GM/Manager Rumors: Pirates, Valentine, Marlins, Avila
With the reports that Seattle has hired Eric Wedge, one spot on the managerial carousel has been filled. Here's a look at some other management rumors…
- Wedge wasn't just Seattle's first choice, but he was also "seen as the favorite" in Pittsburgh according to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link). Heyman says the "job seems wide, wide open" even though the Pirates have interviewed a half-dozen other candidates.
- Bobby Valentine spoke to SIRIUS XM's Chris Russo today and Tom Haudricourt of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has some transcribed highlights. Valentine says he doesn't have a "burning desire" to manage again, but rather a desire that has to be "cultivated" by an interested suitor. Valentine also noted that he doesn't expect to hear back from the Blue Jays, and that he has had "conversations" about the Brewers job but not a formal interview.
- The Miami Herald's Clark Spencer says the Marlins might wait 7-10 days before even starting the interview process. Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com tweets that Bo Porter is the favorite of some Florida officials.
- The Mets have asked the Tigers for permission to interview Detroit assistant GM Al Avila, reports John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press (and passed on by Newsday's Ken Davidoff).
- Don Baylor has been replaced as Colorado's batting coach, reports The Denver Post's Troy Renck. Baylor, who's a candidate for at least one managerial job (Toronto), has been offered a new position with the Rockies as a special assistant to GM Dan O'Dowd.
- Nolan Ryan "would be shocked" if Rangers GM Jon Daniels exercised the opt-out clause in his contract this winter, tweets the New York Post's Joel Sherman.
Re-Introducing Sandy Alderson
There was a time when Sandy Alderson needed no introduction. Back in 1997, when he stepped aside as general manager of the A’s to make room for Billy Beane, Alderson was the longest-tenured GM in baseball.
But for a new generation of baseball fans, Alderson is far less recognizable than, say, Theo Epstein. After more than a decade of behind-the-scenes work – first as Padres CEO and then confronting identity fraud and drug use in the Dominican Republic – Alderson is re-emerging as a GM candidate, this time for the Mets.
Some consider Alderson the favorite for the position, even though he hasn’t been a GM since Ruben Tejada was a third grader. Thirteen years later, Alderson signings like Miguel Tejada and Miguel Olivo still appear on major league rosters, but don’t let that fool you – most of Alderson’s players retired long ago.
Dusty Baker and Willie Randolph, two players involved in Alderson trades, have since become major league managers. Joe Morgan, Goose Gossage, Rickey Henderson and Reggie Jackson are among the Hall of Famers who played under Alderson.
The 62-year-old is well-established enough that even veteran GMs like Beane and Kevin Towers look up to him.
“Having seen what Sandy did in Oakland, he's always been kind of a mentor,” Towers told the San Diego Union-Tribune in 2005.
And while Beane is the poster boy for “Moneyball” thinking, Alderson was a forward thinker in the A’s front office. He surrounded himself with people trained in quantitative analysis to make the most of the team’s resources.
The A’s, like the Padres, operate on a limited budget, so despite all of his time in the game, Alderson’s experience comes mostly from small West Coast markets. In fact he has a history of speaking out against massive contracts. Ten years ago, when Scott Boras negotiated a $252MM deal for Alex Rodriguez, Alderson was not pleased.
"On hearing it for the first time, a certain amount of disbelief set in on my part,'' Alderson told the Los Angeles Daily News at the time. ''I'm sort of stupefied by the whole thing. We have effectively doubled the previous most lucrative contract [Mike Hampton's] in two days. I don't like the exponentiality of all that. To me, it's incredible. I think every club is going to have to consider the impact on them.”
Even if he gets the Mets job, there’s a good chance Alderson will never sign anyone to a $252MM deal. But in New York he’d likely have more spending power and more exposure than he had in Oakland or San Diego – a new challenge for a veteran GM.
