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John Boggs To Represent Shane Victorino

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MLB agent John Boggs will represent Shane Victorino, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports (on Twitter). The free agent outfielder recently left ACES and had been talking with agents about his representation options.

Victorino posted a .255/.321/.383 batting line with 29 doubles and 11 home runs in 666 plate appearances for the Phillies and Dodgers in 2012. The 31-year-old won't receive a qualifying offer and isn't expected to return to the Dodgers as a free agent. Teams such as the Reds and Braves could be interested, however.

MLBTR's Agency Database offers a complete look at Boggs' client list. Check out the database for up to date information about which agents represent which MLB players.

NL West Notes: Kershaw, Rockies’ Opening, Dodgers

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The San Francisco Giants have the opportunity this evening to give the National League its third consecutive World Series win, the Senior Circuit's longest such streak in three decades. If Game Four starter Matt Cain wins tonight, he will become only the third pitcher in MLB history to record three series clinching victories in one post-season. As the Giants try to bring the Commissioner's Trophy to the NL West for the second time in three years, here's the latest from that division:

  • Major League Baseball presented Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw with the Roberto Clemente Award, given to the player who most embodies the humanitarian vision of the late Pirates star, prior to the start of Game 4 of the World Series, writes Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
  • The Rockies have expressed interested in interviewing Giants bench coach Ron Wotus for their managerial opening, reports the Denver Post's Patrick Saunders. Saunders also confirmed Matt Williams, the Diamondbacks' third base coach, is the sixth candidate to be interviewed joining Rockies bench coach Tom Runnells, Jason Giambi, former Rockies shortstop Walt Weiss, ex-White Sox and Mets manager Jerry Manuel, and former Phillies bench coach Pete Mackanin.
  • Weiss would be an inspired choice to become the Rockies next manager, according to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. Weiss was universally respected for his knowledge and work ethic by his teammates and he knows the Rockies' culture, having played for the team and worked as a special assistant for general manager Dan O'Dowd, opined Renck. 
  • Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis, in his World Series column for the Los Angeles Times, understands the logic of those who believe it is difficult for teams in Southern California to win the World Series because of the cold weather conditions in October.
  • MLB is in discussions about the possibility of starting its 2014 season in Australia, reports Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times. A MLB spokesman said the possibility of playing in Australia is not currently being explored. Dilbeck also referenced a report in the Sydney Morning Herald where the preference of the Australian promoters is a series between the Dodgers and Diamondbacks in Sydney.
  • Sharon Robinson, daughter of Jackie Robinson, told Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times she will be joining the Dodgers' board of directors representing her family and the Jackie Robinson Foundation. A Dodgers official said the team is finalizing an agreement with the Robinson family but declined to comment publicly in advance of an announcement.

Daniel Seco contributed to this post.

Cafardo On Dodgers, Hamilton, Brewers, Otani

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For most of his eight-year tenure with the Dodgers, General Manager Ned Colletti had to mindful of the budget and the bottom line.  Now, Colletti has the financial freedom to make bold moves, such as the trade with the Red Sox which brought Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Nick Punto, and Carl Crawford aboard.  Colletti has no doubt that Crawford is ready to regain his old form.  "He’s still a dynamic player," Colletti said. "A couple of years ago, he was one of the most sought-after free agents in the game for good reason. People in Tampa saw it a lot. People in the AL East saw it a lot — a combination of abilities not many players have. In this league, the ability to hit and steal, doubles and triples — this is a tough park for home runs sometimes — his ability to create things offensively with speed and ability to hit."  Here's more from today's column..

  • There’s mounting evidence that the Brewers could be one of the teams that emerges in the market for Josh Hamilton.  Milwaukee is at least looking into the possibility, though their top priorities are still finding a starting pitcher and revamping their bullpen.
  • The Cubs appear to be players for 18-year-old pitcher Shohei Otani, but Theo Epstein recently expressed trepidation about plunging back into the Japanese market.  Otani was recently taken with the first-overall pick in the NPB draft and the Nippon Ham Fighters have until March to try and sign him.  A major league club can still sign him at any time, but it would likely irritate Japanese baseball officials.
  • Bobby Valentine declined to say whether he'd like to be considered for the managerial openings with the Rockies, Marlins, and Blue Jays.  The manager also clarified some of his recent remarks on the Red Sox and noted that his line about leaving a note for incoming manager John Farrell was merely an old-time baseball joke.
  • After removing himself from the interview process with the Astros and declining to meet with the Marlins, it's possible that Brad Ausmus only had his eye on the Red Sox job.  However, teams will still try to lure the former catcher who quickly found himself in high demand.
  • Terry Francona did speak with the Marlins earlier this year, but he wanted to be with the Indians all along.

