NL East Notes: Wilson, Brown, Mets, Hanley
Some news from the NL East…
- "Folks seem to think the Nationals are going to make [a] big play for C.J. Wilson," tweets Jon Heyman from Sports Illustrated. Heyman thinks the Nats will offer Wilson a contract worth around $75-80MM. In August, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes thought Wilson could fetch a $100MM deal this winter given the lack of quality starters in the free agent market, but Wilson's postseason struggles will probably prevent him from that nine-figure contract.
- Dealing Domonic Brown or keeping him in the minors in 2012 would be a short-sighted move for the Phillies, argues CSNPhilly.com's Casey Feeney.
- "With supply seemingly exceeding demand" on the free agent closer market this winter, the Mets can look beyond the biggest names (Heath Bell, Francisco Rodriguez, Ryan Madson and Jonathan Papelbon) and still find a solid closer at a reasonable price, writes Adam Rubin of ESPN New York. Rubin also says the Mets are looking for another left-handed reliever to pair with Tim Byrdak, as the club worries that Danny Herrera will become less effective as opponents become more familiar with him.
- The Marlins haven't discussed moving Hanley Ramirez away from shortstop or asking Ramirez about a position change, club president David Samson tells MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.
- From that same piece, Samson says the Marlins will be "very active" this winter with their expected rise in payroll. "We're going to be very aggressive, but we're not going to be foolish," Samson said. "That's the key. When you raise your payroll, you've got to do it smartly, because if you don't, you are losing 90 games at a higher payroll."
- The Braves haven't yet decided if they will exercise Eric Hinske and Nate McLouth's 2012 options, reports David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. McLouth's $10.65MM option will certainly be bought out for $1.25MM, that's a no-brainer. As for Hinske, he's a useful reserve — he can play first base and both corner outfield spots, and he had a .754 OPS against right-handed pitching last season. Hinske's option is worth just $1.5MM so my guess is Atlanta brings back the former AL Rookie of the Year.
Quick Hits: Wright, Hanley, Aramis, Mariners
There’s no World Series game to watch tonight, but you can always count on MLBTR for the latest links. Can the updates below make up for the postponement of the big game? We'll let you be the judge…
- Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com wonders if it's time for the Mets to trade David Wright.
- Andy Mota, a representative for Hanley Ramirez, says no one from the Marlins has asked the shortstop about switching positions, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post. Earlier in October, manager Ozzie Guillen didn't rule out a position change for Ramirez.
- Free agent third baseman Aramis Ramirez told Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com that he's glad the Cubs brought in Theo Epstein. Ramirez says he's willing to discuss a new deal and agent Paul Kinzer also expressed optimism about a contract that would keep Ramirez in Chicago.
- Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times suggests the Mariners should bid on Grady Sizemore this offseason.
Heyman On Pujols, Wilson, Angels, Crane
SI's Jon Heyman leads his latest column with an examination of Albert Pujols' impending free agency. An additional $20MM in total dollars wouldn't compel Pujols to leave St. Louis, says one person who knows the slugger well. The preseason gap was large, though, as Heyman says the Cardinals were at nine years and "a bit more than $200MM" while Pujols wanted to beat Alex Rodriguez's ten-year, $275MM deal. Wherever he lands, Pujols is certainly putting an exclamation point on his season. Heyman's other rumors…
- The Rangers almost surely would be out of the C.J. Wilson bidding if it reaches five years and $75MM, hears Heyman. A Rangers person tells Heyman Wilson hasn't actually named an exact asking price. The lefty is looking forward to free agency and noted to Heyman that he doesn't have a wife, a child, or a dog, implying the decision will be entirely his. The Nationals, Marlins, and Royals are likely to pursue Wilson, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
- The Angels' desire for a scouting type in their GM job may favor the Yankees' Damon Oppenheimer, hears Heyman.
- Prospective Astros owner Jim Crane seeks a $50MM discount for moving to the American League.
