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NL East Notes: Strasburg, Phils, Mets

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The Nationals have reversed course on yesterday’s announcement that Tanner Roark would take the ball for this afternoon’s win-or-go-home NLDS Game 4. Instead, star righty Stephen Strasburg will make the start against the Cubs after indications were that he’d be unavailable due to illness. President of baseball operations Mike Rizzo says that Strasburg offered to pitch last night, but at the time seemed too ill to go. (Via MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, on Twitter.) After a more aggressive treatment, though, Strasburg reported feeling better this morning and asked for the nod.

Much of the story here lies in the backdrop of yesterday’s rainy-day drama and the longer-running narratives surrounding Strasburg, which Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post broke down perfectly this morning before the change of direction. Needless to say, the stakes are now raised in an already momentous game for the Nats, who are trying to avoid a fourth-straight NLDS exit.

More from the NL East:

  • The Mets are beginning to conduct interviews as they search for a successor to outgoing manager Terry Collins, Marc Carig of Newsday tweets. At this point, it’s just preliminary chats with potential candidates. The first round will likely carry over into next week, though perhaps it’s also fair to wonder if the club will wait for other possible options that are currently unavailable due to postseason involvement.
  • At this point, at least, the Phillies are the only other team in the division preparing to find a new skipper. Ryan Lawrence of the Philly Voice updated the situation yesterday after some interesting names were suggested as possibilities for that opening. Former Phils GM Ruben Amaro Jr., who has since joined the Red Sox coaching staff, is not a candidate for the position, says Lawrence (who expresses not a little incredulity at the proposition). Likewise, long-time Phillies baseball man Larry Bowa — once the skipper, most recently the team’s bench coach — isn’t going to take the helm. As Lawrence notes, GM Matt Klentak has cited a desire to find “a new voice in the dugout and a new style” of manager with this hire. The team has, however, considered at least one familiar face: third-base coach Juan Samuel was first in line for preliminary interviews, Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

East Notes: Girardi, Braves, Marlins, Mets/Nats Affiliate

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Currently in the last year of his contract, Yankees manager Joe Girardi has been noncommittal about his future in recent weeks. On the heels of a rough few days for Girardi, ESPN’s Buster Olney says he expects Girardi’s time as the Yankees’ skipper to conclude at season’s end (podcast link). Of course, things are beginning to look quite a bit different than they did after a baffling Girardi decision that likely cost them Game 2. Now, the ALDS is tied and the Yankees could well find themselves among the last four teams standing, depending upon the outcome of the decisive game in Cleveland. Regardless of how things play out from this point forward, the long-experienced skipper will surely land on his feet, though Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes that some believe Girardi may be interested in some time away from the grind. Interestingly, the Mets have actually talked about Girardi as a possible successor to the ousted Terry Collins, but they “fully expect” him to stay in the Bronx, Mike Puma of the New York Post tweets.

More from the eastern divisions:

  • Braves director of baseball operations Billy Ryan is a candidate to take over as their general manager, along with the previously reported trio of Royals GM Dayton Moore and Nationals assistants Doug Harris and Dan Jennings, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. However, according to the Nationals, the Braves haven’t yet requested permission to interview anyone from their organization (Twitter links). Of course, no matter how the Atlanta organization proceeds, it has more questions to answer than who’ll take over for resigned GM John Coppolella. As David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes, some in the game anticipate the league will uncover broad malfeasance by the organization. There are quite a few remaining questions, writes O’Brien, for a club that now has to operate with care to get back on the right track.
  • While the Marlins are now formally transitioning to a new ownership group, there’s still some potential work to be done before Miami-Dade County and outgoing owner Jeffrey Loria go their separate ways. As Douglas Hanks of the Miami Herald reports, there could be a battle brewing relating to the publicly-financed ballpark deal that brought Marlins Park into existence. The local authorities have already lined up an auditor to review Loria’s group’s assessment of money owed to the government under the financing deal, which seemingly has some room for interpretation as to how much of the sale proceeds must be shared by the ownership group.
  • The Mets and Nationals will both undergo some changes at the highest level of their farm systems, as Mark Weiner of Syracuse.com writes. The New York organization has agreed to buy the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs, which previously had an affiliate agreement with the Nats. It’s not clear at this point where the Washington organization will end up parking its Triple-A club in the future, though the change evidently will not take place until after the 2018 season.

