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NL East Notes: Marlins, Kasten, Phillies, Wright

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A number of notable NL East players celebrate birthdays today, such as the Nationals' Steve Lombardozzi (24 years old), Ian Desmond (27), and the Mets' Jason Bay (34).  Here's the latest from around the division…

  • The Marlins are discussing whether to not to fire manager Ozzie Guillen, a source tells MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.  Former Marlin Mike Lowell (who has never managed or coached at any level) has been discussed as a replacement.  Other candidates could include Nationals third base coach Bo Porter and Blue Jays Class-A manager Tim Redmond.
  • The Marlins will likely have a payroll in the $80MM range in 2013, opines Frisaro as part of a reader mailbag.  Miami carried a $101.6MM payroll into the 2012 season and have over $67MM in salary committed for next year.  Frisaro thinks the Marlins will stay away from high-priced free agents like Michael Bourn and instead target "veterans who don't come at a great cost," such as Kevin Youkilis.
  • Former Nationals president Stan Kasten is pleased at his ex-team's success, he tells MLB.com's Bill Ladson.  "The turning point was Day 1, when [the Lerner family] was committed to a program of scouting and player development — long-term building, try to build internally, get home-grown players," said Kasten, who's now the Dodgers' team president. "As we see, the team that we see out there on the field is largely homegrown with some very key important strategic pieces added on top of it….They stuck to their plan. You are seeing the results now. It appears they are going to enjoy those results in the years to come."
  • Phillies manager Charlie Manuel tells reporters (including MLB.com's Todd Zolecki) that he hopes the club acquires at least one "first-class good" relief pitcher this winter.  Zolecki speculates that this new reliever could push Antonio Bastardo out of the bullpen, as Bastardo has struggled this season.
  • David Wright's slump shouldn't stop the Mets from signing their star to an extension, opines Matthew Cerrone of MetsBlog.com, "despite [Wright] having just three good months over the last two years."  Cerrone thinks the Mets could sign Wright to a deal in the six-year/$100MM range this offseason or possibly just pick up Wright's $16MM team option for 2013 if they're still concerned about his long-term viability.
  • Jeurys Familia will pitch in high-leverage situations down the stretch, Mets manager Terry Collins told media, including Adam Rubin of ESPN New York.  The Mets plan to use Familia as a late-inning reliever and backup closer behind Frank Francisco next season.  You can follow all of the late-inning situations on MLBTR's sister Twitter feed, @CloserNews.

Quick Hits: Mets, Reyes, Cardinals, Escobar

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If you're among MLBTR's 202,000 Twitter followers then thanks for following. If you aren’t yet following, we’d recommend it. But you don't have to take our word for it. Sports Illustrated named @mlbtraderumors one of the 100 essential Twitter accounts for those seeking “news, information and entertainment from the sports world.” Here are today’s links…

  • MLB is nearing agreements with FOX and Turner Sports on new eight-year broadcasting contracts according to the AP (via ESPN). Revenue from the two networks is likely to double to $800MM annually.
  • Commissioner Bud Selig isn’t worried about the Mets, Newsday's Marc Carig reports (Twitterlinks). "I don't consider the Mets a problem in any way, shape or manner,” Selig said. “They're on the right track." Selig went on to express confidence in the Wilpon family and general manager Sandy Alderson.
  • The Mets should be open to trading Ike Davis this winter, especially if they can fill multiple holes by sending the first baseman to another team, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post writes. The Mets have too many needs to rule out possible deals involving Davis.
  • The first year of Jose Reyes’ deal with Miami would have to be called a success, Davidoff writes. The Marlins shortstop leads the team with 147 games played despite previous concerns about his durability.
  • One well-connected person estimates the Cardinals are worth $1.5 billion, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Dispatch reports (on Twitter). The Dodgers recently sold for a record $2 billion in a positive development for other MLB owners.
  • Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told Greg Brady and Jim Lang on Sportsnet 590 the FAN that Yunel Escobar’s decision to write a homophobic slur on his eye black was “stupid, selfish, shameful, insensitive.” Anthopoulos acknowledged that he thought about suspending Escobar for a year or releasing him (hat tip to John Lott of the National Post).

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

NL East Links: Davis, Guillen, Utley

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A few links of note out of the NL East, where the first-place Nationals' hunt for a first playoff berth was placed on hold tonight due to a rain postponement.

  • Mets manager Terry Collins said that the organization supports first baseman Ike Davis and that there are no questions about his work ethic or receptiveness to coaching, tweets Marc Carig of Newsday. Earlier today, we heard that the Mets will be open to trading Davis during the upcoming offseason, in part because they have concerns about his commitment. Davis quickly refuted that allegation.
  • Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen said he expects to return as Miami's manager next season, though he understands why some are speculating about his job security, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "At this moment everybody in the organization ought to be up in the air," Guilen said. "It's not up to me. If it's up to me, I'd love to be here." Guillen is under contract through 2015 after signing a four-year deal prior to this season.
  • Phillies second baseman Chase Utley may start a few games at third base before the season is over, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. Though the sample would likely be too small for GM Ruben Amaro to arrive at any definitive conclusions as to whether the switch could be made long-term, it may nonetheless factor into his offseason planning, as Amaro said the market for third basemen — via trade or free agency — is "not very good."

