McGwire is currently the Dodgers’ hitting coach, though his role with that club is up in the air as they search for a new manager. Lin reports that the Diamondbacks were also considering McGwire as their new hitting coach but McGwire took himself out of consideration for that position. Ron Gardenhire had previously been linked to San Diego’s bench coach job, though it now appears as though if he was to join the club, it would be in a front office capacity rather than in the dugout.
Dodgers Interested In Zimmermann; Giants A “Threat” To Land Greinke
Righty Jordan Zimmermann is one of the Dodgers’ “top targets” among free agent starters, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (Twitter links). That shouldn’t be read as a shift of focus away from Zack Greinke, he adds, so much as an indication of the team’s affinity for Zimmermann.
That report comes on the heels of another suggesting that the Giants could be a “formidable threat” to land Greinke. As Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com writes, San Francisco is at least creating an impression in the marketplace that it is prepared for a serious pursuit of the talented — but less than youthful — veteran starter. Of course, the Giants are also said to be doing some diligence on David Price.
It’s always intriguing to consider these two division rivals competing over a player, but in truth the connection goes beyond the fact that only one can win the NL West. Los Angeles probably has more free agent spending capacity than any team in baseball right now — whether or not it chooses to use it — while their neighbors to the north seemingly saved their hefty war chest for this winter’s strong group of free agents. And, of course, both have obvious needs in the rotation.
One year ago, it wouldn’t have been surprising at all to expect to debate the relative merits of these two pitchers. At that point, Zimmermann was coming off of a season in which he looked like an improving, top-of-the-rotation arm, while Greinke was good but obviously not getting any younger.
Things have changed quite a bit in the meantime, though. The 29-year-old Zimmermann has lost some luster, while Greinke turned in a season for the ages. Of course, there’s an argument to be made that perceptions and recency bias could be clouding the situation, but it seems clear at this point that Greinke will out-earn his younger competitor.
All told, it remains far too early to get any kind of a reasonable read of the market. There’s arguably been more chatter surrounding Greinke than other top arms — it’s mostly been crickets, in particular, regarding Johnny Cueto — but as of yet there’s nothing to suggest any sort of clarity. Indeed, if anything, these reports serve only to confirm the fluidity at the top of the pitching market.
Added To The 40-Man Roster: Friday
Tonight at 8:00pm ET is the deadline for teams to add players to their 40-man roster and thereby protect them from this year’s Rule 5 Draft. In other words: there will be a significant amount of 40-man roster moves made over the course of the next 13 or so hours. Six clubs already made moves to protect prospects from the Rule 5 yesterday, and each of the remaining 24 clubs should make moves today as well.
In brief: players drafted/signed at 18 years of age or younger must be added to the 40-man roster within five years of signing or be exposed to the Rule 5 Draft. Players drafted/signed at 19 or older must be added within four years. Those interested in all of the specifics can refer to articles from MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo and J.J. Cooper of Baseball America. Perhaps of greater interest is that Mayo lists all of the prospects from MLB.com’s Top 100 list and from their organizational Top 30 lists that much be protected in advance of tonight’s deadline, while Cooper provides brief write-ups on each player that has been protected (and will continue to do so as additions are made).
Here are today’s additions to the 40-man roster. You can check out Baseball America’s coverage to learn more about the individual players listed below …
- The last team to report is the Giants, who have added a host of names to their 40-man: pitchers Ty Blach, Clayton Blackburn, Kyle Crick, Ian Gardeck, Adalberto Mejia, Steven Okert, Jake Smith, and Chris Stratton. With the roster filled up with that many pre-MLB arms, it’s fair to wonder whether the team anticipates trading from among that group.
- In their second set of 40-man promotions today, the Astros have selected the contracts of outfielder Andrew Aplin and infielder Nolan Fontana.
- Moving onto the Marlins 40-man are lefty Jarlin Garcia and a trio of righties: Jacob Esch, Austin Brice, and Nick Wittgren.
- The Cubs have placed backstop Willson Contreras, righty Pierce Johnson, third baseman Jeimer Candelario, and first baseman Dan Vogelbach onto their 40-man, the team announced.
- The Phillies added outfielder Roman Quinn and righties Jimmy Cordero and Edubray Ramos.
- Joining the Royals‘ 40-man are pitchers Matthew Strahm, Alec Mills, and Kyle Zimmer, infielder Ramon Torres, and outfielders Brett Eibner and Bubba Starling, the club announced.
- The Rockies have selected the contracts of righties Carlos Estevez and Antonio Senzatela, infielder Trevor Story, and outfielder Raimel Tapia.
- The Rays will add righties Jacob Faria, Taylor Guerrieri, and German Marquez to the 40-man roster along with infielder/outfielder Taylor Motter and rising lefty prospect Blake Snell.
- The Pirates have added top prospects Tyler Glasnow and Josh Bell to the club’s 40-man, along with fellow youngsters Harold Ramirez (an outfielder) and Max Moroff (a middle infielder).
- Righty Victor Alcantara has been placed on the Angels‘ 40-man, the club announced. As MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez notes on Twitter, Alcantara is probably now the team’s single best prospect.
Earlier Updates
- Joining the big league side of the roster for the Yankees are righties Johnny Barbato and Rookie Davis along with outfielder Ben Gamel, the team announced.
- The Reds announced the additions of right-handers Robert Stephenson, Sal Romano, and Stephen Johnson to the 40-man roster to keep them from Rule 5 eligibility.
- Going onto the Rangers‘ 40-man roster are outfielder Nomar Mazara, lefty Yohander Mendez, and righties Jose Leclerc and Connor Sadzeck.
- The Dodgers brought righties Jharel Cotton and Ross Stripling onto their 40-man, per a team announcement.
- Infielder Marco Hernandez, righty Pat Light, and lefty Williams Jerez are the newest members of the Red Sox 40-man, the club announced.
- The White Sox have protected righties Brandon Brennan and J.B. Wendelken from the Rule 5 by giving them roster spots.
- The Orioles have added a trio of pitchers, per an announcement. Parker Bridwell and Andrew Triggs throw from the right side, while Chris Lee is a southpaw.
- Moving onto the 40-man for the Indians are righties Mike Clevinger, Shawn Morimando and Dylan Baker, as well as outfielders Tyler Naquin and James Ramsey, per the club.
- The Mets announced the additions of outfielder Brandon Nimmo and righties Seth Lugo, Jeff Walters, and Robert Gsellman to the club’s major league roster.
- Second baseman Joey Wendle and left-hander Jose Torres were added to the Athletics 40-man roster, per the club.
- The Mariners announced that they have purchased the contracts of infielder Patrick Kivlehan and outfielder Boog Powell, thereby adding them to the 40-man roster and protecting them from the Rule 5 Draft.
- The Astros announced the additions of catcher Alfredo Gonzalez and right-handers Jandel Gustave, Juan Minaya, Joe Musgrove and David Paulino to the 40-man roster. Notably, Gustave was a Rule 5 pick last year and found himself with both the Padres and Royals before ultimately being returned to Houston.
- The Tigers announced that they’ve added right-handers Michael Fulmer and Montreal Robertson as well as left-hander Jairo Labourt to the 40-man. Fulmer was the main piece picked up in Detroit’s trade of Yoenis Cespedes, while Labourt was one of three lefties acquired from Toronto in the David Price trade.