Managerial Notes: Ausmus, Mets, Baker, Cubs

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A few managerial notes from around the majors:

  • Brad Ausmus is on the Mets’ radar as they search for a successor to Terry Collins, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag, who adds that the two sides have had one conversation to date. Ausmus managed the Tigers to a 314-332 record over the past four seasons, including a major league-worst 64-98 mark this year, and one playoff appearance (in 2014). With the Tigers in the beginning of a full rebuild, they decided before the season ended that they wouldn’t re-sign the 48-year-old Ausmus.
  • Dusty Baker is without a contract past this season, but the Nationals are “almost certain” to bring him back in 2018, Tyler Kepner of the New York Times writes. Baker is at the helm of a team whose NLDS matchup with the Cubs is knotted at one, but it doesn’t appear that the Nationals’ playoff performance will determine his fate. The Nats have been resoundingly successful during Baker’s two regular seasons at the helm, having gone 192-132 with a pair of division titles, though a World Series championship has eluded both them and Baker during their respective existences. Baker has managed four teams to a combined 1,863 wins, good for 14th all-time, but his lone trip to the Fall Classic (with the Giants in 2002) ended in defeat. Winning a title in Washington would earn Baker a place in Cooperstown, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo suggested to Kepner. “I think it’s probably as big for him as for anybody in the organization,” Rizzo said. “It’s important for him; he’s done everything but win a world championship as a manager. It’s a big goal for him. I think he’s a Hall of Fame manager, regardless, and that cements it if he wins a championship.”
  • Nobody in need of a manager has contacted the Cubs about bench coach Dave Martinez, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. Cubs manager Joe Maddon finds the lack of interest in his longtime right-hand man confusing, saying: ‘‘He’s been around a lot of winning teams here. I see all the names [of rumored candidates], and there’s a lot of good names. But I’m telling you, to not include his name with these people just baffles me.” While the 53-year-old Martinez told Wittenmyer he’s “ready” to take the reins somewhere, he may go without an interview for the second straight year.  Martinez was a popular candidate before last offseason, Wittenmyer notes, as he interviewed for five openings in recent years.

NL East Notes: Braves, Harvey, Mets, Jones

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The league’s investigation into the Braves for international signing violations is still ongoing, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports tweets. Indeed, MLB is sending out investigators to chat with club officials this week. It’s doubtful that any results will be released while the postseason is ongoing, but all eyes will be on commissioner Rob Manfred as things progress. The investigation has already resulted in the resignations of Atlanta GM John Coppolella and special assistant Gordon Blakely; at this point, it’s far from clear just where it could go and what kind of fallout might occur.

Here’s more from the NL East:

  • Agent Scott Boras discussed the offseason challenges facing his client, Mets righty Matt Harvey, with Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Harvey will work through “a substantial throwing program” in which he’ll work on restoring his command and release point, says Boras. While the veteran player rep didn’t sugarcoat the situation, he did note that Harvey has at least already regained much of his velocity and will have a better opportunity to iron things out this offseason.
  • The Mets have hired a new Triple-A manager. Per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag, via Twitter, the club has tapped Tony DeFrancesco to run the dugout at Las Vegas. He had held the same job at the Astros’ top affiliate for the last seven seasons, but a change was made at the end of the year. Of course, the Mets are still weighing a more significant managerial hire at the MLB level.
  • In some oddly timed news, the Nationals announced just before tonight’s game that it has suspended assistant hitting coach Jacque Jones (as first reported, on Twitter, by Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post). Details are hazy, but as Janes writes, Jones and the team were named in a lawsuit in which an unidentified woman alleges that Jones wrongly distributed sexually explicit photographs of her. Just why the organization was included in the claim is not clear.

AL Central Notes: Bruce, Alomar, Sano, Vargas, Royals

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With Jay Bruce enjoying a big night in Game One of the ALDS, the Indians’ official Twitter account couldn’t resist a pretty pointed tweet at the Yankees, who came up short in their bid to acquire Bruce from the Mets last summer.  Ken Davidoff of the New York Post recaps how negotiations between the Mets and Yankees broke down, not only because Cleveland was willing to absorb all of Bruce’s remaining salary, but also because “the Mets didn’t like one bit the idea of Bruce helping the Yankees’ pennant drive” given the inter-Big Apple rivalry.  Bruce was a big contributor down the stretch for the Tribe (hitting .248/.331/.477 with seven homers over 169 PA) then went 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBI in last night’s victory.