Rangers Rumors: Daniels, Hicks, A-Rod
As the Rangers prepare to face off against the Yankees, GM Jon Daniels faces speculation that he'd be interested in running the team he grew up rooting for: the New York Mets. But as Newsday's Ken Davidoff reports, Daniels remains focused on his team's playoff run and the Mets haven't asked to speak to anyone in the Rangers organization. Here's the latest on Daniels and the Rangers:
- Davidoff says "even if the Mets don't look at [Daniels] personally, they should at least look at the Rangers and try to emulate them."
- Daniels told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that the Rangers' success comes from a simple approach. "Our plan isn't rocket science," the GM said. "We're not the first team that said, 'Hey, let's build from within.' We've had success to this point because our evaluators are good. Our scouts are good. Our development people are good."
- Daniels wouldn't have the chance to opt out of his Rangers contract if Tom Hicks hadn't sold the team. Now on the outside looking in, Hicks tells Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork that he regrets signing Alex Rodriguez to a ten-year $252MM deal.
Mets Rumors: GM, Manager, Takahashi
The Mets intend to hire a general manager by the World Series, but it may take significantly longer for the organization's choice to turn the team into a contender. After three days of conversations with GM candidates, Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon told Dan Martin of the New York Post that top executives believe the team needs some work.
"They all know the reality of where we are," Wilpon told reporters. "It's not a bad perception, but they understand the reality."
The Mets don't have a manager under contract for 2011, but they'll wait to hire a GM before choosing a skipper. Once Wilpon and other Mets executives decide between Allard Baird, Rick Hahn, Josh Byrnes, Sandy Alderson, Logan White and others, selecting a manager will become a priority.
ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears that Alderson has an excellent relationship with owner Fred Wilpon and definitely wants the Mets to hire him (Twitter links).
The new GM will also have to determine whether to pursue Hisanori Takahashi, who can become a free agent at the end of the month. Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passes on a Japanese report indicating that Takahashi seeks a two-year deal and would prefer to remain with the Mets (Twitter link). MLBTR's Tim Dierkes suggested last month that Takahashi could seek a two-year deal worth $2.5MM per season plus incentives.
Odds & Ends: Valentine, Cook, Mets, Mariners
Wednesday evening linkage..
- Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun-Sentinel wonders if Bobby Valentine was ever a strong candidate for the Marlins opening this time around.
- Troy Renck of The Denver Post (via Twitter) believes that Aaron Cook will be back with the Rockies in 2011.
- Bobby Valentine pulling his name out of contention in Florida could be a sign that things are heating up elsewhere, writes Larry Stone of The Seattle Times.
- Jeff Wilpon would like to hire a GM by the end of the World Series, tweets Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times (via Twitter) says it's not impossible that we'll see Eric Wedge and Milton Bradley in the same clubhouse again.
Odds & Ends: Hahn, Daniels, Edmonds
Links for Wednesday, in the lull before the Yankees and Rangers face off in Texas on Friday…
- White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn interviewed for the Mets GM position yesterday, and Kenny Williams told Dan Martin of the New York Post, "I know I'm gonna lose him, and it's gonna be a heavy blow." Williams explained that Hahn has been picky with previous opportunities. Josh Byrnes was scheduled to interview for the Mets job today.
- The Mets won't be plucking Jon Daniels from the Rangers. Owner Chuck Greenberg told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, "He's not going anywhere" (Twitter links). Greenberg also spoke to ESPN's Richard Durrett about his desire to retain Cliff Lee, after the lefty's dominant start last night gave the Rangers their first playoff series win.
- Jim Edmonds told Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "I'm kind of in wait-and-see mode right now" in terms of playing next year. Edmonds expressed his desire to land a backup first baseman gig for 2011.
- Talking about his next contract, Jose Bautista told Morgan Campbell of the Toronto Star, "The differences of $50,000 or $100,000 may not seem huge but it’s actually really stressful when you’re about to commit." For much more on Bautista's arbitration case, check out Ben Nicholson-Smith's article from earlier today.
- RotoAuthority explains why Homer Bailey is a fantasy baseball sleeper for next year.
Manager/GM Notes: Pirates, Jays, Cubs, Mets, Listach
Let's check out the latest updates from a handful of manager and GM searches….
