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West Notes: Rangers, Conte, Rockies

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Rangers hitting coach Dave Magadan left the position yesterday, and Evan Grant of DallasNews.com examines four possible candidates to replace him. Three of those are former MLB stars: Jason Giambi, Michael Young and Ivan Rodriguez. Giambi is widely considered a potential future manager, and he already works with young Rangers power hitter Joey Gallo. Young is a special assistant with the Rangers, but Grant feels he’s unlikely to take the hitting coach job and spend less time with his family. Rodriguez was briefly rumored to be a candidate for the Marlins’ manager job earlier this year. Grant also mentions Rangers minor-league hitting instructor Justin Mashore, noting that the organization holds Mashore in high regard. Here’s more from the West divisions.

  • The Dodgers have announced the resignation of Vice President, Medical Services and Head Trainer Stan Conte, who had worked with the team for nine years. “I want to thank Stan for his contributions to the Dodgers over the past nine years as well as all he has done for the entire community of sports medicine,” says Dodgers exec Andrew Friedman. The departure could be the first of many within the Dodgers organization after a disappointing exit from the playoffs this week.
  • The Rockies need to get more from their bench next season, writes Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. In particular, Daniel Descalso, Wilin Rosario and the since-departed Drew Stubbs struggled. 3B/OF Rafael Ynoa and outfielder Brandon Barnes appear likely to take two bench spots next year, but beyond that, the Rockies’ plans are unclear. Rosario, however, appears likely to depart — he could be a non-tender candidate and has also already indicated that he’s open to being traded.

Dodgers Notes: Grandal, Kendrick, Peralta, Mattingly, Greinke

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The Dodgers figure to come up in the news quite a bit in the coming days as the team’s focus now shifts to the offseason after last night’s loss to the Mets in Game 5 of the NLDS. Earlier today, Jon Heyman already touched down on topics including Don Mattingly’s future, Zack Greinke’s opt-out and qualifying offers for Howie Kendrick and Brett Anderson.

Here’s  more on the Dodgers…

  • Yasmani Grandal will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder on Wednesday of next week, writes the Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett. The switch-hitting catcher termed the procedure “just a cleanup” but said he looks forward to no longer dealing with pain in the joint. As Plunkett notes, Grandal played through that discomfort for two months, which resulted in a woeful seven hits over his final 104 at-bats.
  • Also from Plunkett’s column, Kendrick says that he very much wants to return to the Dodgers in 2016, though he declined to get too far into specifics. The Dodgers are “on top of [Kendrick’s] list,” the second baseman said before neglecting to elaborate any further. Heyman reported this morning that Kendrick will receive a qualifying offer from L.A.
  • One last note from Plunkett’s piece — right-hander Joel Peralta will pitch again in 2016. The 39-year-old nearly underwent neck surgery that could have ended his career earlier in the season, but he returned for a strong final month of the season, prompting him to decide he’d like to pitch for at least another season. He’ll head to winter ball to make up for some of the innings he lost. Peralta logged a 4.34 ERA with 7.5 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 and a 33.7 percent ground-ball rate in just 29 innings this year, but he allowed just two runs with 11 strikeouts and no walks over his final nine innings of the season.
  • While Mattingly’s job security figures to be a topic of discussion after another NLDS exit, members of the clubhouse seem to be behind him, writes Zach Helfand of the L.A. Times. Hefland quotes Justin Turner, J.P. Howell and Enrique Hernandez each emphatically defending Mattingly, stating that the reason for the team’s early postseason exit stems from a lack of run-scoring, which shouldn’t be blamed on the manager. “I would play for Donnie any day of the week,” said Turner. “…I’m behind him 100 percent. I think he’s an unbelievable manager, did an unbelievable job handling everything that goes on both on and off the field with this club, and he’s got my support 100 percent.”
  • Buster Olney and Keith Law of ESPN discussed the Dodgers in today’s podcast (audio link, with Law appearing around the 27-minute mark), specifically last night’s game (including managerial decisions on both sides) and the future of Mattingly. Both Olney and Law feel that Mattingly will be dismissed. Law opines that while Mattingly isn’t one of the game’s better tactical managers, he’s not among the worst, and much of the team’s postseason struggles must be blamed on the front office and the roster construction. Olney discusses the fact that Andrew Friedman’s strategy of building platoons and part-time roles worked in Tampa Bay with less-established players, but it’s highly difficult to make that strategy work when dealing with veteran players on expensive contracts. Also discussed is how the Dodgers should be willing to overpay to retain Greinke, with Law projecting Greinke’s style of pitching to hold up well over the life of a theoretical free agent contract.

