Latest On Dodgers’ Managerial Search
The Dodgers have parted ways with manager Don Mattingly in what appears to be a mutually agreeable divorce. That leaves the organization searching for a new skipper, marking an important hire for president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. We’ll keep tabs on the hiring process right here:
- The Dodgers will interview Darin Erstad for the position, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. Erstad currently serves as the head coach at the University of Nebraska. While it would be unusual for a big league club to hire a skipper directly out of the college ranks, Erstad was a long-time major leaguer.
- Padres bench coach Dave Roberts, who was a finalist in the Mariners’ managerial search, will interview for the Dodgers, tweets ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. Roberts, of course, had a 10-year playing career as an outfielder and stole one of the most famous bases in recent history in the 2004 ALCS. He’s been coaching for the Padres since 2011, beginning as a first-base coach.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that he’s spoken to a number of people in the past day who said they’d be stunned if anyone other than Kapler is named manager in Los Angeles.
Earlier Updates
- Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles tweets that he’s hearing Mets bench coach Bob Geren will be in the mix for the Dodgers’ opening. Geren, 54, managed the Athletics from 2007-11, so Dodgers GM Farhan Zaidi is plenty familiar with him.
- Dodgers director of player development Gabe Kapler is a “serious frontrunner” for the job, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com, who acknowledges that the process is only just beginning. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported earlier this morning (via Twitter) that Kapler was considered a candidate. While he only has minimal managerial experience in the low minors, Kapler is a highly respected former player who has long been viewed as a budding managerial prospect.
- Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times lists some names to keep an eye on, with Kapler among them. Other strong possibilities to come under consideration by the Dodgers, per Shaikin, include former Rays and current Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez, former Padres skipper Bud Black, current Dodgers bench coach Tim Wallach, and recently-hired Dodgers third base coach Ron Roenicke.
Daniel Norris Has Successful Surgery For Thyroid Cancer
OCTOBER 29: Norris has announced on Instagram that his surgery was successful and that he is considered cancer-free. That’s obviously outstanding news. Hopefully, the surgery has not only secured Norris’s long-term health, but also will allow him to resume his promising career in short order.
OCTOBER 19: Tigers lefty Daniel Norris announced today on Instagram that he has been diagnosed with cancer in his thyroid. He will undergo surgery soon to remove the malignant growth.
Needless to say, the news is shocking, particularly given that Norris is just 22 years of age. On the bright side, of course, many of the factors that made him a top pitching prospect — youth, physical strength, and mental toughness — will serve him well as he battles this new foe.
Also providing hope for a good prognosis is the fact that Norris played out the season despite receiving the diagnosis several months back. He indicates in his announcement that he got the news prior to his trade from the Blue Jays to the Tigers, but was advised that it was safe to hold off on having the procedure. Remarkably, Norris performed quite well in a late-season run of eight starts with Detroit.
MLBTR extends its very best wishes to Daniel, who was kind enough to join the MLBTR Podcast back in early August. Already an inspirational figure for his approach to life, he’ll no doubt continue to set an example as he tackles cancer.
Padres Name Andy Green Manager
5:42pm: The Padres have announced the hiring, making it official. It appears that Green has received a three-year deal, MLB.com’s Corey Brock tweets.
11:53am: Although the Padres were said to be down to Ron Gardenhire and Rick Sofield in their search for a new manager, it appears they’ve made a last-minute audible, as Bleacher Report’s Scott Miller is now reporting that Diamondbacks third base coach Andy Green will be San Diego’s new skipper (Twitter link). The Padres have issued a press release to inform the media that they’ll formally announce a new manager at 3pm PT. (San Diego did not name Green in the release). Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets that Gardenhire was the runner-up to Green, who was offered the position late last night.
The 38-year-old Green will instantly become one of the youngest managers in baseball (though Tampa Bay’s Kevin Cash is still younger). That’s not to say, however, that he comes without managerial experience. To the contrary, Green has four seasons of minor league managerial experience in spite of his young age. From 2011-14, he managed in the D-Backs’ minor league system, including a pair of postseason berths for the Double-A Mobile Bay Bears in 2013-14. Green was named Southern League Manager of the Year in each of those two seasons.
Green played parts of four seasons in the Major Leagues, with his fourth and final appearance coming in 2009 when he saw action in just four games with the Mets. A second baseman/third baseman by trade, Green appeared in 140 big league games and received 265 plate appearances, though he batted just .200/.282/.265 in that short time. The former 24th-round pick was a strong minor league hitter in parts of 10 seasons (.295/.375/.444) and also had a bit of experience in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball as well.
