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New York Notes: Warthen, Severino, Prado, Gardner

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Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen was overworked early in his career, writes Tim Rohan of the New York Times. Warthen figured he had torn his UCL back in 1975, but Tommy John had only received his eponymous surgery in 1974. Major league players were paid very little at the time so Warthen couldn’t afford the surgery or a year away from baseball. Instead he worked through the injury and his career ended a few years later at the age of 25. Of course, now it’s his job to make sure his young pitching staff remains healthy and productive for years to come.

Here’s more from that other New York club:

  • The Yankees were right to keep top prospect Luis Severino, writes John Harper of the New York Daily News. Severino was one name discussed with the Tigers for David Price. Notably, Price is now 0-6 in six postseason starts with a 5.23 ERA. Scouts believe Severino will soon be the Yankees ace, and he’s under club control for another six seasons. Per one scout, “If you’re talking six or seven years for Price…I’d take Severino anyway.“
  • GM Brian Cashman was loathe to part with Martin Prado in the offseason trade for Nathan Eovaldi, per Harper. His versatility and ability to match up against hard throwing left-handed pitching would have been useful for the club. The Marlins have him under club control for the 2016 season, but the Yankees are already paying $3MM of his $11MM contract. Personally, I see a swap for Prado as a worthy alternative to free agent Ben Zobrist.
  • After a miserable second half, the Yankees may consider trading Brett Gardner, suggests Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News. Gardner has a similar skill set to leadoff hitter Jacoby Ellsbury, but both players disappeared in the second half of the season. If Gardner were to be traded, it could open the door for a power bat like Justin Upton or Yoenis Cespedes. One scout opined that an early season wrist injury and late season shoulder soreness could have affected Gardner’s play. He’s owed $36MM through 2018 with a $12.5MM club option for 2019 ($2MM buyout). He’ll also be paid a $1MM assignment bonus if traded.

AL East Notes: Wieters, Orioles, Yankees, Hendriks

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Only one World Series has ever ended on a caught stealing, and that rare event took place on this day in 1926.  The would-be base thief?  Of all people, it was Babe Ruth thrown out trying to steal second by Cardinals catcher Bob O’Farrell to end Game Seven and give the Cards their first World Series title.  This was one of a whopping five World Series-deciding games the Yankees have played on October 10 — they clinched victories in 1937, 1951 and 1956, and came up short in 1926 and 1957.

Here’s the latest from the AL East…

  • Will the Orioles issue a one-year, $15.8MM qualifying offer to Matt Wieters?  The Baltimore Sun’s Eduardo A. Encina and MASNsports.com’s Steve Melewski each examine that question in separate pieces, as Wieters’ health status and underwhelming 2015 numbers could make $15.8MM too large a price tag for the O’s to potentially pay.  Wieters could take the QO in order to prove his value in 2016 and elevate his free agent stock for next offseason, though no player has yet accepted a qualifying offer (and it could be a particular surprise if a Scott Boras client like Wieters was the first to do so).  If Wieters did accept the QO, Encina notes that he’d be taking up budget room that could prevent Baltimore from re-signing Chris Davis or making another big free agent splash.  “Some in the industry believe the Orioles” are willing to go with a Caleb Joseph/Steve Clevenger catching tandem in 2016 rather than Wieters, Melewski writes, though in not making Wieters a QO, Baltimore would lose the chance at a first-round draft pick as compensation for Wieters signing elsewhere.
  • In another piece from Melewski, he cites Marco Estrada, Doug Fister and Ian Kennedy as possible fits for the Orioles this winter since it’s unclear as to whether the O’s will shop at the top of the free agent pitching market.
  • Brian Cashman will have to “get creative” to upgrade the Yankees given the number of big contracts already on the books, Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News writes, such as how the GM added Didi Gregorius and Nathan Eovaldi last winter.  Feinsand also suggests four more ways for the Yankees to improve next year, such as deciding on who plays second base, finding playing time for Greg Bird, signing Justin Upton and staying away from David Price.
  • Liam Hendriks was a member of five different organizations between December 2013 and October 2014 but he has seemingly found some stability as an important member of the Blue Jays bullpen.  The Australian righty talks to Fangraphs’ David Laurila about his move to relief pitching, his increased velocity and the stress of switching teams so often within that 11-month span.