- The Pirates interviewed Ken Macha and Jeff Banister today for their managerial opening, according to the team's official Twitter feed. As Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes, both men have local ties.
- Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun tweets that Bobby Valentine interviewed with the Blue Jays for Cito Gaston's old job.
- According to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat, Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts has interviewed four managerial candidates: Mike Quade, Ryne Sandberg, Bob Melvin, and, as we heard earlier today, Eric Wedge.
- ESPN New York's Adam Rubin says (via Twitter) the Mets are awaiting permission to interview "a couple more" GM candidates, besides the five we already know, though it doesn't sound like Jerry Dipoto is one of them (Twitter link). At least one figures to be a minority candidate, according to Rubin.
- Pat Listach tells Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he hasn't heard from the Brewers or any other teams looking for managers.
Logan White To Interview For Mets GM Job
12:55pm: White is interviewing for the Mets GM job, confirms Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times. Hernandez adds that White has a new deal in place to remain with the Dodgers in his current role if he does not get the Mets gig.
9:45am: A potential new candidate has entered the mix for the Mets GM vacancy in Dodgers assistant GM of amateur and international scouting Logan White. ESPN's Tony Jackson reported early Tuesday that White will interview for the Mets GM job on Friday. The implication is that Dodgers GM Ned Colletti granted White permission to do so. However, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News talked to non-Mets league sources who said White is not a candidate for the GM job. Instead, they're interested in hiring him in a scouting role to work with the team's new GM.
Red Sox assistant GM Allard Baird interviewed for the Mets GM position yesterday. ESPN's Adam Rubin reports that Baird spoke to Mets COO Jeff Wilpon, acting GM John Ricco, and other team executives. The Mets will interview White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn today and former Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes tomorrow. Sandy Alderson, the reported favorite, interviews Thursday or Friday.
Meanwhile, Dan Martin of the New York Post spoke to Athletics GM Billy Beane, who unsurprisingly supported the idea of the Mets hiring Alderson. Martin's colleague Joel Sherman explains why he feels Alderson is best qualified for the job.
Odds & Ends: Orioles, Rodriguez, Cubs, Nakajima
Links for Monday evening as the Giants look to shut the door on the Braves in Atlanta..
- The O's might not be able to solidify their coaching staff as soon as they would like to, writes Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com.
- Francisco Rodriguez's grievance hearing over being placed on the disqualified list is set for next week but there will not be an immediate decision rendered, writes Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Giants bench coach Ron Wotus is interested in managing the Bucs, writes Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com.
- According to Shannon Drayer of ESPN Radio, four candidates will interview for the vacant M's managerial job this week, including former Houston skipper Cecil Cooper.
- Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild informed the team today that he will pick up his option for 2011, a major league source told ESPN.com's Bruce Levine.
- The Pirates disclosed (via Twitter) that former Blue Jays skipper John Gibbons was in Pittsburgh today to interview for the team's managerial opening.
- Saitama Seibu Lions shortshop Hiroyuki Nakajima is on his way to being posted, according to Jason Coskrey of the Japan Times (via Twitter) who passes along a report from Yahoo Japan (Japanese link). In a piece for Fangraphs, Patrick Newman called the 28-year-old Japan's second-best hitter behind Norichika Aoki of the Yakult Swallows.
- More and more teams are discovering that homegrown starters are crucial to success, says Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
Mets GM Interviews Start This Week
The Mets will interview Sandy Alderson, Rick Hahn, Allard Baird, and Josh Byrnes this week for their general manager vacancy, according to Dan Martin of the New York Post. David Lennon of Newsday tweets that it's Baird today, Hahn on Tuesday, Byrnes on Wednesday, and Alderson on Thursday or Friday. Martin adds that a team official told him other candidates could be added to the list.
Alderson is "perceived to be the favorite," writes SI's Jon Heyman. Heyman notes that Alderson has longtime ties to Mets owner Fred Wilpon, as well as support from fans and media members. Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, however, puts on the brakes and provides four tough questions for Alderson that he'd like to see answered.