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Dodgers Notes: O’Malley, McCourt, Silverio

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It's a historic day for the Dodgers. Owner Frank McCourt, has agreed to sell the team. Here's the latest on the club's sale along with some updates on its roster:

  • Red Sox chairman Tom Werner told Alex Speier of WEEI.com that he's "very happy in Boston," but didn't explicitly rule out bidding on the Dodgers.
  • Peter O'Malley told Shaikin that he hopes to assemble a group of investors and buy the Dodgers. O'Malley, 73, has spoken with commissioner Bud Selig about his plans and isn't worried about coming up with investors. The O'Malley family owned the Dodgers for decades and moved the team from Brooklyn to L.A. in 1958.
  • FOX is not interested in buying the Dodgers and neither is Athletics owner Lew Wolff, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times (Twitter links).
  • Former Dodgers GM Fred Claire is involved in a group that's interested in buying the team, according to Shaikin.
  • Steve Dilbeck of the Times examines potential buyers for the team in detail.
  • MLB has agreed to speed up the sale of the team by pre-approving bidders, according to Shaikin (on Twitter). However, MLB won’t guarantee McCourt a minimum sale price.
  • Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban repeated to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that he's only interested in buying the Dodgers if they're available for less than $1 billion (Twitter link).
  • The Dodgers announced that they added outfielders Alfredo Silverio and Scott Van Slyke to their 40-man roster. The move that will protect them from the Rule 5 draft.
  • In case you missed it, Double-A right-hander Will Savage re-signed with the Dodgers on a minor league deal earlier today.

A’s Designate Trystan Magnuson For Assignment

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The A's announced that they designated right-hander Trystan Magnuson for assignment. In corresponding moves, the A's reinstated left-handers Brett Anderson and Dallas Braden, right-handers Joey Devine and Evan Scribner and infielder Daric Barton from the 60-day DL.

Magnuson made his MLB debut in 2011, posting a 6.14 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 14 2/3 innings with Oakland. The 26-year-old also posted a 2.98 ERA with 9.1 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 45 1/3 innings at Triple-A. He didn't pitch in a game after the A's placed him on the 15-day DL with right shoulder tendinitis in mid-August.

Quick Hits: Price, Aardsma, Willingham, Angels

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Happy Halloween to MLBTR's readers! We've already seen C.C. Sabathia sign an extension and Tony La Russa retire today. Here are some more updates from around MLB…

  • Rays left-hander David Price opted out of the contract he signed when Tampa Bay drafted him, according to Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune. He's still under team control through 2015 as an arbitration eligible player, however. Price could earn $7-8MM in 2012 through arbitration according to MLBTR's projections, so declining his $2.433MM option was merely a formality.
  • David Aardsma, who became a free agent today, wouldn't rule out returning to the Mariners, according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times (on Twitter).
  • Agent Matt Sosnick told Joe Stiglich of the Bay Area News Group that he expects Josh Willingham to sign a three-year deal and doesn’t expect his client to re-sign with the Athletics (Twitter link).
  • ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears that Yankees executive Billy Eppler was the runner-up to Jerry Dipoto in the Angels' search for a GM (Twitter link).
  • The White Sox announced that they hired Jeff Manto to be their hitting coach, Joe McEwing  to be their third base coach and Mark Parent to be their bench coach (Twitter link).
  • Dave Cameron introduces FanGraphs' top 50 free agents of the offseason. MLBTR's list of top 50 free agents is on its way as well.

West Notes: Matsui, Angels, Gibson, D’Backs

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Here are a handful of interesting notes from around baseball's West divisions:

  • The Athletics' interest in re-signing impending free agent DH Hideki Matsui is waning, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Oakland wants to get younger, according to Slusser, and Matsui, now 37, doesn't fit that bill. A return isn't entirely impossible, though, and A's GM Billy Beane will meet with Matsui's agent, Arn Tellem of Wasserman Media Group, next week.
  • Angels owner Arte Moreno said that the Halos' 2012 payroll will be in the $130-140MM range, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link), which would prevent them from pursuing any expensive free agents. In the Angels' installment of MLBTR's Offseason Outlook series, Ben Nicholson-Smith calculated that the Angels will have about $120MM on the books before accounting for players making the league minimum, so new GM Jerry Dipoto will have about $10-20MM to play with.
  • Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson's 2013 club option vested when the Snakes reached the playoffs this year, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. The D'Backs almost certainly would have picked up the option anyway considering Gibson's success in his first full season as skipper, but Arizona's postseason berth assured it. Gibson's coaches have all been extended through 2013, as well.
  • D'Backs GM Kevin Towers will focus on position players this offseason rather than pitchers, according to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com, with second base being a key spot of interest. It's been expected that Aaron Hill's $8MM 2012 club option will be declined, though Arizona would like to re-sign him, according to Gilbert.
  • Towers doesn't expect to find a new vice president of scouting and player development, the position vacated by Dipoto, according to Piecoro. As well, Towers and Dipoto will hash out which executives the latter will be allowed to bring to Anaheim, with director of international scouting Carlos Gomez expected to be a person of interest in those talks. "That'd be a tough one," Towers said. "He's good. International guys are hard to find, especially young guys. He is under contract. I plan on offering him even a second year."

A’s Release Wuertz, Claim Scribner, Hunter

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The A's announced that they released Michael Wuertz to create 40-man roster space for right-hander Evan Scribner and outfielder Cedric Hunter, who were claimed off of waivers from the Padres. The A's held a $3.25MM option for Wuertz in 2012 ($250K buyout) and in releasing him now, they're essentially declining the option early, as expected.

Wuertz, 32, posted a 6.68 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 7.0 BB/9 in 33 2/3 innings for the A's in 2011, just two seasons after emerging as one of the league's dominant setup men. He battled hamstring and thumb injuries this year and is now a free agent.

Scribner, 26, made his MLB debut with the Padres in 2011, posting a 7.07 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 14 innings. He spent most of the season at Triple-A Tucson, where he posted a 4.71 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 28 2/3 innings of relief. Most of Oakland's bullpen will return in 2012, so the A's won't be counting on Scribner.

Hunter, 23, spent most of the 2011 campaign at Triple-A after making San Diego's Opening Day roster. He posted a .255/.322/.358 line at Tucson, but didn't play after being placed on the disabled list with a strained right groin on July 17th.

Coaching, Front Office News: Eiland, Blue Jays, Feinstein

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The latest on the coaching and managerial front:

  • The Royals announced the hiring of Dave Eiland as their new pitching coach.  Eiland served as the Yankees' pitching coach from 2008-10 and spent this year as a special assistant with the Rays.
  • The Blue Jays announced an amendment to their employee permission policy: they will not grant permission for lateral moves.  GM Alex Anthopoulos will be holding a press conference today, presumably on this topic.  The implication is that the Red Sox will not be allowed to interview John Farrell for their managerial position.  
  • Rays director of baseball operations Dan Feinstein has joined the Athletics as their director of pro scouting and baseball development, according to the team.  

AL West Notes: Angels, C.J. Wilson

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A couple of notes out of the American League West as the Rangers ready for Game 3 of the World Series …

  • The Angels will interview Omar Minaya for their general manager vacancy, according to Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times. Minaya previously served as Mets GM from 2005-10 and as Expos GM from 2002-04. We learned Thursday that Rays executive Andrew Friedman has met with the Halos regarding the opening and tops the team's wish list, but he's seen as a long shot to take the job. Yesterday, White Sox executives Dan Evans and Rick Hahn joined the list of candidates.
  • Minaya is still under contract with the Mets but was not an active member of the organization in 2011, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, who also reports that Minaya has a "standing offer" from Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers to work in the Arizona organization.
  • Rangers GM Jon Daniels was asked about impending free agent starter C.J. Wilson on Saturday and said, "We'd love to have him back," according to Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Still, the early rumors regarding Texas' chances of (or interest in) re-signing the left-hander are pretty mixed.
  • For more on what the Angels, Athletics, and Mariners face this winter, be sure to check out their respective installments in MLBTR's Offseason Outlook series.

