Twins Notes: Ryan, Krivsky, Iwakuma
The Twins replaced general manager Bill Smith today, announcing that longtime GM Terry Ryan will run the team once again — at least for the interim. Here’s more on the Twins' front office, plus some hints about the composition of the 2012 roster:
- Ryan said he anticipates a payroll of roughly $100MM next year, according to MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger (Twitter links).
- Ryan confirmed that former Reds GM and Twins assistant GM Wayne Krivsky will join Minnesota’s front office, according to Bollinger.
- Hisashi Iwakuma, the Japanese right-hander who nearly signed with the Athletics last offseason, is on the Twins’ radar, according to Bollinger. Minnesota bid on the 30-year-old a year ago, but Oakland earned his rights through the posting system. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes placed Iwakuma 22nd on his list of top free agents, ahead of Kelly Johnson, Josh Willingham and many others. Tim’s predicted destination for Iwakuma: the Twins.
- Ryan said he won't make any changes to the team's coaching staff unless manager Ron Gardenhire wants to bring in different people, according to Phil Mackey of ESPN 1500 (on Twitter).
- For a detailed look at the challenges the Twins face this winter, here's my offseason outlook piece.
Twins Name Terry Ryan Interim GM
Terry Ryan is returning to the role of Twins GM, the team announced today. Ryan, who has an interim tag on his title this time, replaces Bill Smith. Said owner Jim Pohlad in a statement:
"The Twins goal is to get better in 2012 and beyond. Bill was equally motivated to achieve that goal but we differed in the scope and approach that was required. Going forward, we intend to have additional discussions with Bill about an ongoing role within the organization."
Smith spent over four years as Twins GM. He won two division titles and nearly three in that time, but 2011 was disastrous for the club.
Ryan has been in the Twins organization for 28 years, serving as GM from 1994-2007 before assuming the role of senior advisor. The two-time Sporting News Executive of the Year said, "We have many assets in place including a strong front office, manager, coaching staff and returning core of players. We have a lot of work to do in relation to development of our roster, but I’m optimistic in our collective abilities to ensure the future on-field success of this franchise."
Quick Hits: Cuddyer, Willingham, Duquette, Mets
Let's take a look at some weekend links from around the league….
- Michael Cuddyer is open to returning to the Twins, but even if Minnesota makes him the best offer, there's no guarantee he'll sign there, says Phil Mackey of ESPN 1500 (Twitter links). Last night we heard that the Phillies are seriously pursuing Cuddyer.
- Approximately ten teams have expressed interest in Josh Willingham so far, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution (via Twitter). O'Brien adds that the Braves, who could use a power-hitting outfielder, are not one of those clubs.
- With the Orioles close to hiring Dan Duquette, MASN's Roch Kubatko (Twitter link) talks to one O's person who calls Duquette "brilliant" and says no one is more connected in Asian and Latin American markets.
- As Alex Speier of WEEI writes, 60-year-old Pete Mackanin, a managerial candidate for the Cubs and Red Sox, would be an unconventional choice – no one 60 or older has been hired for his first full-time managerial job since Bobby Mattick in 1980 with the Blue Jays.
- Jim Thome doesn't seem to be a great fit in Philadelphia, says ESPN.com's Keith Law (Insider link). The Phillies agreed to sign the 41-year-old slugger to a one-year deal and introduced him at a news conference this afternoon.
- Rick Sofield, who has played and coached with Clint Hurdle in the past, is the latest addition to the Pirates' staff, reports Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
- The Mets are attempting to attract potential investors by agreeing to pay an annual interest on minority stakes, according to a New York Post report.
Twins Notes: Doumit, Barmes, Krivsky
The Twins started their offseason by claiming a pair of pitchers off waivers earlier this week. Let's round up the latest from Minnesota…
- There has been no early contact between the Twins and free agents Ryan Doumit and Clint Barmes, reports Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (on Twitter). Ben Nicholson-Smith said a major expenditure at shortstop is unlikely in his Offseason Outlook, but he did mention that they need help at backup catcher.
- The Twins hope to finalize an agreement with Wayne Krivsky that would make him GM Bill Smith's special assistant, according to Joe Christensen of The Star Tribune. His focus would be on pro scouting. Krivsky worked with the organization as Terry Ryan's assistant GM before becoming GM of the Reds in 2005.
- Earlier today we learned that the Twins denied the Orioles permission to interview VP of player personnel Mike Radcliff for their still vacant GM job.
Latest On Orioles’ GM Search: Friedman, Hahn
Orioles director of player development John Stockstill and Dodgers assistant GM De Jon Watson are candidates to become Baltimore's next GM, but they aren't alone. Jerry Dipoto is now the Angels' GM and Tony LaCava turned down an offer from the Orioles to remain in Toronto, so the Orioles are expanding their search. Here's the latest, with the most recent updates up top:
- The Orioles would like to interview Dodgers GM Ned Colletti if he leaves Los Angeles, according to Kubatko.
- The Orioles have requested permission to interview Andrew Friedman of the Rays, Rick Hahn of the White Sox and Mike Radcliff of the Twins, according to Kubatko (on Twitter).
- Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun explains that the Orioles haven't yet contacted the Rangers about executives such as Thad Levine or A.J. Preller. Connolly suggests former Red Sox GM Dan Duquette and current Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer could be candidates for the position.
- Scott Proefrock, the Phillies' assistant GM, will interview for the Orioles' GM vacancy, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Proefrock is the Orioles' former assistant GM.
- LaCava said his decision to stay in Toronto was about the Blue Jays, not the Orioles. But Danny Knobler of CBS Sports hears that his decision was about the Orioles. LaCava wanted to make front office changes that owner Peter Angelos refused to approve, according to Knobler. LaCava would have obtained a competitive salary from the Orioles.
- Knobler hears that Watson and Stockstill are “very unlikely” to be offered the job.
- Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com, who reported this morning that the Orioles are expanding their search, notes that manager Buck Showalter and director of baseball operations Matt Klentak are handling the front office responsibilities for now.
- Kubatko adds that the Orioles have contacted the Rays, White Sox, Twins and Phillies for permission to interview GM candidates from the teams' front offices.
- For a complete look at MLBTR's GM Candidates, click here. Two people on the list, Jerry Dipoto (#1) and Ben Cherington (#4), have already landed GM jobs.
Twins Rumors: Nathan, Cuddyer, Kubel, Slowey
The latest Twins rumors, courtesy of ESPN 1500's Phil Mackey…
- Joe Nathan's top priority is to pitch for a winning team next year, preferably as the closer. Last week Nathan's agent said his client seeks a closing job. "Money won't be the driving force" for Nathan, writes Mackey. Mackey says Nathan has strong interest in returning to the Twins, who definitely have openings at the back end of their bullpen.
- Mackey hears that Michael Cuddyer will "listen attentively to all interested parties," even if the Twins make the best offer. The Twins maintain interest in Jason Kubel as well. At the least, I expect they'll offer arbitration to both of them later this month.
- Mackey's hunch says to keep an eye on Clint Barmes, Kelly Shoppach, and Ryan Doumit as potential free agent targets. I ranked Barmes 35th among free agents on Monday, predicting the Twins as his new team. Make your picks for Barmes and 49 other free agents by Sunday night for the chance to win cash and baseball-related prizes and bragging rights. Over 3,000 people have entered so far.
- There's a very good chance the Twins will non-tender righty Kevin Slowey, wrote MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger on Monday.
- The Twins' 2012 payroll is expected to decrease slightly, leaving $20-25MM to spend, wrote Bollinger on Saturday.
- View MLBTR's projected salaries for Slowey and the Twins' other four arbitration eligibles here, and read Ben Nicholson-Smith's offseason outlook for the team here.
Twins Claim Jeff Gray
The Twins announced that they claimed right-hander Jeff Gray off of waivers from the Mariners. They also confirmed that they claimed left-hander Matt Maloney off of waivers from the Reds.
Gray, 29, spent the 2011 season with the Mariners and White Sox. He posted a 4.28 ERA with 4.3 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 48 1/3 innings of relief.
Twins Claim Matt Maloney
3:50pm: The Reds announced that the Twins claimed Maloney off of waivers (Twitter link).
1:08pm: The Twins appear to have acquired 27-year-old lefty Matt Maloney from the Reds, as Maloney tweeted today, "Thanks for everything Reds…but i am now a Minnesota Twin!!! Looking forward to a great new opportunity!!"
Maloney spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a 2.99 ERA, 5.6 K/9, 1.2 BB/9, and 0.9 HR/9 in 81 1/3 innings, missing much of the season with a cracked rib. Baseball America ranked him eighth among Reds prospects a few years ago, noting that his ceiling was that of a back-of-the-rotation starter.
Joe Nathan Seeks Closing Job
Joe Nathan's agent Dave Pepe says his client is excited about free agency and seeks a closer job in 2012, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. Nathan is apparently not interested in an eighth inning gig after dominating as the Twins' closer from 2004-09.
Yesterday the Twins made the obvious call of declining Nathan's $12.5MM club option, but they have interest in re-signing the righty. The Twins can offer him a chance to close, but the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Marlins, Mets, Phillies, and Cubs could be in the market as well.
Nathan, 36, had Tommy John surgery in March of 2010, returning this year to mixed results. He had some issues with the longball at times, but his peripherals were solid. For fantasy baseball analysis on Nathan, check out Dan Mennella's latest at CloserNews.
Twins Decline Option On Joe Nathan
The Twins announced today that they've declined their club option on reliever Joe Nathan. The option was worth $12.5MM, but the team will pay a $2MM buyout. GM Bill Smith said, "I spoke with Joe and his agent this morning, and expressed our interest in re-signing Joe. We will remain in contact with them as we move forward into the free agent process."
Nathan signed a four-year contract extension for $47MM in March of 2008, and the total remains the record for a reliever. Nathan, 36, had been dominant as the Twins' closer from 2004-09, racking up a 1.87 ERA, 11.1 K/9, 2.6 BB/9, 0.6 HR/9, and 246 saves in 418 2/3 innings. He had Tommy John surgery in March of 2010, returning this year to mixed results. Further removed from the surgery, he'll be a popular free agent target on a one-year deal.