- "I wish I stay here," remarked Rafael Furcal on his upcoming free agency. The 34-year-old shortstop joined the Cardinals at the trade deadline and is playing in his first World Series.
Marlins Considering Shields, Zambrano Unlikely
The Marlins are considering making a serious run at Rays right-hander James Shields, writes Buster Olney of ESPN.com. The two sides have some natural match-up on a trade because the Marlins could dangle Logan Morrison as part of a package for the right-hander.
Shields drew interest from a number of clubs at the deadline including the Tigers and Reds but the Rays opted to hang on to him instead. Rays executive VP of baseball operations Andrew Friedman says that he would like to maintain the team's pitching depth, but Shields would be a huge trading chip this winter.
Meanwhile, Olney writes that in spite of the speculation about Carlos Zambrano joining up with Ozzie Guillen in Florida, there isn't a lot of momentum behind this within the Marlins organization. The club's opposition to the move has more to do with the way Zambrano's stuff has regressed than his personality history.
The Orioles’ GM Search: Jennings, Watson, Dipoto
The Orioles have interviewed Jerry Dipoto of the Diamondbacks and Tony LaCava of the Blue Jays for their open GM position. Here's the latest on the team's search with the most recent updates up top:
- As expected, the Marlins have officially denied the Orioles' request to interview Dan Jennings, reports Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Jennings is halfway through an eight-year contract with the Marlins, reports Connolly, and this is the fourth time in four years that the Marlins have turned down another club's request to interview Jennings, Florida's assistant GM and vice-president of player personnel.
- The Orioles are expected to contact Dodgers assistant GM De Jon Watson about their GM position, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. They haven't scheduled additional interviews at this point, but more are coming.
- Dipoto probably has the edge at this point, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. Connolly explains why Dipoto might prefer the Orioles to the Angels. Los Angeles is interviewing many candidates, but the Orioles won't interview many more than two, so Dipoto's chances of getting an offer from Baltimore seem good. Connolly notes that the Orioles would look bad if they want Dipoto then let him slip away to the Angels.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears that Dipoto had a "terrific" interview with the Orioles (Twitter link).
- For more on LaCava and Dipoto, check out MLBTR's GM Candidate pieces from earlier in the year.
NL East Notes: Hanley, Phillies, LaRoche
MLBTR has offseason outlooks for the Nationals, Marlins and Mets with pieces on the Braves and Phillies coming soon. Here’s the latest on the NL East…
- Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen didn't rule out a position change for Hanley Ramirez, according to Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Guillen says he's happy as long as Ramirez is on the field every day.
- One insider told Jon Heyman of SI.com that he could see Jose Reyes ending up with any NL East team. Ramirez has said he'd change positions for Reyes, who is a possible fit in New York and Washington. I can't see Reyes ending up with the Braves.
- Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer points out that the Phillies have some flexibility on their 40-man roster. Phillippe Aumont and Sebastian Valle are locks for 40-man roster spots this offseason, according to Gelb. Jiwan James could be on the bubble and may be exposed during this winter's Rule 5 draft.
- The Nationals didn’t promise Adam LaRoche that he’ll have the starting first base job in 2012, according to MLB.com’s Bill Ladson (on Twitter). Until Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols sign elsewhere, rumors and speculation will link them to the Nationals, who haven’t been afraid to spend in recent years and aren’t so far away from contending.
Orioles Unlikely To Interview Marlins’ Dan Jennings
9:12pm: The Marlins haven't formally denied the Orioles' request to interview Jennings, but it's leaning that way, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
2:30pm: The Marlins have denied the Orioles permission to interview vice president of player personnel and assistant general manager Dan Jennings for their GM opening, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com. Jennings is signed through 2015 from an extension signed in '07, and Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reported that the Marlins have denied teams permission to interview him three times in the past. Jennings has been with Florida since 2002, prior to which he worked for the Devil Rays, Mariners, and Reds.
Kubatko notes that Arizona's Jerry Dipoto will interview for the Orioles position today, while Toronto's Tony LaCava is scheduled for tomorrow.