Quick Hits: White Sox, Orioles, Pierzynski, Dodgers

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Links for Saturday evening…

  • Chris Kamka of CSNChicago.com looked at the best and worst trades Kenny Williams made as GM of the White Sox. Williams was recently promoted to vice president with Rick Hahn taking over as GM.
  • CSNBaltimore.com's Rich Dubroff listed the five best top draft picks in Orioles' history, meaning 1978 second rounder Cal Ripken Jr. was ineligible.
  • White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski says that he hasn't heard from the club as he is set to hit the open market, but a club source says Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf had lunch with Pierzynski after the season, writes Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. Meanwhile, GM Rick Hahn says that he is going to take his time in talks with Pierzynski, Jake Peavy, or Kevin Youkilis.
  • The Orioles are set to cut ties with former first-round pick Billy Rowell as he approaches minor league free agency, an industry source tells Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun. Rowell, the ninth-overall selection in the 2006 draft, signed for a $2.1MM bonus but failed to advance beyond Double-A in his time with the O's.
  • The Dodgers have hired Patrick Guerrero as their Latin American coordinator, a baseball source tells Ben Badler of Baseball America. Guerrero was let go by the Mariners earlier this month along with vice president of international scouting Bob Engle.
  • Giants president Larry Baer isn't threatened by the prospect of the Dodgers spending wildly this winter, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
  • The Orioles are still waiting for Cuban defector Henry Urrutia to be able to report to Sarasota, Florida after signing with the club in July, writes Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com. The O's gave the 25-year-old outfielder a $778K signing bonus and he could begin his professional career at Double-A.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Dodgers Notes: League, Fujikawa, Otani

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Yesterday, Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti ran down a number of topics during the club's formal introductory press conference for Carl Crawford.  During the presser, Colletti said that the Dodgers would target both starting and relief pitching this winter, plus outfield depth.  Here's more out of Los Angeles from Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times..

  • Colletti reiterated that Brandon League has interest in returning to the Dodgers and the club would like to keep him.  League's representatives told Hernandez that the two sides are currently discussing a three-year pact.  The 29-year-old is able to hit the open market for the first time after earning $5MM in his final season as an arbitration eligible player.
  • People familiar with the Dodgers' thinking say they are interested in Japanese free-agent reliever Kyuji Fujikawa.  The right-hander boasts a mid-90s fastball and has been considered the Japanese league's top closer in recent years.  Fujikawa is expected to pitch in the major leagues next season after recently completing his contract with the Hanshin Tigers.
  • The Dodgers are also known to be in on 18-year-old Shohei Otani along with the Red Sox and Rangers.  Hernandez notes that the Dodgers may have to approach the situation carefully as they have a longstanding relationship with Japanese baseball.  The Nippon Ham Fighters, who selected Otani first overall in the NPB draft, have until the end of March to negotiate with him.  Any team that signs him before then could hurt MLB's relationship with the top league in Japan.
  • The Dodgers are still looking for a hitting coach and Mickey Hatcher, who assisted Dave Hansen late this year, is not in the mix.

Dodgers Notes: Colletti, League, Crawford

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Dodgers GM Ned Colletti discussed a number of offseason topics with the media (including MLB.com's Ken Gurnick) during today's official introductory press conference for Carl Crawford.  Here are some of the highlights…

  • Colletti said the Dodgers would look to add starting and relief pitching this winter, plus outfield depth.  "Our outfield is somewhat complete, but not complete," Colletti said.  "We've got to keep our versatility and have somebody that can play center field. Tony Gwynn is still part of the organization and a candidate."  Crawford, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier are set as the Dodgers' starting outfield trio for 2013, though good bench options are necessary given Crawford and Kemp's recent injury problems.
  • Mickey Hatcher is not a candidate to replace the recently-fired Dave Hansen as the Dodgers' hitting coach, though Colletti said Hatcher could find a job in another capacity with the team.  Hatcher, fired last spring as the Angels' hitting coach, served as "a de facto assistant" to Hansen last season.
  • The Dodgers are interested in bringing back Jamey Wright, Randy Choate and Brandon League next season.  All three relievers are free agents, though Colletti is "encouraged" by negotiations thus far with League (as tweeted by Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times).
  • Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has the details of Crawford's meeting with the media, including his surprise at being traded last summer, his willingness to waive his no-trade clause and how he wished he'd immediately undergone Tommy John surgery rather than trying to play through the pain.  "I wish I’d done it [earlier], because I’d be better now. With the Boston fans you have a big deal that was made about my money and trying to play for the team," Crawford said. "Maybe I shouldn’t have done that and taken care of myself. I pretty much put pressure on myself to play. You get looked at as being soft and as somebody just trying to take money. I wanted to prove that wasn’t the case. That probably cost me a little time for next year."