Managerial Notes: Mattingly, M’s, Girardi, Alomar

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Here’s a look at some of the rumors surrounding the game’s open managerial positions, including speculation about some current skippers…

  • Don Mattingly may be Jeffrey Loria’s preferred choice to manage the Marlins, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reports.  Loria has “apparently developed a relationship with Mattingly, and is intrigued by the possibility” of having the Dodgers manager shift into the Miami’s dugout next season.  This would, of course, hinge on whether Mattingly is even available, though Heyman suggests that L.A. could look for a change at manager if the team fails to win at least one playoff round.
  • Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto said that managing is “more about environment, leadership and energy” than it is about an analytical background, telling reporters (including MLB.com’s Greg Johns) that “too much is made of analytics. That’s a little overblown.”  Dipoto’s ideal manager would blend both the old-school and new-school methods of thought: “It is not all about the data you’re provided or what you’re seeing with your eyes, it’s somewhere in between. A prerequisite will be to find someone who can balance those in an effective way.”
  • It was no surprise that Dipoto parted ways with Lloyd McClendon, Larry Stone of the Seattle Times writes, given that McClendon was likely not as receptive to analytics as Dipoto would’ve preferred.  Stone lists Bud Black, Scott Servais (who’s more likely to join the M’s as a front office member), White Sox third base coach Joe McEwing, Angels third base coach Gary DiSarcina and long-time Mariners Raul Ibanez and Dan Wilson as possible managerial candidates, though Angels special assistant Tim Bogar looks like the favorite, as was reported yesterday.
  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman told reporters (including George A. King III of the New York Post) that Joe Girardi’s job is safe for 2016.  “[Girardi] is signed for two more years and managed the team to the playoffs. It’s not his fault we didn’t hit. He managed a perfect playoff game,” Cashman said.  Girardi is under contract through the 2017 campaign and is owed $4MM in each of the next two seasons.  He is 735-561 with six postseason appearances (including the 2009 World Series title) over his eight seasons as New York’s manager, though this year’s AL Wild Card Game loss was the Yankees’ only playoff game since 2012.
  • The White Sox have spoken to Indians first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. about becoming the team’s new bench coach, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.  Raul Ibanez is also reportedly a candidate for the bench coach job.  Jim Margalus of the South Side Sox blog breaks down Alomar’s candidacy and wonders if the White Sox could install Alomar as manager if a slow start gets Robin Ventura fired next year.  Margalus also opines that Alomar may not want to commit to a coaching job quite yet since he could be a candidate for one of the open managerial spots around baseball.

East Notes: Braves, Mets, Yankees, Red Sox

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The Braves have pulled the trigger on a number of painful trades in recent months, and David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that some hurt more than others. It’s still an open question whether dealing the controllable Evan Gattis made sense, and the timing of Craig Kimbrel’s departure was tough to bear for fans. But the swaps that still carry the most uncertainty in terms of their baseball wisdom, says O’Brien, are the two deadline deals. Parting with Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson for a relatively unexciting return left the club badly exposed down the stretch. And the risky swap that brought in Hector Olivera could end up looking really bad (or really good) in retrospect. But just-minted GM John Coppolella says that he likes the players that came over from the Mets quite a bit, and adds that the organization still believes Olivera delivers “really good value for what we think he will be.”

  • Meanwhile, Mets skipper Terry Collins says that he sees the team’s acquisition of Uribe and Johnson as a key spark to the season, as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman writes. “I believe that was the trade that set things where we started to go,” Collins said. “They provided two professional bats in that lineup and [experience] in that clubhouse. All of a sudden guys are looking at their jobs saying, ’Oh my gosh, I’ve got to step up here’, and they did. I think that to me is when we started turning things around.”
  • The Yankees were not able to add that kind of impact at the deadline, as it turned out, but the club doesn’t regret its summer trade activity, as MLB.com’s Barry Bloom writes. Manager Joe Girardi said that he feels “the organization made the right decision not giving up … your top prospects, your blue-chip prospects just for a two-month rental.” As he noted, the team got big contributions from young players who might theoretically have been trade chips: in particular, first baseman Greg Bird, starter Luis Severino, and second baseman Rob Refsnyder. GM Brian Cashman made clear that he feels the same way. “No, I don’t have any regrets.”
  • It remains to be seen how the Red Sox will attack the offseason under new president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, but Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe explains that the club has plenty of trade chips if it opts to pursue that route. That creates a situation where we should expect the unexpected, in the estimation of the veteran scribe. He ticks through the trade value and status of many of the organization’s assets, focusing on those who reside on the 40-man.