In addition to Green, Gardenhire and Sofield, the Padres are known to have interviewed D-Backs Triple-A manager Phil Nevin, former Major Leaguer and veteran winter ball manager Alex Cora, Dodgers bench coach Tim Wallach, former big league pitcher Tom Gordon, former Angels assistant GM Scott Servais (who was instead hired to become the new manager of the Mariners) and current Padres hitting coach Mark Kotsay.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Marlins Dismiss Dan Jennings
5:44pm: The Marlins have announced that Jennings has been relieved of his duties. Miami won’t hire a replacement, but will instead shift his former responsibilities over to Hill while also increasing Berger’s role.
Jackson also provides more detail on the split, writing that Jennings wanted to stay on as manager but was told he’d instead be offered a return to the GM role. The then-skipper and owner Jeffrey Loria had butted heads over how he was running the club, says Jackson, “including whether to play Marcell Ozuna.”
Per the report, Jennings was preparing to report back to the organization on October 19 when he was told instead to stay home. Club president David Samson advised Jennings that he’d first need to talk things over with Loria — a conversation which seemingly never occurred.
Samson issued the following statement in a team press release:
“We want to thank Dan for his dedication and loyal service to the Marlins organization over the last 13 years. This is the continuation of the restructuring of our baseball operations department and we look forward to moving in a unified direction to reach our goal of becoming a championship-caliber ballclub that our fans richly deserve.”
5:06pm: The Marlins have decided to “dismiss” now-former general manager and manager Dan Jennings, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports on Twitter. Jennings, of course, was still under contract for three more seasons, meaning that Miami will likely remain on the hook for the $5.6MM left on his contract (though it could be offset when he’s hired elsewhere).
Jennings, 55, has been with the Miami organization since 2002. He served as the club’s general manager — working alongside president of baseball operations Michael Hill — from 2013 through the middle of 2015. After the team fired manager Mike Redmond in May, Jennings moved into the skipper’s seat in an eyebrow-raising move that didn’t pan out.
Though Jennings wasn’t able to turn around a disappointing club that he had a major hand in compiling, he is said to have managed to earn the trust of his players in spite of the odd situation. And while the Fish weren’t able to match their (arguably unreasonable) expectations, Jennings remains a highly-respected executive. Indeed, Bob Nightengale of USA Today notes on Twitter that Jennings has already drawn interest from other teams looking for assistant general managers.
While the move is somewhat surprising, given Jennings’s deep ties to the Miami organization and owner Jeffrey Loria, Nightengale adds that Jennings was hoping to be released from his obligations to pursue new opportunities. It appeared that his front office standing may have been marginalized while he was in the dugout, with the club having handed off some of his duties to VP and assistant GM Mike Berger. Club president David Samson said just weeks ago that Jennings was still the general manager, but it seemed even at that time that there was a lot to be worked out for the relationship to continue.
During his time in the GM chair, Jennings played a key role in a number of big moves. Most notably, perhaps, the club extended outfielders Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich, with the former receiving a record $325MM guarantee.
Rockies Decline Justin Morneau’s Option
The Rockies announced that they have declined their half of Justin Morneau‘s $9MM mutual option. The first baseman and Relativity Sports client will instead be paid a $750K buyout and hit the open market in search of a new team.
Morneau, 34, signed a two-year, $12.5MM contract with the Rockies prior to the 2014 season after concussion and neck injuries nearly forced him into retirement late in his Twins tenure. The 2006 American League MVP enjoyed an outstanding rebound campaign in Colorado last year, hitting .319/.364/.496 with 17 homers. While it was low relative to previous league leaders, that .319 batting average earned Morneau the 2014 National League batting title.
The 2015 season, though, told a markedly different tale for Morneau. The Canadian-born slugger played in just 49 games total, as he missed most of the season with yet another concussion and further neck problems. Morneau was sidelined from May 13 until Sept. 4, although it is certainly worth noting that upon activation from the disabled list, he looked to have something left in the tank. Morneau hit .338/.423/.471 in 22 games down the stretch, although he failed to homer and was undoubtedly aided by a .434 BABIP in that time. Nevertheless, he drew 10 walks and struck out just 15 times in 78 plate appearances, suggesting that his strike zone knowledge and pitch recognition were still intact.
Morneau will enter a free-agent market that is headlined by Chris Davis and Korean star Byung-ho Park but offers little else in the way of full-time options. Even Morneau himself probably shouldn’t be considered a full-time player at this stage of his career, despite the fact that he batted .342/.375/.474 against southpaws this season. Those numbers look impressive, but they came in a sample of just 40 plate appearances, which is far less telling than the .224/.263/.307 batting line he’s compiled in 666 PAs versus lefties dating back to the 2011 season.