Latest On Orioles’ GM Search: Avila, Ricciardi
The Orioles are searching for a successor to Andy MacPhail and we learned yesterday that they received permission to interview Diamondbacks executive Jerry Dipoto. Today, they're continuing to reach out to general manager candidates around the league. Here are the latest updates on Baltimore's search:
- The Marlins (Dan Jennings) and Tigers (Al Avila) can prevent top executives from interviewing with the Orioles, as Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun points out. Both Jennings and Avila are on long-term deals, so it's possible that the Orioles would have to offer their teams compensation to complete a deal. The Marlins have denied teams permission to interview Jennings three times before, according to Connolly.
- There's a sense that the Orioles haven't requested permission to speak with Avila or Dodgers executives Logan White and De Jon Watson, according to Connolly (Twitter link).
- Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com hears that the Orioles haven't yet contacted J.P. Ricciardi about their job opening (Twitter link).
- The Orioles received permission to interview Blue Jays assistant GM Tony LaCava, according to Connolly (Twitter links). The interviews for LaCava and Dipoto haven't been set up yet and are expected to take place in Baltimore next week.
- For more on LaCava and Dipoto, check out MLBTR's GM Candidate pieces from earlier in the summer.
- The Orioles contacted the Marlins seeking permission to interview Dan Jennings, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (Twitter links). However, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria is in Europe, so the decision is on hold.
Orioles GM Links: Dipoto, Reagins, Levine, Ricciardi
Here's the latest from Baltimore as the O's look to replace Andy MacPhail…
- The Diamondbacks have given permission for the Orioles to interview Jerry Dipoto, reports Scott Miller of CBSSports.com. Dipoto is Arizona's senior VP of scouting and player development and served as the club's interim GM after Josh Byrnes was fired midway through the 2010 season.
- Dipoto's interview should come this weekend, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. The Orioles also hope to speak to Al Avila (Tigers), Dan Jennings (Marlins), Tony LaCava (Blue Jays), De Jon Watson and Logan White (both Dodgers), all of whom have been mentioned in connection to the Baltimore job. Avila could be passed over since "the Orioles want to wrap up this process as soon as possible" and can't wait until the Tigers finish their playoff run.
- Two names that will apparently not be part of the process, according to Kubatko, are former Angels GM Tony Reagins and Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine. Both men could still resurface as candidates, Kubatko notes. Given that Texas is still alive in the postseason, Levine could be facing the same issue as Avila.
- J.P. Ricciardi is on the "short list of decision-makers" that the Orioles are considering, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. Since the O's are just starting their search, Olney says it's too early to say if Ricciardi or any others on the short list are favorites for the job. Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reports (via Twitter) that the Mets haven't received requests from any team to interview Ricciardi or Paul DePodesta about a general managing job.
- No surprise here, but Olney says "it's pretty clear that Buck Showalter will have extensive influence in the selection of the Orioles' GM."
NL East Notes: Nationals, Phillies, Ozzie
On this date in 1993, the Phillies defeated the Braves in the NLCS and advanced to the World Series, which they lost in six games to the Blue Jays. Here are today's NL East-related links…
- Mark Zuckerman of Nats Insider examines the Nationals' roster and shows that it takes years for general managers to fully make their mark on a team. Mike Rizzo has acquired most of Washington's players, but previous regimes acquired many others.
- Justin Verlander sees strong similarities between himself and Stephen Strasburg, though Strasburg has shied away from the comparison in the past. “He throws 100 with a hammer and a changeup,” Verlander told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. “There’s really nobody else. Comparison-wise, it’s him and I right now.”
- MLBTR's Tim Dierkes discussed a number of Phillies, including Cole Hamels, Ryan Madson, Jimmy Rollins and Hunter Pence, with Nick Mandarano on a recent podcast.
- Ozzie Guillen will earn $10MM, not $16MM, over the next four years with the Marlins, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).