AL East Notes: Samardzija, Johnson, Kline

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The Yankees are likely to pursue righty Jeff Samardzija in free agency, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. He’s viewed by the organization as a competitor who could be had at a nice price given his forgettable 2015 campaign. Of course, the 30-year-old could see interest from a variety of other clubs for the same reasons. He’ll be one of the more interesting players to watch in free agency.

Here are few more AL East notes:

  • Red Sox lefty Brian Johnson made one big league start this year, but shortly after was shut down with elbow issues. But he’s back to throwing again, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford reports, and appears to be structurally sound. “They said my UCL [ulnar collateral ligament] was like I hadn’€™t even pitched,” Johnson said. “It was really, really good. It was nothing ligament-related.” The hope is that the 24-year-old will be ready for a normal spring. Given his strong results at Triple-A before the elbow difficulties arose, he remains an interesting near-future piece for a team that also has Eduardo Rodriguez and Henry Owens showing promise early in their big league careers.
  • Another Orioles right-handed pitching prospect is dealing with early-career injury woes, as Branden Kline had Tommy John surgery yesterday, according to Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com. A second-round draft pick in 2012, Kline missed much of the year as he attempted to avoid the procedure. He pitched to a 3.66 ERA over 39 1/3 Double-A innings on the year before being shut down.

AL Notes: Tigers, Rotation, Rondon, Gwynn, Bundy, Yanks

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Tigers GM Al Avila addressed the press today, and Chris Iott of MLive.com has the story (or, if you prefer, the video). We already touched upon his comments regarding the possibility of a J.D. Martinez extension. He also noted the importance of bolstering the pitching staff, saying that the “hope is to find two starting pitchers” — one toward the top of the staff and another back-end arm. The club will also consider newly-acquired youngsters Daniel Norris, Matt Boyd, and Michael Fulmer for starting jobs, along with the struggling Shane Greene — who could instead move to relief duty. Speaking of the pen, Avila noted that adding a lockdown closer would be “a tough task” given the paucity of 9th-inning arms on the market. He also noted that pitching was a greater priority than adding in the outfield, where the team feels good about youngster Tyler Collins. Though Avila didn’t reveal details, he said the cash would be there to make the additions that the team needs: “We’ll have a highly competitive payroll, as we have in the past.”

Here’s more from Detroit and the rest of the American League:

  • Tigers reliever Bruce Rondon took the closer job briefly but was ultimately sent home early for an apparent lack of effort. Avila says that the fireballer will need to prove that he is committed and capable, with the GM saying he’s “keeping my fingers crossed that the lesson was learned and he comes back ready to go.” One player who won’t be coming back is veteran infielder Josh Wilson, who has been told he’ll not be re-signed. And Avila said that long-time backstop Alex Avila — who is, of course, his son — is also expected to end up with a new organization.
  • Changes in the Mariners’ front office continued on Thursday, as Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reported that director of player development Chris Gwynn has stepped down from his post (Twitter link). The Mariners have since confirmed Gwynn’s resignation, and Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times tweets that his expectation for the role to be filled by Angels assistant GM Scott Servais — a lieutenant of new Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto when the two worked together in Anaheim.
  • Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy threw off a mound on Wednesday for the first time since shoulder troubles caused him to be shut down for the season in May, writes the Baltimore Sun’s Eduardo A. Encina. Bundy, formerly rated as the No. 2 overall prospect in the game by both Baseball America and MLB.com, threw 20 pitches in the side session. Director of player development Brian Graham said that Bundy has no physical issues and showed good velocity. The team will decide if he’s to throw in winter ball or possibly the Arizona Fall League, but as Encina notes, getting him some work will be important. Bundy is out of minor league options and will have to stick on the Opening Day roster to avoid waivers next season, so getting him back into game shape carries extra importance for Baltimore.
  • The Yankees have quite a bit of work to do heading into the offseason, writes MLB.com’s Barry M. Bloom. Unfortunately, the team doesn’t have much in the way of financial “wiggle room” to pursue the likes of David Price, Zack Greinke or Justin Upton, despite the fact that each player would fill a need for the club, Bloom opines. Perhaps chief among the Yankees’ needs will be to determine if age, injuries or simply general wear and tear contributed to the decline of Jacoby Ellsbury, Alex Rodriguez, Brett Gardner, Brian McCann, Chase Headley and Carlos Beltran down the stretch, he adds.