Heyman’s Latest: Greinke, Mattingly, QOs, Gordon, Anderson, Hunter

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Jon Heyman of CBS Sports kicks off Friday morning with a pair of columns — the first being a piece on Zack Greinke’s opt-out status and the second being his weekly Inside Baseball column. Heyman writes in the first piece that Greinke will indeed opt out of the remaining three years and $71MM on his Dodgers contract, as has been widely anticipated for the better part of a year. One general manager suggested to Heyman that Greinke will receive, “at minimum,” multiple offers of $125MM over the next five seasons. That GM wagered a guess at the winning bid: $150MM over five years. Heyman notes that while many teams — the Cubs, Giants, Red Sox, Yankees, Tigers, D-Backs and Rangers, among others — will be in the mix for Greinke this winter, the right-hander enjoyed 2015 with the Dodgers more than he enjoyed his first two seasons, and L.A. will attempt to bring him back. Per Heyman, Greinke didn’t mesh with Josh Beckett and Hanley Ramirez in previous years but had nothing but positive feelings about the 2015 campaign.

Onto some highlights from his second column…

  • There’s no certainty on the job status of Don Mattingly right now despite three consecutive division titles, Heyman writes. Mattingly is well-liked by the new Dodgers front office on a personal level, and the team is pleased with how he handled Andre Ethier’s shift to a part-time role, A.J. Ellis’ shift to a backup role in favor of Yasmani Grandal, and the emergence of Corey Seager over Jimmy Rollins late in the year. Mattingly’s people-managing skills are valued by the Dodgers, even if his in-game tactics aren’t quite as strong. Heyman notes that with the Dodgers unconvinced of Mattingly as their long-term option, they may allow him to interview with other clubs, and both the Nationals and Marlins would show interest.
  • The Orioles are believed to be hesitant to make a qualifying offer to Matt Wieters and will only do so if they’re convinced that he won’t take it. (I can’t imagine a Scott Boras client that plays a premium position in the midst of his prime age doing so under any circumstances.) The White Sox will make a QO to Jeff Samardzija, who will not accept it, as has been suggested multiple times over the past couple of months.
  • Colby Rasmus, on the other hand, is not expected to receive a $15.8MM qualifying offer from the Astros despite 25 regular-season homers and a strong postseason showing. Heyman writes that Alex Gordon will be “a name to keep an eye on” in connection with the Astros this offseason, as the team may look to inject its lineup with more on-base percentage and batting average than the 2015 crop. They’ll also look for more steady production at first and third base this winter after a season of boom-or-bust results from Luis Valbuena and Chris Carter.
  • The Dodgers are set on making a qualifying offer to Howie Kendrick and are also planning on making a QO to Brett Anderson despite his injury history. The latter of the two drew some surprise when Heyman shared it with execs around the league, though as he points out, L.A. is in need of pitching. If Anderson accepts — again, a scenario I find unlikely given his age and strong 2015 results — he’d solidify a spot in the rotation behind Clayton Kershaw. And, I’ll point out, Anderson’s 2016 salary would then check in just $3.4MM north of the $12.4MM he earned in total after receiving a $10MM base salary and earning another $2.4MM worth of innings-based incentives this season.
  • The Twins are willing to pay a premium to bring Torii Hunter back to their clubhouse if he’s willing to take a reduced role. Hunter, though, has been resistant to that idea in the past. He’s not yet decided whether or not he’ll return to the Majors for his age-41 season or call it a career.
  • Other qualifying offer notes from Heyman throughout the column indicate that Padres people have suggested that they’ll make a QO to Ian Kennedy, though rival execs remain skeptical. Current expectation in the industry is that the Mets won’t make a qualifying offer to Daniel Murphy, and the same is true of the Nationals with regard to Denard Span, who suffered through an injury-shortened season. Kennedy and Murphy seem like easy calls to decline the qualifying offer to me, whereas Span is a tougher case due to his age and injuries, which included season-ending hip surgery. I can see a case for Span taking the $15.8MM payday — the initial contract extension he signed with the Twins, after all, was only for $16.5MM guaranteed, though that rose to $25MM after his 2016 option was exercised.
  • The Nationals have received permission from the Giants to interview bench coach Ron Wotus to fill their managerial vacancy. Wotus has coached on the Giants’ Major League staff for the past 17 seasons and is a two-time Minor League Manager of the Year.