More from around the AL Cenral…

  • In more Mets/Indians news, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports (Twitter link) that Tribe first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. “has received strong consideration” for an interview about the Mets’ managerial opening.  Alomar has been a member of Cleveland’s coaching staff for eight years, serving at first base except for a two-year stint as bench coach in 2012-13 that also included a six-game stint as interim manager at the end of the 2012 season.  Alomar has been linked to several managerial jobs over the years and has links to the Mets — he played his last season with the Amazins and spent his first two years as a coach in the Mets organization as a roving catching instructor.
  • It wouldn’t be a surprise if Miguel Sano requires surgery this offseason, 1500 ESPN’s Darren Wolfson (Twitter link) opines, given that the Twins third baseman is “in a lot more pain than many of us realized.”  Sano was sidelined on August 19 due to a stress reaction in his left shin, and while he returned for the final three games of the regular season, he didn’t make the roster for Minnesota’s wild card loss to the Yankees.
  • Kennys Vargas is interested in the idea of playing in Japan or Korea, and Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press wonders if the Twins could be more open to trading the first baseman overseas given their glut of first base/DH options.  The Twins rejected overtures about Vargas from NPB and the KBO two offseasons ago.
  • The Royals’ lease at Kaufman Stadium doesn’t expire until 2030, though the club has been in contact with parties exploring the possibility of a new ballpark in downtown Kansas City, Steve Vockrodt of the Kansas City Star reports.  According to Kevin Uhlich, the team’s senior vice president of business operations, the talks were merely to “touch base” with the project.  “We’re perfectly content where we are, we think it works well.  Thirteen years from now, who knows what the situation is going to be?  I can’t hold anybody back from doing what they’re doing on their side.  We would listen,” Uhlich said.  The city is currently funding a study to examine at least four downtown locations for a potential new park.  Kauffman Stadium is the sixth-oldest stadium in the majors, though it underwent significant renovations within the last decade.

David Wright Undergoes Back Surgery

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The Mets announced on Thursday that third baseman David Wright underwent a back procedure known as a laminotomy (Mayo Clinic link detailing the surgery).  The 34-year-old Wright also had shoulder surgery back in September, but he made clear today that he has no plans to retire despite his considerable injury woes in recent years.

“Through this entire rehab process, I have been driven to get back on the field as quickly as I can,” said Wright in a statement. “That’s why I had the shoulder surgery and that’s why today I underwent back surgery to reduce the risk of further issues going forward. With these two surgeries behind me, I hope to be able to put on a Mets uniform again as soon as possible. My desire to play is as strong as ever.”

It’s now been more than 16 months since Wright last suited up for a big league game, as his career has been slowed dramatically by a diagnosis of spinal stenosis and myriad neck, shoulder and back issues over the past several years. Wright at one point looked to be carving out a path to Cooperstown, but he’s now played just 75 games since the conclusion of the 2014 season.

For the Mets, Wright’s latest surgery changes little. General manager Sandy Alderson has already acknowledged that Wright’s “uncertain” status will have to be accounted for this winter, suggesting that the team will at the very least be on the hunt for an experienced depth option. Speculatively speaking, it certainly seems plausible that the team seeks to add a more established option — possibly one with some versatility that can play multiple spots on the diamond.

As for Wright, he’s still owed $47MM through the 2020 season as part of his eight-year, $138MM contract. As much of 75 percent of next year’s $20MM salary is insured, so the Mets will receive some financial compensation if he misses significant time once again in the 2018 campaign.

Mets Expected To Reach Two-Year Deal With Sandy Alderson

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We have heard already that the Mets are expected to retain GM Sandy Alderson, but the details of the arrangement have not yet been made clear. That soon figures to change, as Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports that the organization is expected to announce that Alderson will sign on for two more seasons at the helm of the baseball operations department.

Alderson will face a major challenge this winter as he attempts to resurrect the core that he built. While the Mets still possess a variety of highly talented players, many face ongoing health or performance questions and there are quite a few roster needs to address. Some solutions may well come from in-house sources, though there will be quite a lot of public pressure for the club to add some new faces to a roster that managed only 70 wins this year after making the postseason in each of the prior two campaigns.

Complicating matters, it seems likely that the organization will trim payroll after opening the 2017 season at over $150MM. The team only has $55.5MM committed in 2018 salary — not including Asdrubal Cabrera’s $8.5MM option or its $2MM buyout — but it also likely faces upwards of $40MM in arbitration obligations.

Alderson also needs to settle on a new manager after the organization decided not to retain Terry Collins in that role. All things considered, it figures to be a rather busy offseason for the front office. Even if the club does not end up making a large volume of transactions, it’ll need to look into as many opportunities as possible to find a path to a resurgence.