While Morneau’s injury shortened season was a disappointment for a player who looked to be on his way to rebuilding a significant portion of his stock with a nice 2014 season, I’d imagine the fact that he not only showed he was healthy enough to take the field but was also productive in the season’s final month will earn him an incentive-laden one-year contract this offseason, assuming he wants to continue playing after once again enduring the rigors of recovering from a severe concussion.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Alex Anthopoulos Leaves Blue Jays
12:58pm: Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star writes that the higher-ups at Rogers promised Shapiro final say in player-personnel decisions, so the new five-year offer to Anthopoulos removed the autonomy from his position. If that’s the case, I agree with Griffin’s assessment that it’s a stretch to suggest that Anthopoulos “rejected” an extension offer, as the core function of his job over the life of that five-year term wasn’t the same as in his previous role, despite the lack of a title change.
Griffin also writes that Anthopoulos was wary of something like this happening as early as last offseason, and that concern prompted him to push for extensions for his top lieutenants. As such, assistant GMs Tony LaCava and Andrew Tinnish, special assistant Dana Brown, director of pro scouting Perry Minasian and others were eventually given contract extensions that ran through the 2016 season as a means of offering each some security.
10:38am: Davidi has tweeted a link to Rogers Media chairman Edward Rogers’ full statement on Anthopoulos’ departure, which reveals that Anthopoulos turned down a five-year offer.
10:34am: The Blue Jays have announced that Anthopoulos will not return for the 2016 season. Outgoing president and CEO Paul Beeston has issued the following statement on Anthopoulos’ surprising decision:
“After an exciting 2015 season, Alex Anthopoulos has reluctantly and regrettably decided that he is not going to return to the Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Club for 2016. Alex has done an unbelievable job and positioned us well for the future. He can take great pride in his past and while we do not know where his future is taking him, we do know wherever he is going, he will be successful. On behalf of all the employees of the Toronto Blue Jays, players, front office, scouts and player development staff we wish him good luck in the future and thank him for a job extremely well done.”
7:05am: Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos has rejected an extension offer and will leave the team, reports Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. Davidi notes that while the specific reasons for the split aren’t 100 percent known, the shocking decision from Anthopoulos wasn’t due to financial reasons. The Blue Jays recently hired former Indians president Mark Shapiro to fill a similar role in Toronto, though the expectation was that Shapiro’s role would be be more business-oriented.
With no general manager openings left to fill around the game, it seems unlikely that Anthopoulos is leaving to fill the same role with another club. It’s possible that the Blue Jays told Anthopoulos that Shapiro would have a greater role in baseball operations than was originally anticipated, though that’s purely speculation. Perhaps Anthopoulos himself will land a greater role as president of baseball operations with another club, though there haven’t been any real indications that any teams are trying to hire anyone in that capacity.
Whatever the reason for the departure, the move is a shocking one. Anthopoulos’ decision to leave comes on the heels of the Blue Jays’ first postseason berth in 22 years — an emergence that was predicated largely on the trades made by the now-former GM over the past calendar year. Anthpoulos pulled off perhaps the most impactful trade in recent history last offseason, acquiring Josh Donaldson, one of the front-runners for the AL MVP, in exchange for Brett Lawrie and prospects Franklin Barreto, Sean Nolin and Kendall Graveman. No general manager was more active at the trade deadline, as Anthopoulos tirelessly worked to acquire Troy Tulowitzki, David Price, LaTroy Hawkins, Mark Lowe and Ben Revere to bolster his club’s roster as the team rode a blistering second half to the American League East Championship.
Of course, the Canadian-born Anthopoulos’ tenure as Jays GM wasn’t without questionable moves. (No GM’s time is.) The Blue Jays’ acquisition of R.A. Dickey in exchange for Noah Syndergaard and Travis d’Arnaud looks like a misstep, assuming both young Mets continue the trajectory they’ve begun early in their careers. And the infamous blockbuster with the Marlins that offseason, in which Anthopoulos acquired Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson in exchange for Yunel Escobar, Henderson Alvarez, Justin Nicolino, Jake Marisnick, Anthony DeSclafani and Adeiny Hechavarria didn’t yield the immediate dividends he’d hoped (though Buehrle, like Dickey, has had three very solid seasons in Toronto’s rotation).
Like any general manager, Anthopoulos had his hits and misses, but the widespread expectation was that he’d quietly agree to an extension at some point after the season, as his recent hits far outweighed his recent misses. Toronto’s return to the postseason began with a victory over the Rangers in the ALDS and a loss at the hands of the Royals in the ALCS, and most were expecting Anthopoulos to lead Toronto’s front office this season as he looked to replenish the starting rotation and guide the Jays back to the postseason on the strength of its potent, unparalleled lineup.
