Odds & Ends: Stairs, Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, Nats
Links on a very rainy evening in the Bronx..
- Matt Stairs nearly retired this winter but now he tells Corey Brock of MLB.com (via Twitter) that he wants to play for another year or two.
- The Diamondbacks will decide interim manager Kirk Gibson's fate soon, writes MLB.com's Steve Gilbert.
- Toronto could give their entire staff a makeover upon hiring a new manager, writes Shi Davidi of The Canadian Press.
- Stan Kasten told Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post that he's still not sure if he'll return to the Nats next season.
- The Mets may already have their 2011 second baseman in Daniel Murphy, writes Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.
- The Reds won't be auditioning Yonder Alonso for a potential deal as Joey Votto is set to return to action on Friday, tweets John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
- Mets GM Omar Minaya told Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (via Twitter) that he's not concerned about speculation over his job security.
- It's a good time for ex-Mariners managers, tweets Larry Stone of the Seattle Times.
Odds & Ends: Sandberg, Nationals, Padres, Bautista
On this date in 1978, the Pirates purchased Cito Gaston from the Braves and the outfielder went on to play his last two major league games in a Pirates uniform (believe it or not, future managers Ken Macha, Phil Garner and Jim Fregosi also played on that Pirates team). When this season ends, Gaston will step down as Blue Jays manager, but he'll do so with a pair of World Series rings and at least 885 wins to his name. Here are today's links…
- Ryne Sandberg is a candidate for the Blue Jays' managerial opening, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
- Later this week the Nationals will likely announce that they're retaining manager Jim Riggleman in 2011, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
- The Padres will at least look outside of the organization for infielders, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock (on Twitter). The Padres lost some depth when Jerry Hairston hit the disabled list again.
- The Mets won't discuss deals with prospective free agents like Jose Reyes and Pedro Feliciano until after their front office is more settled, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.
- ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick looks back at this year's moves from the ones that have worked out (the Roy Oswalt deal) to the ones that haven't (the Manny Ramirez claim).
- The Pirates lost Jose Bautista because they "reacted rashly to a rather innocuous situation," according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
- The Red Sox claimed Bautista when the Blue Jays put him on waivers last summer, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
- One MLB executive tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that Red Sox bench coach DeMarlo Hale is on at least two short lists of managerial candidates.
- Dave Bush is open to returning to the Brewers and curious about the offers he'll see as a free agent, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
Heyman On Crawford, Soriano, Werth, Mets
Teams are locking young stars up to long-term deals, so this year's free agent market looks less impressive than it could have. The result, according to one AL executive who spoke to Jon Heyman of SI.com, is a “thin class” behind Cliff Lee, Carl Crawford, Jayson Werth, Adrian Beltre and Adam Dunn. Heyman polled two agents and an executive on the earning potential of a number of free agents. Here are some results, plus other noteworthy rumors.
- The executive and one agent predicted Carl Crawford will sign for $120MM over seven years.
- One agent predicted that Derrek Lee would sign for $24MM over two years. The others predicted a one-year deal worth $4-6MM. Lee’s recent struggles and history as a middle-of-the-order hitter make him hard to project.
- Agent Scott Boras called Rafael Soriano, who is not his client, “one of the top closers in the game.”
- Boras continued to link Jayson Werth to Matt Holliday, who signed for $120MM, rather than Jason Bay, who signed for $66MM. "Why not compare [Werth] to Holliday? He's had a platform year like Holliday, and he's a better defender than Holliday,'' Boras said.
- The Mets won't reach out to Pat Gillick if and when they look to replace GM Omar Minaya. Gillick once said he wouldn’t work for chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon, who has a reputation as a difficult boss.
Odds & Ends: Cubs, Towers, Phillies, Torre, Lee
Tuesday night links, as Scott Baker makes his first start for the Twins in nearly three weeks….
- Jim Hendry will officially interview Ryne Sandberg for the Cubs' manager job, reports Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago. According to Levine's sources, the club also plans to talk to Pat Listach, Bob Melvin, and Bob Brenly.
- A "reliable source" told Jim Bowden (Twitter link) that the D'Backs are set to offer Kevin Towers their GM job. Jack Magruder of FOX Sports Arizona says no job offer has been made yet, though the team met with Towers again today (Twitter link).
- Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly reports (via Twitter) that the Phillies have signed Franklyn Zavala, a 16-year-old Dominican pitcher, for a $330K bonus.
- Understandably, Joe Torre's comments about the possibility of managing the Mets didn't sit well with current manager Jerry Manuel, as Andy McCullough of the Newark Star-Ledger writes. Torre apologized for his comments, telling Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times that he's "closing the door on managing the Mets – and probably everybody else" (Twitter links).
- Astros manager Brad Mills avoided the question of whether Carlos Lee would play more first base in 2011, says MLB.com's Pete Kerzel. Alyson Footer, the team's director of social media, notes in a pair of tweets that first base is Lee's strongest position and she'd like to see him there next year.
- Pat Gillick won't rule out taking another general manager job if the right situation arises, writes Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.
- Craig Counsell tells Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link) that he'll be back in 2011, either for the Brewers or another club.
Odds & Ends: Pirates, Jenks, Jays, D’Backs GM, Torre
Links for Monday night, as the Phillies extend their NL East lead with an eighth consecutive win….
- Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette provides a lengthy preview of the 2011 Pirates, speculating about how the team may improve its roster.
- Ozzie Guillen tells Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune that he has no idea whether the White Sox' front office plans to retain Bobby Jenks next year.