Dodgers Claim Brooks Brown, Designate Jim Johnson

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The Dodgers announced that they’ve claimed right-hander Brooks Brown off waivers from the Rockies. In order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, right-hander Jim Johnson has been designated for assignment.

Brown, 30, has spent parts of the past two seasons in the Majors with the Rockies, working to a 3.97 ERA with 6.3 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 53.8 percent ground-ball rate in 59 innings. Primarily a three-pitch pitcher, Brown complements a two-seam fastball that has averaged 93.6 mph in his career with a changeup and a slider, each of which clock in the mid 80s. The former D-Backs farmhand was selected 34th overall in the 2006 draft out of the University of Georgia but has struggled for much of his minor league career, working to a 4.31 ERA overall and a 4.76 ERA at the Triple-A level.

Johnson, of course, led the American League in saves while closing for the Orioles from 2012-13, but he faltered upon being traded to the Athletics in the 2013-14 offseason. After signing a one-year deal with the Braves this offseason, Johnson looked to have rediscovered his form in Atlanta, notching a 2.24 ERA with 6.2 K/9, 2.6 BB/9 and a huge 60.8 percent ground-ball rate. However, Johnson imploded upon being sent to the Dodgers in a 13-player trade on July 30, as he’d go on to yield 21 earned runs in 18 2/3 innings with the Dodgers.

Because he was a free agent at season’s end and not on the postseason roster, Johnson’s DFA boils down to nothing more than a procedural move; he’d have come off the 40-man roster upon conclusion of the postseason anyhow, so the Dodgers simply accelerated the timeline of his departure.

NL East Notes: Cespedes, Ng, Marlins, Nationals

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Scouts are buzzing over Yoenis Cespedes, writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, but not necessarily over his power. Some clocked Cespedes at 3.9 seconds from home plate to first base in beating out a grounder to Jimmy Rollins in Game 3 of the NLDS, Heyman writes, and that burst of elite speed just serves as a demonstration of the rare blend of power and quickness he brings to the table. One anonymous GM from a club not expected to pursue Cespedes told Heyman he expects the outfielder to land a contract in the vicinity of $150MM over a six-year term. The Mets have never spent at that level, but Heyman notes that despite having a stable outfield situation, the team very much wants to retain him.

A few more notes from the NL East as the Mets begin preparation for a decisive Game 5 in the NLDS after falling to Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers 3-1 in Game 4…

  • Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines that Kim Ng is the best fit for the Phillies’ general manager vacancy. Brookover spoke to bench coach Larry Bowa, who knows Ng well from his time working for the Yankees and Dodgers while she was an assistant GM in those organizations. Bowa spoke highly about Ng’s baseball acumen, and Brookover notes that having worked in front offices and for the league’s central offices dating back to 1991, Ng would have a wide base of connections from which to draw when making scouting and baseball operations hires.
  • MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro provides a breakdown of the Marlins’ managerial search, outlining five factors to keep an eye on as the process plays out. Frisaro backs up recent reports that owner Jeffrey Loria is particularly interested in Don Mattingly, but there’s no indication yet that he’ll be dismissed from the Dodgers, and if he’s not, the Dodgers would seek compensation to allow him to go to Miami. Frisaro also looks at the possible implications for the coaching staff and emphasizes that the Marlins will seek prior managing experience in any candidates.
  • While the Nationals have a nice core in place, there’s at least somewhat of a split opinion on whether or not the team should continue trying to put together a winner this offseason or embark on somewhat of a rebuild, sources from the team’s board of directors and front office tell ESPN’s Jim Bowden (ESPN Insider subscription required). Bowden opines that a bat to complement Bryce Harper in the middle of the lineup, a proven starter (even with Joe Ross likely able to step into the rotation) and sorting out the Jonathan Papelbon/Drew Storen mess should top the Nats’ priority list this winter.

