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Orioles To Replace Coaches Doug Brocail & Jose Flores

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The Orioles are planning some reshuffling in their coaching staff for the 2021 season, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. Both pitching coach Doug Brocail and third base coach Jose Flores will be replaced over the offseason.

The change comes despite the fact that the Baltimore organization enjoyed a generally promising campaign that featured far more effective pitching than most anticipated. Brocail guided a mix-and-match staff to a middle-of-the-road performance.

There’s no indication (and no reason to believe) that second-year skipper Brandon Hyde is at risk. And Kubatko indicates that the remainder of the coaching staff will remain in place, at least for the time being.

In large part, it seems, these are part of a more general set of organizational moves. Kubatko indicates that the O’s are undertaking “broad structural changes” in light of ongoing economic turmoil and anticipated minor-league contraction.

Giants Interested In Re-Signing Kevin Gausman, Drew Smyly

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The Giants spent a combined $13MM on right-hander Kevin Gausman and southpaw Drew Smyly in free agency last winter, and those short-term, buy-low deals worked out well for a club that narrowly missed a playoff berth. Now, the Giants are hoping to retain the pair, according to president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi (via Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area).

“It’s obviously their prerogative to play out the market, but we certainly have interest in bringing both of those guys back,”said Zaidi, who added that the Giants are “going to be shopping for some starting pitching this offseason.”

The Giants’ rotation was a middle-of-the-pack unit in 2020, but Gausman and Smyly were bright spots. Gausman, a former Oriole, Brave and Red whom the Giants signed for $9MM, gave the club 59 2/3 innings of 3.62 ERA/3.09 FIP pitching with 11.92 K/9 against 2.41 BB/9. Pound for pound, the hard-throwing Gausman was among the most effective starters in the NL, so his next deal should be far more lucrative than the one he signed last winter. For what it’s worth, Gausman said last week he’s interested in staying with the Giants, who could tender him a qualifying offer before he returns to free agency.

Smyly only tossed 26 1/3 innings as a Giant after inking a $4MM contract, but the results were highly encouraging. He concluded with a 3.42 ERA/2.01 FIP, 14.35 K/9 and 3.08 BB/9. All of those numbers represented major rebounds for a hurler whom injuries have ravaged in recent years – including during a 2020 in which he missed over a month with a left index finger strain. Smyly also recorded a career-best 93.8 mph as a Giant, and that’s another reason he should draw a good amount of interest if he gets to free agency.

As of now, the Giants’ rotation is facing a slew of questions as the team heads into the offseason, which is why Zaidi will work to address it. Along with Gausman and Smyly, Jeff Samardzija and Trevor Cahill are on track to reach the open market. Those four amassed 25 starts for the Giants in 2020, and nobody remaining (Johnny Cueto, Logan Webb and Tyler Anderson) recorded particularly strong numbers.

Cardinals Set Wild Card Roster; Carlos Martinez Shut Down For Season

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The Cardinals announced their first-round postseason roster Wednesday, which does not include right-hander Carlos Martinez. The 29-year-old Martinez sustained an oblique strain late in the season and president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told reporters today that Martinez has been shut down for the year and returned home to the Dominican Republic. Martinez struggled mightily this season anyhow, yielding more than a run per inning, so a spot on the postseason roster might not even have been a given. He’ll hope for better health and results in 2020, and in the meantime cheer on the following Cardinals roster as they take on the fourth-seeded Padres:

Right-Handed Pitchers

Left-Handed Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

It was a trying regular season for the Cardinals, who overcame a two-week layoff during the summer that resulted from coronavirus issues. Despite having to race to catch up to the rest of the league in games played, the Cardinals managed to come in at above .500 yet again, finishing 30-28 en route to the fifth seed in the NL. The Cards will go into their series against San Diego with a “downsized” pitching staff, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes, but they could turn to Oviedo, Ponce de Leon and Gomber for multi-inning appearances out of their bullpen if needed.