The two-year term appears to suggest that Alderson continues to enjoy the full support of ownership. He’ll soon celebrate his 70th birthday and underwent treatment for cancer last year, so it’s not altogether clear whether he’ll have interest in running things beyond that point. It will be interesting to see whether the club uses this opportunity to sketch out a broader transition plan; as Ackert notes, it still appears that assistant GM John Ricco could be in line to succeed Alderson at some point.

Quick Hits: Dusty, Upton, Giants, Mets, Eiland

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Dusty Baker’s contract is up after the Nationals’ postseason run is over, though his future as manager isn’t contingent on a first-round playoff victory, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post writes as part of a reader mailbag piece (with fellow Post scribe Jorge Castillo).  Nats ownership likes Baker and wants him to keep managing if he’s still willing and able, though an extension hasn’t been worked out since that just isn’t how the Lerner family handles business with managers.  Baker told Janes and other reporters today that he was informed that “we’re gonna wait til after the season” to discuss a possible new deal.

Here’s more from around baseball as the Yankees are off to the ALDS…

  • It is “increasingly likely” that Justin Upton will choose to opt out of the remaining four years and $88.5MM remaining on his contract, a source tells MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi.  Upton’s outstanding 2017 season gives him a strong case to look for a larger deal in free agency this winter, though opting out doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll leave the Angels.  Morosi notes that Upton could use the opt-out clause as a way to leverage an extension from the Halos, as C.C. Sabathia did with the Yankees six years ago.
  • Power and outfield defense are both needs for the Giants this winter, though as team executives told reporters (including Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle and MLB.com’s Jonathan Hawthorne) today, the team won’t sacrifice the latter for the sake of the former.  “We don’t want to get too far away from our game,” GM Bobby Evans said.  “We’re a pitching and defense team.  If we compromise too much in the area of power and give up to much defensively, that can hurt us as much as the benefit of adding the power.”  A younger and more athletic outfield seems like a priority, and Schulman feels this might rule out a run at 31-year-old free agent Lorenzo Cain.  In my view, Cain’s excellent glove would seem to make a good fit for the Giants, though his defensive metrics did decline (from great to “merely” quite good) in 2017.
  • The Giants will look to add at all three outfield positions, as incumbent outfielders Denard Span and Hunter Pence could be in line for position changes.  Span, according to manager Bruce Bochy, is “all in” about moving from center to left field.  This wouldn’t seem to leave much room for Pence to move from right field, though Schulman suggests that Span and Pence could both share a position.  That would be a very expensive solution considering that Span and Pence will combine to earn $30.5MM in 2018, though since both also have notable injury histories, a time-share could help keep both players healthy.
  • Outgoing Royals pitching coach Dave Eiland looks like a candidate for the Mets’ own pitching coach vacancy, Mike Puma of the New York Post tweets.  Eiland has spent the last six years with the Royals and has some prior experience in the Big Apple, serving as the Yankees’ pitching coach from 2008-10.

Coaching Changes/Notes: Rays, Cards, Mariners, Eiland, Mets, Brewers

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Since the Mets shook up their staff earlier today, a flurry of other coaching changes have been announced by teams that didn’t make the playoffs. We’ve also gained some insight into the hunt to fill some of the sudden coaching vacancies. Here’s what we’ve learned so far…

Latest Updates

  • The Rays intend to promote Triple-A pitching coach Kyle Snyder to the big league job, and also move third base coach Charlie Montoyo to bench coach, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link).  Snyder spent parts of five seasons with the Royals and Red Sox from 2003-08, including tossing 54 1/3 relief innings for Boston during its World Series championship season in 2007.  Snyder has been a pitching coach in the Rays organization since 2012 and he has been at Triple-A Durham since 2015.  Montoyo has been part of Tampa’s organization since 1997, serving at a minor league manager at all levels before taking the third base coaching job in 2015.  The Tigers and Mets have both reportedly shown interest in Montoyo as a managerial candidate, so his promotion to bench coach could presumably be short-lived if he is offered a managing job.
  • Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey won’t return to his position next year, as he and the team have mutually decided to part ways, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (via Twitter).  One of the game’s longest-tenured pitching coaches, Hickey has been with the Rays since November 2006, overseeing the development of several notable Rays arms.  Prior to coming to Tampa, Hickey served as the Astros’ pitching coach for two and a half season, plus over eight more years as a pitching coach in Houston’s minor league system.