Managerial Notes: Nevin, Cora, Mariners, Marlins, Mattingly

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There were a host of updates this morning on all four managerial openings around the league. Here’s the latest:

  • Long-time big leaguer Phil Nevin, who most recently has served as the manager of the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate, has drawn broad interest, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports on Twitter. Nevin has already interviewed with the Marlins and Nationals, as expected, and will also sit down with the Padres and Mariners. Nevin, 44, spent the most memorable stretch of his 12-year big league career in San Diego, where he racked up a .288/.359/.503 slash in over 3,000 plate appearances.
  • The Padres will also interview long-time big leaguer Alex Cora, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Cora, who currently works as an analyst, has often been mentioned as a managerial candidate and served as a skipper in his native Puerto Rico. The 39-year-old spent parts of fourteen seasons in the majors, the last of those with the Nationals in 2011.
  • The Marlins and Nationals will also interview Cora, according to a tweet from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Like Nevin, it seems, he’ll be given a look by all the teams currently seeking new field leadership.
  • Indeed, Cora is also expected to receive interest from the Mariners, according to ESPN.com’s Jim Bowden (Insider link). Other names that could be weighed in Seattle include Padres bench coach Dave Roberts, Rays third base coach Charlie Montoya, Angels special assistant Tim Bogar, and former big league skipper Bud Black, per the report. We’ve heard Bogar mentioned previously as a possible favorite, with a variety of other names that could be considered.
  • The Nationals will not only take a look at Nevin and Cora, but will also interview Black this week, Nightengale tweets, which was widely expected. Washington also has interest in Giants bench coach Ron Wotus, James Wagner of the Washington Post reports.
  • Bowden says to look for the Marlins to interview an “eclectic” mix of possibilities for their managerial vacancy — a description which could, it seems, be applied to many of the other openings. The club is giving indications that it will wait to make a decision until the Dodgers decide whether to retain Don Mattingly, as he’d be considered a strong candidate in Miami.
  • You can keep track of all the latest developments for three of the above teams’ managerial situations at the following links: Marlins, Nationals, Padres. (We’ll start one for the Mariners in short order.)

Prospect Notes: AFL, Morejon, Moncada, Rankings

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The Arizona Fall League kicks off today, and as always there are a number of interesting players participating. Baseball America’s Bill Mitchell previews the action with a closer look at Dodgers righty Jharel Cotton and Astros third baseman J.D. Davis. For a full breakdown of the notable names, check out these videos from BA’s John Manuel and take a look at MLB.com’s Jim Callis preview of the top prospects to watch.

Here are the latest prospect notes from around the game:

  • Young Cuban lefty Adrian Morejon has left the island in search of a deal with a big league club, Baseball America’s Ben Badler reports. The 16-year-old is better compared with traditional July 2 prospects from elsewhere in Latin America than he is to the generally older Cuban prospects we’ve seen in recent years, and Badler says that Morejon is a high-end talent by that measure. His market timing remains to be seen, but he has a chance to be deemed eligible to sign in the current July 2 period based on recent policy precedent, which would potentially make him available to teams that will otherwise begin serving $300K+ signing bans next summer. Morejon’s move could be the latest sign of a potentially growing exodus of younger Cuban talent, Badler notes.
  • The Cubs may have been closer to getting Yoan Moncada than has previously been known, despite the fact that the team was not eligible to sign him last winter. According to MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (Twitter links), Chicago asked the budding Cuban star to consider waiting until this July to sign, and even dispatched skipper Joe Maddon to spend a full day with him and his camp. That effort nearly worked, says Sanchez, though obviously Moncada ended up heading to the Red Sox in March. Chicago went on to make a big splash in the international market without Moncada, but somehow managing to land him would’ve been a true coup.
  • Baseball American has wrapped up its series of prospect rankings in each of the minor leagues. Most recently, it covered the best youngsters from the International League, many of whom have already ascended to the majors. You can find all of BA’s league-based rankings here.

Chase Utley Appealing Two-Game NLDS Suspension

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OCT. 12: MLB wants Utley’s appeal hearing to take place today, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, but the MLBPA would like more time than that to prepare. Rosenthal adds (also via Twitter) that a pair of sources expressed doubt that a hearing would take place today, so Utley could very well be available for tonight’s contest. Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times hears the same (Twitter link), with a source calling a Monday appeal hearing “highly unlikely.”

OCT. 11: Major League Baseball has suspended Dodgers infielder Chase Utley for Game Three and Game Four of the NLDS for what the league has deemed as an “illegal slide” during Saturday’s Game Two win over the Mets, according to a statement released today.  Here is the full text from MLB Chief Baseball Officer Joe Torre:

“I recognize that there has been much commentary and many questions regarding the unfortunate play in last night’s game in which Ruben Tejada was injured. As I said after the game, the determination of whether a baserunner has intentionally interfered with a player attempting to turn a double play is left to the judgment of the Umpire on the field, and that judgment call is not subject to review. I should add that determining where to draw the line between an illegal slide and a legitimate hard play is an extremely difficult call for our Umpires.