Quick Hits: Baker, Hunter, Kershaw, LaRoche

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Congratulations to Miguel Cabrera, who was named the Sporting News MLB Player of the Year. Here are some more links from around MLB on an off day for Cabrera's Tigers and the NL Champion Giants…

  • The Twins will decline Scott Baker's $9.25MM option for 2013, but he remains a "high priority" for the team, Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN reports. Baker's agent has been speaking regularly with the Twins and the sides could agree to an incentive-laden one or two-year deal. 
  • The Twins haven't yet called to inquire about minor league free agent Aaron Laffey, according to Wolfson.
  • Teams are standing by to see if the Angels make Torii Hunter a one-year qualifying offer, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (Twitter link). If the Angels make Hunter a qualifying offer and he declines, other teams will have to surrender a draft pick to sign the outfielder. Otherwise, he'll be coveted as a free agent. Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com suggested today that the Angels won't extend Hunter a qualifying offer (Twitter link).
  • Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said he will probably think about a long-term contract for Clayton Kershaw this coming offseason, Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times reports (on Twitter). The left-hander's under contract for 2013 and under team control as an arbitration eligible player through 2014.
  • The Nationals and Adam LaRoche have made “some progress” toward a new contract, the first baseman told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. There’s nothing definitive at this stage, but the sides have started to establish parameters for a possible new deal.

Shohei Otani Deciding Between Japan, MLB

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OCTOBER 19TH: Otani is set to decide between playing in MLB and staying in Japan on Monday, according to a report from Sanspo (Japanese link) passed along by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker (via Twitter).

OCTOBER 11TH: High school pitcher Shohei Otani, 18, is being courted by every NPB team and at least three Major League teams, reports WEEI.com's Alex Speier.  The Red Sox, Dodgers and Rangers have all sent representatives to Japan to meet with Otani, and Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News notes that the Orioles also have interest in the right-hander.

Despite his young age, Otani is already 6'4" and 190 pounds and owns a fastball that has been clocked in the 99-100 mph range.  MLB teams wouldn't have to pay a posting fee to sign Otani as he isn't contracted to any Japanese pro team. 

AL East Notes: Ausmus, A-Rod, Orioles, Red Sox

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Brad Ausmus has a supporter in former teammate Andy Pettitte, who tells Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald that Ausmus would be a "great" choice to manage the Red Sox.  Ausmus is one of four candidates (along with Tim Wallach, DeMarlo Hale and Tony Pena) who have interviewed for the job, though the Sox are also negotiating with the Blue Jays about manager John Farrell.  Here's the latest from around the AL East…

  • Sources familiar with the Dodgers' and Marlins' plans tell Jon Heyman of CBS Sports that neither team has an interest in Alex Rodriguez.  The Miami source said that rumors about talks between the Yankees and Marlins about Rodriguez are "BS. [It's] not happening."
  • The Angels may not be interested in an A-Rod-for-Vernon Wells deal due to the salary differences and the fact that the Angels see prospect Kaleb Cowart as a potential starting third baseman by 2014, opines MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez (Twitter links).
  • Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun grades each member of the Orioles' roster.
  • As the Red Sox and Blue Jays continue to negotiate about Farrell, an anonymous AL East GM tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that he isn't a fan of manager trades.  "I don't think it's a great practice to deal for managers. I'm surprised the league allows it," says the general manager.  "If the guy doesn't want to be there you just let him go. What's the big deal? You get someone else who does want to be there and who you feel will do a good job."
  • Gerry Hunsicker and Rays executive VP Andrew Friedman talk to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times about Hunsicker's decision to leave the Rays for the Dodgers.
  • From earlier today on MLBTR, I compiled some news about the Blue Jays.

Dodgers Hire Gerry Hunsicker

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The Dodgers have announced the hiring of Gerry Hunsicker as a senior advisor of baseball operations.  “Gerry brings a wealth of senior level experience and knowledge that will assist baseball operations at all levels,” said GM Ned Colletti.

USA Today's Bob Nightengale describes the hire as a "terrific" one for the Dodgers.  Hunsicker has been working as the Rays' senior VP of baseball operations since 2005, and given how the Dodgers' media release makes special note of Hunsicker's role in expanding Tampa Bay's international scouting presence, it stands to reason he'll perform similar duties in Los Angeles.  The Dodgers have looked to increase their international presence since Guggenheim Media bought the club, as shown as the signings of such notable players as Yasel Puig.

Hunsicker, 62, was general manager of the Astros from 1995 to 2004.  The Astros made five playoff appearances in that stretch, getting as far as the seventh game of the 2004 NLCS.

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