- The Toronto Sun's Ken Fidlin believes that questions about J.P. Arencibia behind the plate and Adam Lind at first base mean that the Jays could attempt to bring back John Buck and Lyle Overbay.
- Ed Price of AOL FanHouse reports (via Twitter) that Logan White is out of the running in the Diamondbacks' search for a general manager. ESPN.com's Buster Olney confirms (via Twitter) that it appears to be a two-man race between Kevin Towers and Jerry Dipoto. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports suggests that the D'Backs are torn between the appeal of Towers and loyalty to Dipoto; they should name a GM this week.
- Joe Torre hasn't ruled out managing the Mets or another club, writes Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork. Torre told WFAN: "I don't really anticipate managing again, but I think it would be unfair not to listen just out of curiosity to see if something excites me."
- Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that Coco Crisp would like to return to Oakland next year, though he knows he'll have little say in whether his 2011 option is exercised.
Top Execs Could Shy Away From Mets GM Job
The Mets may have trouble convincing baseball’s top executives to take over as the team’s next general manager, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The Mets will fire or re-assign GM Omar Minaya after the season, according to Sherman, but that’s the easy part. Sherman reports that chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon has a reputation in baseball circles as a tone deaf, credit-seeking, second-guessing micro-manager who isn’t accountable or self aware.
That reputation won’t make the Mets’ search for a new GM any easier, but they’re prepared to spend, even though they owe Minaya millions after 2010. Former Padres GM Kevin Towers will likely take the Diamondbacks GM job if the money is right and former D’Backs GM Josh Byrnes is hesitant to work for the Wilpons, according to Sherman.
Former Astros GM Gerry Hunsicker likes working for the Rays, but those close to him say he would consider the right GM job. Those are far from the only qualified candidates to run a team, but it appears that the Mets will have to fight the perception that Wilpon is a difficult boss as they hunt for their next GM.
Rosenthal On Beltran, Pirates, Pujols, Braves
There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding the 2011 Mets from Francisco Rodriguez to Omar Minaya to Jerry Manuel. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says Minaya or his replacement, “would be wise to explore trades for [Jose] Reyes and [David] Wright” this offseason. Here are the rest of the rumors:
- Carlos Beltran, a player who could become a trade chip this winter, told Rosenthal that he would like to remain on the Mets.
- Pirates president Frank Coonelly is the team's “de facto GM”, according to some rival executives.
- Not surprisingly, the Cardinals’ top offseason priority will be extending Albert Pujols, who will hit the open market after 2011 unless the Cards lock him up. It took Joe Mauer and the Twins a while to work out their $184MM extension, so we could be in for a winter’s worth of Pujols rumors.
- As Rosenthal points out, the Braves could use a big bat to play left field and they'll likely be on the lookout for one this offseason.
Manager Notes: Baker, Gibson, Torre
A couple of interesting managerial notes for your Sunday reading pleasure:
- Dusty Baker continues to mull over the contract extension offered by the Reds, writes the Cincinnati Enquirer's John Fay. It's believed that the offer was for multiple years, but Baker won't confirm that. He says that he's focused on winning a division title, not his own future.
- In a piece for MLB.com, George Von Benko writes that Kirk Gibson says he'd like to continue managing the Diamondbacks, but regardless of who's in charge, the organization will be headed in a different direction in 2011.
- Joe Torre called rumors connecting him to the Mets "irresponsible," writes MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. According to Torre, he's had no conversations with anyone regarding his future.
Odds & Ends: Ellsbury, Pirates, Soto, Drew
Links for Sunday, as the Padres, Giants, and Rockies find themselves separated by a single game in the NL West standings….
- Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe hears from a pair of Mets officials that the team may make a run at Jacoby Ellsbury this winter.
- GM Neal Huntington discusses the Pirates' nine arbitration-eligible players with Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- Geovany Soto will have arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder tomorrow, tweets Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. Soto will be looking at a three-month recovery, so he should be fully healthy for spring training.
- J.D. Drew isn't sure what the future holds after his current deal expires, writes WEEI's Rob Bradford. Drew is under contract through 2011 and indicates that he's considering the possibility of retiring after that.
- Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer outlines a few of the Indians' needs, and addresses the possibility of Josh Byrnes joining the team's front office.
Davidoff On Beltran, Greinke, Takahashi, Kemp
The Mets are sending "strong signals" that they'd like to trade Carlos Beltran this winter, an AL official tells Ken Davidoff of Newsday. Davidoff acknowledges that the Mets often seem to want to unload big contracts, but rarely follow through. However, Beltran, as opposed to Luis Castillo or Oliver Perez, is a player that other teams would have interest in. Here are Davidoff's other hot stove notes:
- The Royals have Zack Greinke signed through 2012, but aren't sure whether they'll be competitive by then, so they'd be willing to listen to offers on their ace. Davidoff lists the Yankees, Rangers, Tigers, and Nationals as teams who might be interested.
- Hisanori Takahashi is eligible for free agency this winter and would like to be a starting pitcher. One AL scout is skeptical: "Who’s going to sign him to start? Maybe a bad team, at the back end of their rotation. He’d be better off staying in the bullpen. He’s really good there."
- Davidoff wonders if new Dodgers manager Don Mattingly will be more willing to deal with Matt Kemp than Joe Torre was. A scout compares Kemp to Alfonso Soriano, suggesting that both players lack baseball instincts and struggle to improve their games.