Dodgers Announce Wild Card Roster

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The Dodgers have finalized their 28-man roster for their Wild Card Series against the No. 8 seed Brewers. Here’s how the 43-17 Dodgers will stack up:

Right-Handed Pitchers

Left-Handed Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Notable omissions from the Dodgers include second baseman Gavin Lux, lefty Alex Wood and right-hander Dylan Floro. Gore, meanwhile, will get the opportunity to reprise his role as postseason pinch-running specialist extraordinaire, providing the L.A. squad with one of the game’s fastest and most efficient baserunners off the bench. They’ll carry Gore, a 15th position player, rather than an extra arm in the short opening round of play. Ruiz is likely a third catcher, but his presence will allow the Dodgers to pinch-hit for Austin Barnes when he catchers Clayton Kershaw in Game 2 — or perhaps even to let the hot-hitting Will Smith step in as a designated hitter in that contest.

Devin Williams Not On Brewers’ Wild Card Roster Due To Shoulder Issue

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Top Brewers reliever Devin Williams will not be on the Brewers’ Wild Card Series roster due to a yet-unspecified arm issue, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports (via Twitter). Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweets that Williams is dealing with shoulder soreness that isn’t considered a major issue but is enough to keep him from participating in this three-game series. It’s a massive blow for a Brewers club that was already considered a sizable underdog to the top-seeded Dodgers.

Williams, 26, posted an explosive rookie season during which he recorded a 0.33 ERA and 0.86 FIP with a ridiculous 17.7 K/9 against 3.0 BB/9 through 27 frames. Williams struck out 53 percent of the batters he faced on the year.

The Brewers formally announced their roster just minutes after Passan’s report, confirming Williams’ absence. Here’s how it breaks down:

Right-Handed Pitchers

Left-Handed Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Milwaukee’s roster also omits southpaw Brett Anderson, who dealt with a blister on his pitching hand late in the season, leaving them with just 12 arms on which to rely. That’s a bit surprising in today’s game, particularly for a Brewers club that lacks a defined rotation picture behind right-hander Brandon Woodruff.

Orioles Outright Evan Phillips

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The Orioles announced Wednesday that right-hander Evan Phillips has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A Norfolk. Baltimore’s 40-man roster is down to 36 players.

Phillips, 26, was acquired in the 2018 trade that sent Kevin Gausman and Darren O’Day to the Braves. He’s been up and down with the O’s since that trade, pitching to a 7.36 ERA with an impressive 65 strikeouts (12.3 K/9) but an alarming 36 walks (6.8 BB/9) through 47 2/3 frames as a member of the Baltimore ’pen.

Control issues have been a problem even in the upper minors, although Phillips does also own a 3.41 ERA and 10.8 K/9 in 121 Triple-A innings. Phillips sits a bit north of 94 mph with his heater but doesn’t possess the type of high-end spin rate or swinging-strike rates on the pitch one would expect from a pitcher with his strikeout rates.

Mike Clevinger, Dinelson Lamet Not On Padres’ Wild Card Roster

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The Padres have formally announced their Wild Card Series roster, and neither Mike Clevinger nor Dinelson Lamet is included. Both right-handers recently incurred arm injuries, with Clevinger suffering an elbow strain and Lamet experiencing biceps discomfort. There’s still no formal update on their status, but neither has been ruled out from future rounds. For this round at least, here’s how the roster breaks down:

Right-Handed Pitchers

Left-Handed Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Both Clevinger and Lamet are among the other 12 players in the Padres’ 40-man postseason player pool, the team announced, so they could still be added in future rounds, should the team advance. Beyond Clevinger and Lamet, the other 10 players in San Diego’s pool are as follows: Michel Baez, Luis Perdomo, Taylor Williams, Jose Castillo, MacKenzie Gore, Ryan Weathers, Francisco Mejia, Webster Rivas, Greg Allen and Jorge Ona.