Red Sox Links: Gathright, Young, Cherington

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Here are a few links from Boston as we wait to hear what players the Red Sox will receive from the Cubs as compensation for Theo Epstein…

  • The Red Sox have outrighted Joey Gathright to Triple-A according to the International League transactions page. Gathright had one at-bat and a handful of pinch-runner/defensive replacement appearances in September. Boston's 40-man roster is currently at 39 with an additional five players on the 60-day DL.
  • The Athletics announced in a press release that they have hired former Red Sox pitching coach Curt Young to be their pitching coach, his second stint in that role for Oakland. Young spent just one year in Boston, and Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Sox will pay "a significant portion" of his salary.
  • Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe put together a laundry list of things that new GM Ben Cherington must address in the coming weeks, including hiring a new manager and coaching staff.

Quick Hits: Byrnes, Reds, Uehara, Young, Inge

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The World Series is tied at a game apiece after the Rangers' thrilling 2-1 victory over the Cardinals tonight.  As we look forward to Game Three on Saturday night at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, here are a few news items to round out the evening…

  • The Diamondbacks will receive "a significant level of financial relief – and perhaps total relief" when and if Josh Byrnes becomes the Padres' new general manager, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.  Byrnes had five and a half years remaining on his contract with Arizona when he was fired on July 1, 2010, but the Snakes could be off the hook for the remaining four years left on that deal should Byrnes get another GM job.
  • There is nothing new to report on the Reds' negotiations with Brandon Phillips or Francisco Cordero, Reds GM Walt Jocketty tells MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.
  • Koji Uehara has told people close to him that he wants to return to the Orioles, reports MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli.  After being dealt to Texas in July, Uehara struggled in the first two rounds of the playoffs and was left off the Rangers' World Series roster.  The Japanese right-hander made enough appearances to activate a $4MM vesting option for 2012, so if the O's want Uehara back, the Rangers would probably be happy to unload him.
  • The Red Sox have given the Athletics permission to interview pitching coach Curt Young about the pitching coach vacancy in Oakland, reports Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.  Joe Stiglich of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter link) reports Young and the A's are already in negotiations.  Young served as Oakland's pitching coach from 2004-2010 before going to Boston to replace John Farrell last winter.
  • The Tigers have enough money coming off the books this winter that Tom Gage of the Detroit News thinks Brandon Inge's contract could be swallowed if the team can find a better third base option on the trade market.  Inge is set to earn $5.5MM in 2012 and the Tigers hold a $6MM club option on their longtime third baseman for 2013.

West Notes: Rangers, Rockies, A’s

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The Rangers advanced to their second consecutive World Series last night. Today, Buster Olney of ESPN.com breaks down some of the crucial moves Texas made — and didn't make — that helped them return to the Fall Classic. More on that and a couple other items of note out of the AL and NL West …

  • Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com feels that while the Rangers proved they didn't need Cliff Lee to win the American League pennant, they would not have done so had they traded Michael Young last offseason.
  • The Rockies will move their Rookie level affiliate from Casper, WY to Grand Junction, CO, writes William Browning of the Casper Star-Tribune.
  • The Rangers considered acquiring starters such as Zack Greinke and Matt Garza when Lee walked in free agency, writes Olney, but because the Rangers were stocked with young power arms, they decided to address other needs. Instead, they acquired players in Adrian Beltre and Mike Napoli who were seemingly undervalued by their former organizations. Beltre, after the Red Sox moved on from him quickly by acquiring Adrian Gonzalez and moving Kevin Youkilis to third, nearly signed with the Angels but felt he had a better chance to win with the Rangers.
  • Though it appears unlikely the Athletics will gain approval to build a new stadium in a different nearby city, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle wonders whether they'd be able to build a new stadium at the site of the Oakland Coliseum. The NFL's Raiders, with whom the A's share the Coliseum, may relocate to a shared stadium with the 49ers in Santa Clara, which would leave the A's as sole tenants of their current digs, so they wouldn't have to consider any other team's needs.
  • Mark Ellis provided some stability at second base when the Rockies acquired him this season, but the key stone has persisted as a unanswered question throughout Colorado's existence, writes Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post. Ellis, an impending free agent, "figures to return" to the Rox in 2012, according to Armstrong.
  • Elsewhere in Armstrong's piece, he writes that the Rockies will "dive into the offseason trade market in hopes of landing a quality starting pitcher." Three prospects whom other teams might seek are outfielder Tim Wheeler, infielder Nolan Arenado and pitcher Chad Bettis.
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