New York Notes: Davis, Mets, Jeter

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Andy Pettitte will return to the mound against the Blue Jays tonight — assuming the Yankees aren't rained out in New York. Meanwhile, the Mets will start Matt Harvey against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Here are today's New York Notes…

  • Ike Davis was surprised and confused to hear that the Mets are concerned about his nightlife, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reports. “I have never missed games or not been ready to work because of anything to do with staying up too late,” Davis told Martino. Adam Rubin reported today that the Mets will consider trade offers for Davis, in part because they have questions about his lifestyle.
  • Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger suggests the Mets will consider trading any player not named David Wright this winter (Twitter link). The Mets will reportedly consider trades for Davis and Lucas Duda this offseason.
  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post explains how Derek Jeter’s durability impacts other players on the 2012 Yankees. Jeter's hitting .323/.366/.444 in a league-leading 665 plate appearances.

Mets Will Consider Trading Ike Davis, Lucas Duda

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9:00am: The Mets won't shop either Davis or Duda aggressively, but they'll be open to the right deal for either player, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reports (on Twitter).

8:26am: The Mets will consider trading Ike Davis as a way of addressing other needs this offseason, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports. There’s no guarantee Davis will be moved, but it’s at least “a very plausible option,” Rubin writes. 

The Mets are disappointed with Davis’ attitude toward coaching advice and they worry that he’s out too late after games, according to Rubin. Trading Davis would open up first base for Lucas Duda, who’s viewed as an inferior defender to Davis. 

Davis, 25, has rebounded from a slow start to post a .223/.302/.444 batting line with 27 home runs in 529 plate appearances. The left-handed hitter will be first-time arbitration eligible as a super two player this coming offseason and he's under team control through 2016. The Indians, Rays, Red Sox and Marlins are among the teams that could be interested in first basemen this coming offseason.

Mets Minor League Links: Brewer, Triple-A

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Some Mets-related links as ace R.A. Dickey makes a bid for his 19th win…

  • Triple-A pitching coach Mark Brewer won't be back in 2013, according to Andy McCullough of the Newark Star-Ledger. McCullough writes that there was a disconnect between Brewer and the club's prescribed pitching program. Brewer had been in the organization in various capacities since 2006.
  • The Mets' Triple-A team, the Buffalo Bisons, has reached a player development contract with Las Vegas, reports ESPN's Adam Rubin. That means that the Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliate, who had previously occupied Las Vegas, will be moving to Buffalo. Rubin calls the move to Las Vegas and Brewer's dismissal "unrelated."

East Notes: Girardi, Nationals, Rays, Bay

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Division leaders and their rivals are squaring off today in both the AL and NL East. With the Yankees looking to pad their four-game lead over the Rays in their rubber match and the Braves looking to pull within 5.5 games of the front-running Nationals with a sweep, here are the notes, quotes, and song lyrics from the East:

  • GM Brian Cashman reiterated Joe Girardi will manage the Yankees next year, according to Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. Cashman was specifically asked, if in his mind, Girardi will be the manager regardless of what happens. "Yup," was Cashman's reply.
  • The Nationals aren't letting the Stephen Strasburg controversy and the recent skid in Atlanta dampen their enthusiasm, according to the Washington Post's James Wagner. Mark DeRosa is the most vital presence in keeping the clubhouse loose with Wagner calling him part team dad and part team comedian.
  • The Nationals' season is of historic proportions, writes Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post. With 1933 the last time a Washington franchise won a league title and the District of Columbia having seen two versions of the Senators come and go in the interim, Svrluga also gives a lesson in how to calculate magic numbers for those who might have already perfected the math behind RGIII's QB rating.
  • In addition to trying to make the playoffs, September is also about playing for awards and new contracts for the Rays, opines Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. 
  • Jason Bay told Pat Borzi of the New York Times that he doesn't believe the effects of two concussions are the cause of his disappointing season. Manager Terry Collins hinted that was the case before the Mets' series in Milwaukee. Bay responded, "Terry’s asked me that, and I have nothing to quantify that with. How do you know? I don’t feel like it has. A lot of people look for a lot of reasons as to why things may or may not have come down as they historically have. Albeit that’s a viable scenario, but I can’t tell you from one day to the next how it felt. Those things did occur, but if I knew the answer, I would have fixed it by now.”
  • There is no easy fix for the Red Sox as they begin the long task of rebuilding their roster, writes the Boston Herald's John Tomase who provided a critique of the franchise from ownership to the farm system.
  • It has been a surprising year for Bobby Valentine and Buck Showalter, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. No one could have predicted, even himself Sherman admits, the seasons the two managers have experienced.
  • In a separate article, Sherman believes starting pitching will determine the Yankees' post-season fate.
  • GM Alex Anthopoulos confirmed to reporters the Blue Jays are exploring moving their Triple-A club to Buffalo from Las Vegas, writes Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca. This would, in effect, bump the Mets, currently affiliated with Buffalo, to Las Vegas.
  • Rays' manager Joe Maddon summed up his team's offensive problems by turning to song, reports the Tampa Bay Times' Topkin. "Again, we've sang this song," Maddon said. "I'm sure we could make a nice country and western song out of this whole thing. Between your dog and your pickup, we came up short again. We came up short agin." Unfortunately, Maddon will not be eligible in the songwriting category at the Country Music Awards tomorrow night.