“However, after thoroughly reviewing the play from all conceivable angles, I have concluded that Mr. Utley’s action warrants discipline. While I sincerely believe that Mr. Utley had no intention of injuring Ruben Tejada, and was attempting to help his Club in a critical situation, I believe his slide was in violation of Official Baseball Rule 5.09 (a)(13), which is designed to protect fielders from precisely this type of rolling block that occurs away from the base.

“We have been in discussions with the Players Association throughout the year regarding potential rule changes to better protect middle infielders, and we intend to continue those discussions this offseason.”

Utley is appealing the suspension, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports, and Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the league will try to have Utley’s hearing tomorrow so he could potentially play in Game Three that evening (both links to Twitter).

During the seventh inning of last night’s game, Utley’s hard slide into second base not only broke up a double play and allowed the tying run to score, but Tejada also suffered a fractured fibula on the play.  The Dodgers scored three more runs in the inning and went on to even the NLDS at 1-1 after their 5-2 victory in Game Two.  As per the rule cited by Torre, since Utley’s slide was in violation, the batter (Howie Kendrick) should’ve also been called out and the inning should’ve been over.

Needless to say, the play has generated an immense amount of controversy over the last 24 hours over whether Utley’s slide was dirty pool or a hard-nosed attempt to break up a double play.  Former big leaguer C.J. Nitkowski, writing for FOX Sports, polled 65 current and former players about Utley’s play, with the majority agreeing that it was legal but “legal and dirty.”  Interestingly, 55 of the 65 players didn’t think Utley should be suspended for the slide, an opinion obviously not shared by the league.  In his latest Insider-only post, ESPN’s Buster Olney believes that Utley’s play will lead to a rule change preventing runners from making contact with fielders, akin to the rule instituted a few years ago barring collisions at home plate.

Managerial Notes: Mattingly, M’s, Girardi, Alomar

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Here’s a look at some of the rumors surrounding the game’s open managerial positions, including speculation about some current skippers…

  • Don Mattingly may be Jeffrey Loria’s preferred choice to manage the Marlins, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reports.  Loria has “apparently developed a relationship with Mattingly, and is intrigued by the possibility” of having the Dodgers manager shift into the Miami’s dugout next season.  This would, of course, hinge on whether Mattingly is even available, though Heyman suggests that L.A. could look for a change at manager if the team fails to win at least one playoff round.
  • Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto said that managing is “more about environment, leadership and energy” than it is about an analytical background, telling reporters (including MLB.com’s Greg Johns) that “too much is made of analytics. That’s a little overblown.”  Dipoto’s ideal manager would blend both the old-school and new-school methods of thought: “It is not all about the data you’re provided or what you’re seeing with your eyes, it’s somewhere in between. A prerequisite will be to find someone who can balance those in an effective way.”
  • It was no surprise that Dipoto parted ways with Lloyd McClendon, Larry Stone of the Seattle Times writes, given that McClendon was likely not as receptive to analytics as Dipoto would’ve preferred.  Stone lists Bud Black, Scott Servais (who’s more likely to join the M’s as a front office member), White Sox third base coach Joe McEwing, Angels third base coach Gary DiSarcina and long-time Mariners Raul Ibanez and Dan Wilson as possible managerial candidates, though Angels special assistant Tim Bogar looks like the favorite, as was reported yesterday.
  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman told reporters (including George A. King III of the New York Post) that Joe Girardi’s job is safe for 2016.  “[Girardi] is signed for two more years and managed the team to the playoffs. It’s not his fault we didn’t hit. He managed a perfect playoff game,” Cashman said.  Girardi is under contract through the 2017 campaign and is owed $4MM in each of the next two seasons.  He is 735-561 with six postseason appearances (including the 2009 World Series title) over his eight seasons as New York’s manager, though this year’s AL Wild Card Game loss was the Yankees’ only playoff game since 2012.
  • The White Sox have spoken to Indians first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. about becoming the team’s new bench coach, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.  Raul Ibanez is also reportedly a candidate for the bench coach job.  Jim Margalus of the South Side Sox blog breaks down Alomar’s candidacy and wonders if the White Sox could install Alomar as manager if a slow start gets Robin Ventura fired next year.  Margalus also opines that Alomar may not want to commit to a coaching job quite yet since he could be a candidate for one of the open managerial spots around baseball.

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.
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