Instead, it’s not clear who will fill that role. Shapiro himself has plenty of experience as a general manager, but it remains possible that the Blue Jays will seek a new GM to step in and fill the void. That could be an internal option like Tony LaCava or Dana Brown, each of whom was a candidate for other GM openings this offseason. Or, the team could look outside the organization and embark on what would be the fifth GM search of the offseason. The Mariners, Angels, Phillies and Red Sox have all seen changes at that position since the season ended.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Gardenhire, Sofield Are Finalists In Padres’ Managerial Search
OCT. 29: Scott Miller of Bleacher Report tweets that Sofield is now emerging as the favorite in the Padres’ search.
OCT. 28: Former Twins manager Ron Gardenhire and current Pirates third base coach Rick Sofield are the two finalists for the Padres’ managerial vacancy, reports Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Gardenhire is the current favorite, Lin hears, though general manager A.J. Preller hasn’t made a final decision yet. (The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Rob Biertempfel had previously reported that Sofield “appeared to be” a finalist.) An official announcement could come either on Thursday or Monday — both of which are travel days for the two remaining World Series teams. (Major League Baseball strongly discourages clubs from announcing significant news on the days that postseason games are played.)
Gardenhire sat out the 2015 season but reportedly wants to get back into the managerial world. He has also interviewed with the Nationals, though he’s not one of the reported finalists there. Gardenhire has extensive postseason experience from his time with the Twins, having led the club to six AL Central Division titles in 13 seasons and also bringing the team to a Game 163 tiebreaker that was lost to the White Sox in 2008. However, as Lin notes, Gardenhire has a disappointing 6-21 record in the playoffs, having only captured one series victory (against the A’s in 2002).
Sofield, on the other hand, has never managed in the Majors, though he does have six seasons of minor league managerial experience. He’s served on manager Clint Hurdle’s coaching staff in each of the past three seasons for the team’s trips to the postseason. Lin notes that Sofield is known for an “energetic” style.
Whoever is hired will have the ability to bring in his own coaching staff, and Lin writes that pitching coach Darren Balsley and bench coach Dave Roberts would be candidates to join Black were he able to land the managerial gig with the Nationals. Hitting coach Mark Kotsay is a candidate to be retained, he adds.
D-Backs Triple-A manager Phil Nevin also received a second interview in San Diego but no longer appears to be in the running. Also interviewed by the Padres were former big leaguers Alex Cora and Tom Gordon, D-Backs third base coach Andy Green, newly minted Mariners skipper Scott Servais (still an assistant GM with the Angels at the time) and Kotsay. With the exception of Gardenhire and Sofield, each of the interviewees had fairly recent Major League experience as a player. (Both Gardenhire and Sofield played in the Majors as well, though Sofield’s career ended in 1981 and Gardenhire’s ended in 1985.)
Marlins To Hire Don Mattingly
The Marlins will hire Don Mattingly as their next manager, reports Molly Knight of Vice Sports. Mattingly has agreed to a four-year deal with the club, but there may not be an official announcement until the World Series comes to a close, she adds.
Incredibly, the 54-year-old Mattingly becomes the Marlins’ eighth man to manager the Marlins since the 2010 season, Knight points out (though that does count bench coach Brandon Hyde, who managed just one game on an interim basis in 2011). Mattingly will replace GM-turned-skipper Dan Jennings, who bizarrely transitioned from the front office to the dugout in nearly unprecedented fashion earlier this year after Mike Redmond was fired as manager. The Marlins will pay Redmond through the 2017 season and only recently had Redmond’s predecessor, Ozzie Guillen, come off the books, as his four-year contract expired upon completion of the 2015 season despite the fact that he was fired three years ago.
The Marlins interviewed a wide variety of candidates, though reports throughout the interview process indicated that owner Jeffrey Loria would consider Mattingly the favorite were he to part ways with the Dodgers. That scenario came to fruition last week, when Mattingly and the Dodgers mutually parted ways. Mattingly is said to feel that the team didn’t want to commit to him for the long haul, though some form of extension was discussed prior to his departure. (Speculatively speaking, it seems plausible that the Dodgers only offered Mattingly a one-year extension of his contract, which would’ve extended it through the 2017 season.)
Though Loria is notoriously fickle with his managers — as evidenced by the fact that seven men have filled that role from 2010-15 — the New York native is said to be a huge fan of Mattingly dating back to Mattingly’s days as a six-time All-Star first baseman with the Yankees. Perhaps, then, that will buy Mattingly more leeway than was afforded to the men he is succeeding in his new role.