 

Yankees Notes: Price, Offseason, Nova, Zobrist

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With the Yankees’ offseason now underway, Joel Sherman of the New York Post breaks down the team’s needs, specifically mentioning rotation stability and versatility. While he notes that in the George Steinbrenner days, lavish spending to bring in names such as David Price, Ben Zobrist and Yoenis Cespedes might’ve been the expectation, but Hal Steinbrenner has no interest in pushing an already-high payroll toward the $300MM mark. The younger Steinbrenner also doesn’t wish to dole out any further mega-contracts until some of the large, existing contracts come off the books. As such, Sherman writes that we can likely rule out an earnest pursuit of David Price. Signing Price for $30MM annually — and Price may command even more than that — would cost the Yankees $45MM annually in the deal’s early stages due to luxury tax purposes. Sherman suggests that instead, making a strong push to acquire Sonny Gray (listing Aaron Judge, Jorge Mateo and Gary Sanchez as possible trade chips) is a better fit for the Yankees. Sherman also feels that trades for Martin Prado and/or Enrique Hernandez as well as a signing of Zobrist would give the Yanks a deep, versatile crop of players to keep aging veterans fresh and match up well against pitchers regardless of handedness.

Some more Yankees items…

  • Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News takes his own shot at getting the Yankees to the next step this offseason. Feinsand lists five things decisions that the Yankees should make, opining that Justin Upton is a fit that should be signed but that the Yankees should steer clear of a substantial commitment to Price.
  • Sherman also reports that the Yankees are planning to tender right-hander Ivan Nova a contract for the 2016 season. Nova, projected by MLBTR to earn $4.4MM in arbitration, struggled to a 5.07 ERA in 94 innings in 2015 — his first season back from Tommy John surgery. Despite the fact that he didn’t look like his 2013 self (3.10 ERA, 7.5 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 in 139 innings), Nova’s 93 mph fastball velocity was right in line with his career mark. The team views him as a back-of-the-rotation option, and a $4.4MM price tag on such a commodity would hardly be exorbitant. Nova is a free agent after the 2016 season.
  • General manager Brian Cashman told reporters last night that he passed on the opportunity to acquire Zobrist from the Athletics in exchange for second baseman Rob Refsnyder and right-hander Adam Warren, tweets Chad Jennings of the Journal News. Zobrist would eventually be traded to the Royals in exchange for right-hander Aaron Brooks and highly touted pitching prospect Sean Manaea. He went on to hit .284/.364/.453 with seven homers in 264 plate appearances for Kansas City. As the New York Daily News’ Anthony McCarron adds, Cashman said he has no regrets about not making a deal in July. “I’d be piling guys on top of guys that didn’t have a place to play, other than second base,” said Cashman, stating that Zobrist was the only available second base option that interested him.

AL East Notes: Yankees’ Needs, Blue Jays, Anthopoulos

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The Yankees’ offseason officially kicks off today after getting bounced from the post-season last night. Here’s the latest out of New York and the rest of the AL East:

  • GM Brian Cashman acknowledged the evident fact that the Yankees weren’t quite “good enough” this year, as Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com writes. While things turned out better than many expected, says Heyman, there’s still plenty that will need to get done heading into 2016. Adding a significant starter is at the top of that list, he writes, though the team could also stand to fill out its relief corps. Otherwise, New York needs to keep plugging away at developing its young talent and focus in on a solution at second base, in Heyman’s estimation.
  • Also taking a look at the Yankees’ offseason needs is Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (Insider link). His priority list is somewhat different, especially at the top. For Bowden, adding a big, right-handed bat is the most important need.
  • The Blue Jays are now the only AL East club left standing, but the offseason could only be days away if they fail to advance. Baseball teams are always looking ahead, of course, and Toronto is no different, as Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca writes. GM Alex Anthopoulos says he’s “already stressed out of [his] mind” dealing with playoff pressure, but has already begun working on possible winter moves. “We have a sense from July conversations of who might be available in trade, but there’ll be another wave of players that no one’s expecting as we talk to clubs that we’ll get a sense of. That can be exciting,” Anthopoulos said. “The off-season can come up fast on you, so you don’t end up shutting it down.”
  • One notable factor in the Blue Jays’ success this year was the durability of its pitching. As Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca writes, the organization changed its approach to handling arms after the 2013 season, switching out of an innings-based system. “Generally speaking, we try to watch our players, we don’t treat everybody the same, which is maybe what we did early on,” Anthopoulos explained. He went on to say that he is “pleased with the results” of the club’s experimentation, though he wasn’t too interested in sharing the details. As Davidi writes, subtle reductions of stress and careful monitoring of effort that goes beyond innings thrown appears to be at the base of the effort. There’s a ton of information in the piece, so you’ll want to give it a full read.