Quick Hits: Pirates, Upton, Angels, Wright, Mets

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Sunday night linkage..

  • “I don’t think it’s ever fair to speculate on people’s jobs … My approach has always been to fully support the team we have in place, and when it’s time to make a change, we make a change," said Pirates owner Bob Nutting to Rob Biertempfel and Karen Price of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review when asked if there would be any front office or coaching staff changes after the season.
  • Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com surveyed four MLB execs about B.J. Upton's free agent outlook, and their estimates varied greatly. A National League GM predicted sees a three-year, $27MM deal for Upton while the other estimates ranged from four years at $50MM to five years at $70MM. The Rangers, Nationals, Phillies, Braves, Red Sox, Yankees, Reds, Giants, and Cubs are among the teams that could be in need of outfield help this winter.
  • Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto says he is not ready to call this year's team a disappointment, writes Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. Dipoto also declined to discuss what owner Arte Moreno might be feeling about this season after investing in Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson over the winter and trading for Zack Greinke in July.
  • Dave Cameron of Fangraphs believes that the Mets should exercise David Wright's option rather than extend him given his second-half slump. By picking up his reasonably-priced $16MM option, the Mets could buy themselves more time and properly evaluate whether he is worth a hefty extension.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

New York Notes: Collins, Mets, Yankees, McLouth

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Here's a look at a couple of items on the Mets and Yankees..

  • Terry Collins will be back to manage the Mets next year despite the club's second-half slide, people familiar with the situation tell Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  Despite the fact that the Nationals and Braves have won more games at Citi Field than the Mets in the second act of the 2012 season, all of Collins' bosses support him.  It was reported last month that the Mets were prepared to stand behind Collins, though the club had hoped for a third-place finish in the NL East.
  • The only question now appears to be whether Collins is given an extension of a year or two to avoid lame duck status in 2013, Heyman writes.  Wally Backman, currently managing the Mets' Triple-A affiliate, is seen as a possible heir for Collins.
  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that the Yankees offered Nate McLouth a minor league deal after he was released by the Pirates in June.  McLouth instead opted to go with the Orioles as he felt that he had a better shot of reaching the majors.  The outfielder is hitting .279/.350/.418 in 35 games for the O's this year.

NL East Notes: Wright, Phillies, Fernandez, Gonzalez

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The Phillies, winners of six in a row, are just four games out of the Wild Card race and back at the .500 mark with a 71-71 record. While a sixth consecutive division title remains out of reach, the Phillies have a remote chance at returning to the postseason. Here are the latest notes from the NL East…

  • Despite baseball's investigation into accusations that agents Seth and Sam Levinson helped procure performance-enhancing drugs for players, David Wright doesn't plan on changing agents, according to the New York Daily News.  "I have known these guys since I was 18," Wright said. "The only thing I have to go off of is the way they have represented me the last 12 years (and) the integrity that I have seen firsthand that they have for the game."  The Mets hold a $16MM club option on Wright's deal for 2013 but the club is expected to pursue a contract extension in the near future.
  • Third base is a long-term need for the Phillies and, as Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes, there's also uncertainty at the position in the short-term. Kevin Frandsen has a stress fracture in his left fibula, Placido Polanco is out for the season, Michael Martinez doesn't add much offense and Chase Utley has limited experience at third.
  • The Marlins and Phillies are now heading in different directions, David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News. While Miami's early-season struggles continued, the Phillies are now "playing clean games" in the view of manager Charlie Manuel.
  • Top Marlins pitching prospect Jose Fernandez has a chance to join Miami's rotation in 2013, Joe Capozzi Palm Beach Post writes. Fernandez, a first round pick in 2011, figures to start next year in Double-A, according to Capozzi.
  • The deal that sent Gio Gonzalez to Washington for Tommy Milone and Derek Norris has proven to be a win-win trade for the Nationals and Athletics, Matthew Leach of MLB.com writes. Gonzalez is a Cy Young candidate with the Nationals and Milone and Norris are contributing to the success of the A's.
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