In five seasons as manager of the Dodgers, Mattingly posted a 446-363 record, guiding his club to the NL West Division title in each of the final three years of his term. While the team won only one postseason series in four attempts under Mattingly, he recorded a winning record in each of his five seasons and was generally well-regarded by his players. Notably, Mattingly managed in an extremely high-pressure market while juggling a large number of highly paid players on his roster, many of whom had been reduced to part-time roles. Managing the number of egos and dealing with the L.A. media undoubtedly took a toll on Mattingly, and he’s likely to encounter a more low-key environment in Miami. Mattingly said in a recent appearance on the Dan Patrick Show that he’s intrigued by the Marlins’ young core and considered it a “new challenge” that appealed to him (this was prior to his reported hiring but after his initial interview).
Knight notes that it’s unclear whether or not Mattingly will be able to bring any of his field staff from Los Angeles to Miami. Pitching coach Rick Honeycutt and bench coach Tim Wallach would be candidates, though Wallach is still in the running for the managerial vacancies in both L.A. and San Diego. The Dodgers did tell their coaches at season’s end that they were free to pursue opportunities elsewhere, so perhaps Honeycutt could jump ship with Mattingly.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Nationals To Name Bud Black Manager
The Nationals will hire former Padres skipper Bud Black as their next manager, reports James Wagner of the Washington Post. The team has yet to confirm the move or make an official announcement, as Major League Baseball frowns upon teams announcing major news on the days that World Series games take place. Black was said to be one of two finalists, with former Giants/Cubs/Reds manager Dusty Baker the other reported name under consideration.
Black, 58, served as the Padres’ manager from 2007 until June of this past season, when he was fired. On the heels of a highly active offseason, the Padres entered the season with high expectations but failed to deliver the results that the front office and ownership had hoped to see. Black’s dismissal surprised many in the game, as he was among baseball’s longest-tenured and most respected managers. His time in San Diego represents Black’s only Major League managerial experience. He managed the team to a 649-713 record in that time, the Padres routinely dealt with payroll constraints that hampered the team’s ability to field competitive rosters. Prior to his time in San Diego, Black was the Angels’ pitching coach from 2000-06, where he won a World Series ring in 2002.
Black will replace the recently fired Matt Williams, who came to D.C. without prior managerial experience and often looked overmatched with in-game decisions such as bullpen usage. However, perhaps more troubling were the reported communication issues that developed between Williams and the Nationals’ roster over the course of the 2015 season. Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post wrote an extensive piece about rifts that formed between Williams and some of the team’s veteran players. Williams also appeared unaware of the extent to which a dugout altercation between Jonathan Papelbon and Bryce Harper escalated in the season’s final weeks. Given Black’s experience managing in the Majors, such communication issues and day-to-day problems don’t figure to arise under his watch.
Washington also dismissed its entire coaching staff following the season, so Black will be allowed to hand-pick each of the coaches who serve alongside him. As Wagner reports, Rick Renteria, who formerly managed the Cubs but served as Black’s bench coach in San Diego prior to that job, is an early favorite to serve as Black’s bench coach with the Nationals.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Marlins In “Serious Talks” With Don Mattingly
The Marlins are in “serious talks” with Don Mattingly regarding the club’s open managerial position, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. Both sides expect to reach agreement, per the report.
All indications have been that the former Dodgers skipper was the focus of Miami’s managerial search. MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro said yesterday that an interview on Monday went well, with the sides seemingly set to talk about contract terms. And today’s report suggests that negotiations are progressing in earnest.
Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, a noted Yankees afficionado, is said to be a huge fan of Mattingly. Miami put a hold on its nascent managerial search to see how things would shake out with Los Angeles, and move quickly on Mattingly after he agreed to part ways with the team.
Though he was unable to guide the Dodgers deep into the post-season, he was seemingly successful at managing the club’s big contracts and big personalities. Under Mattingly’s leadership, the club carried a .551 overall regular season winning percentage.
The Marlins present something of a different challenge, of course. There’s much less media attention and a much lower payroll, though keeping a dugout job for a Loria-owned team has not proven easy over the years. In recent years, the organization has churned through Ozzie Guillen, Mike Redmond, and past (and future?) GM Dan Jennings.
As Heyman notes, the Dodgers remain on the hook for the remaining $1.6MM owed Mattingly under his prior contract. A new deal with Miami would be expected to “easily top” that amount in annual value, per the report.
It’s worth bearing in mind that a deal may well not be announced until after the conclusion of the World Series, even if it’s reached before that point. Frisaro tweets that the club likely will indeed hold off on officially naming a new skipper until that point.