CC Sabathia Checks Into Alcohol Rehab

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Yankees lefty CC Sabathia released a statement today announcing that he has checked himself into an alcohol rehabilitation program and will not be available for the postseason. His statement, via Yankees press release, is as follows:

Today I am checking myself into an alcohol rehabilitation center to receive the professional care and assistance needed to treat my disease. I love baseball and I love my teammates like brothers, and I am also fully aware that I am leaving at a time when we should all be coming together for one last push toward the World Series. It hurts me deeply to do this now, but I owe it to myself and to my family to get myself right. I want to take control of my disease, and I want to be a better man, father and player. As difficult as this decision is to share publicly, I don’t want to run and hide.  But for now please respect my family’s need for privacy as we work through this challenge together. Being an adult means being accountable. Being a baseball player means that others look up to you. I want my kids — and others who may have become fans of mine over the years — to know that I am not too big of a man to ask for help. I want to hold my head up high, have a full heart and be the type of person again that I can be proud of. And that’s exactly what I am going to do. I am looking forward to being out on the field with my team next season playing the game that brings me so much happiness.

Clearly the decision comes at a difficult time, as the Yankees are presently preparing to embark on what they hope will be a lengthy postseason run. But, Sabathia’s admission of a problem and the need, on a human level, to seek help for his disease have understandably taken precedent.

It’s been a rough few seasons for Sabathia, who has seen his on-field production decline due, in large part, to knee issues that have required surgery. The longtime ace and former Cy Young winner has a 4.81 ERA across 424 1/3 innings in the past three seasons. He has one guaranteed year remaining on his contract in 2016, when he’ll earn $25MM, but he can also see a vesting option for the same amount kick in so long as he does not finish next year on the DL or spend significant time on the DL or in the bullpen due to left shoulder issues.

Angels Name Billy Eppler GM

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11:59pm: The Angels have officially announced the hiring of Eppler, who receives a four-year contract to become the team’s GM. Eppler will report directly to owner Arte Moreno and, according to the team’s release, will “oversee all aspects of the club’s baseball operations.”

7:12pm: The Angels will announce tomorrow that Yankees assistant general manager Billy Eppler will be their next GM, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Eppler will replace Jerry Dipoto, who resigned in July.

The Angels were, of course, eliminated from playoff contention today, so they won’t be playing the Yankees in the AL Wild Card game. FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal noted yesterday that the possibility of an Angels/Yankees matchup might be one reason the Angels were waiting to officially hire a top Yankees executive.

The Angels had been connected to a number of other candidates, including Dodgers executive Josh Byrnes (who had reportedly been the other top candidate), Red Sox assistant GM (and now GM) Mike Hazen, Blue Jays assistant Tony La Cava, Indians VP of player personnel Ross Atkins, Rangers assistant Thad Levine, Mariners farm director Chris Gwynn, and internal candidates Hal Morris, Matt Klentak and Scott Servais. Several reports, however, had previously named Eppler as the front-runner.

Eppler worked as a scout in the Rockies organization before being hired by the Yankees in 2004. In 2005, the Yankees promoted him to director of pro scouting, and he became assistant GM following the 2011 season. He had long been considered a future GM, and he interviewed for the Angels job in 2011 before it was ultimately awarded to Dipoto. Last year he interviewed for the Padres GM position, and he was also a potential candidate for the Diamondbacks job that went to Dave Stewart, although he declined to formally interview for that position. Eppler is a native of San Diego.

Eppler, 40, is generally regarded as likely to be statistically savvy, although he also has a scouting background, and it’s difficult to tell how a GM might make decisions until he or she actually becomes a GM. “He checks all the boxes,” Brian Cashman said of Eppler last year. “He’s got the analytics side checked off, he’s got the administrative side checked off and he’s got the scouting side checked off. He’s got the leadership side checked off because he’s a great communicator.”

Eppler will inherit a situation in Los Angeles that is in some ways envious and some ways not. Tension between Dipoto and manager Mike Scioscia led to Dipoto’s departure, and the fact that Scioscia remained while Dipoto left suggests that Eppler will have to find a way to work with Scioscia, regardless of any differences that might arise. Owner Arte Moreno has a reputation for being heavily involved with baseball decisions. Also, the Angels don’t have a particularly strong farm system.

On the other hand, he Angels won 85 games this season and have a relatively strong talent base led by one of the one or two best players in baseball in Mike Trout. That’s a rare starting point for an incoming GM. Eppler will also have access to a big budget, as Moreno has rarely been shy about spending on top-tier free agents.

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