Earlier Today

  • Tom Foley will not return as the bench coach for the Rays in 2018, Mark Topkins of the Tampa Bay Times reports. The decision was mutual. Foley has been a coach for Tampa Bay since 2002; he’ll now reportedly take on a different role within the organization.
  • Derek Lilliquist has been informed that he will not be the Cardinals’ pitching coach next year, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link). The search for his replacement is ongoing, but Goold adds in a separate tweet that Cardinals’ Triple-A pitching coach Bryan Eversgerd is a potential candidate. In yet a third tweet, Goold mentions that bullpe coach Blaise Ilsley also did not have his contract renewed, but that president of baseball ops John Mozeliak expects that all other coaches will return.
  • Mariners bench coach Tim Bogar and first base coach Casey Candaele will not return in 2018, the team announced in a press release. In addition, bullpen coach Nasusel Cabrera will shift to another job within the organization that has yet to be determined. Third base coach Manny Acta will serve as the team’s new bench coach, while assistant coach Scott Brosius will replace Acta as third base coach. Special projects coach Chris Prieto, who was also responsible for replay in 2017, will replace Candaele as the first base coach for the Mariners. Edgar Martinez and Mel Stottlemyre will return as the team’s hitting and pitching coaches, respectively.
  • After being let go from his position as the Royals’ pitching coach yesterday, Dave Eiland wants to “jump right back into it,” according to a tweet from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. With six seasons in Kansas City and another three years as the Yankees’ pitching coach under his belt, Eiland seems quite likely to find other opportunities elsewhere.
  • In addition to the changes made earlier today, Mets GM Sandy Alderson has forecasted a “major changes” at Triple-A Las Vegas, James Wagner of the New York Times reports via Twitter. In another tweet, he quotes Alderson saying that hitting coach Kevin Long will be given “strong consideration” for the Amazins’ managerial opening.
  • Brewers GM David Stearns announced in an end-of-season press conference that the team will retain its entire coaching staff for 2018.

Mets Announce Changes To Coaching Staff

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The Mets formally announced on Tuesday what has been widely expected and reported for weeks: Terry Collins is out as the team’s manager and has accepted a role as a special assistant to general manager Sandy Alderson (as Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported over the weekend). Beyond that, the Mets made formal the decision to dismiss pitching coach Dan Warthen, and they’ve also cut ties with head trainer Ray Ramirez. The rest of the team’s training and conditioning staff will return, and Warthen has been offered another role in the organization.

The Mets will retain hitting coach Kevin Long and assistant hitting coach Pat Roessler as well as third base coach Glenn Sherlock. The team hasn’t cut bench coach Dick Scott, first base coach Tom Goodwin or bullpen coach Ricky Bones, but each will be granted permission to speak with other teams once a new manager is selected. Notably, Mike Puma of the New York Post reported earlier this morning that the Mets will begin their managerial search, in earnest, this week.

Among the top external candidates, as previously reported by Puma and others, are Astros bench coach Alex Cora and Dodgers bench coach Bob Geren (who formerly served as the Mets’ bench coach under Terry Collins). The Mets, Puma writes, may try to get permission to interview Cora and Geren this week before their respective teams begin postseason play in the divisional series. He also suggested that Scott could be given the opportunity to interview as Collins’ replacement.

Regarding the pitching coach vacancy, Puma wrote that Bones is a top candidate to step into that role, which could open an opportunity for former Mets closer John Franco to interview as the team’s new bullpen coach. The 57-year-old Franco, who spent 14 seasons pitching for the Mets, has interest in coaching for his former team, according to Puma.

Ramirez’s dismissal as head trainer comes on the heels of one of the most injury-plagued seasons for any team in recent memory. While it’s certainly not fair to pin the entirety of the team’s injury woes on him, it’s long seemed possible that the staggering amount of Mets injuries this year would have some type of ramifications on the training/medical staff.

Noah Syndergaard missed most of the season with a torn lat muscle that was suffered after his now infamous decision to refuse an MRI. The Mets were also without Steven Matz, Seth Lugo, Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler for much of the season due to various arm injuries (including a partial tear of Lugo’s UCL), while Yoenis Cespedes, Neil Walker, T.J. Rivera and Michael Conforto all suffered injuries on the position-player side of the equation. All of that is in addition to a season-long absence for David Wright, though his health has been an ongoing issue for the past couple of seasons as he tries to work his way back from shoulder and neck surgeries.

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