Cubs Set Wild Card Series Roster

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The Cubs designated Josh Osich for assignment and selected Josh Phegley back to their 40-man roster this morning as they set their 28-man roster for their Wild Card Series showdown against the upstart Marlins. Here’s how the roster breaks down:

Right-Handed Pitchers

Left-Handed Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

A resurgent Yu Darvish has spearheaded the Cubs’ rotation in 2020, but he’ll give way to Kyle Hendricks as the Game 1 starter. As has been the case in recent years, the Cubs’ offense has faded late in the season, and the productivity of the lineup will be a focal point this series. Kris Bryant, in particular, has been hobbled by an oblique issue but avoided the IL and is lineup, hitting third against Miami’s Sandy Alcantara.

Much has been made of the team’s bullpen struggles in recent years as well, with Craig Kimbrel’s decline standing out first and foremost, but the once-hittable closer has begun to resemble his peak form over the past six weeks. Dating back to mid-August, Kimbrel has rattled off 12 2/3 innings with a 1.42 ERA and an eye-popping 26-to-7 K/BB ratio. He’s faced 49 hitters in that time and allowed just four hits while punching out more than half of them.

Mike Clevinger “Unlikely” To Pitch In Wild Card Round

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10:47am: The Padres are still evaluating the decision on Clevinger and Lamet after their latest throwing sessions, per Dennis Lin and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (Twitter link). It doesn’t sound as though the club is formally committing to either pitcher’s availability (or lack thereof) just yet. They still have a bit more than an hour to submit their roster.

10:04am: Padres right-hander Mike Clevinger is unlikely to pitch in the Wild Card round, Jeff Passan and Jesse Rogers of ESPN report (Twitter link). There is “significant” concern after a Tuesday bullpen session, per the report, which casts doubt not only on Clevinger’s availability for the Wild Card round but for the entire postseason.

Acquired in a blockbuster, nine-player trade with the Indians on the morning of the trade deadline, Clevinger made four starts with the Padres and turned in 19 innings of 2.84 ERA ball with a 19-to-3 K/BB ratio. He was diagnosed with an elbow strain last week, however, and while he’s reportedly been cleared of any UCL damage, his status for the postseason has remained up in the air.

Clevinger’s injury is all the more concerning given that breakout righty Dinelson Lamet exited his most recent start after experiencing discomfort in his right biceps. Both pitchers threw earlier in the week, but it seems as though Clevinger hasn’t progressed to a point where he’s ready for game action. Lamet’s status remains unclear as well.

Marlins Announce Wild Card Series Roster

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The Marlins overcame a Covid-19 outbreak that saw 18 players head to the injured list and beat all preseason expectations to emerge as a playoff club in this year’s expanded format. Miami has finalized its roster for their Wild Card Series showdown against the NL Central champion Cubs — the Marlins’ first postseason appearance since way back in 2003. Here’s how the roster breaks down:

Right-Handed Pitchers

Left-Handed Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

As MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro points out (via Twitter), the Marlins are carrying a hefty seven rookies on their roster — all of whom made their Major League debut in 2020. That list includes each of Sixto Sanchez, Nick Neidert, Braxton Garrett, Trevor Rogers, Jazz Chisholm, Lewin Diaz and Monte Harrison. All seven players are considered potential long-term pieces on what has become one of the youngest clubs in the big leagues.

Miami’s roster might have looked a bit different had right-hander Jose Urena not sustained a broken forearm when he was hit by a comeback line drive last week. The 29-year-old Urena hasn’t had much success over the past couple seasons but would likely have been included as a long relief option. That role will presumably fall to former first-rounders Rogers and Garrett now, who were starters during the regular season.

Manager Don Mattingly told reporters today that the Urena injury contributed to the decision to leave veteran Nick Vincent off the roster in favor of multiple long relievers, which he described as difficult choice (Twitter link via Frisaro). The 34-year-old Vincent had a 2.18 ERA for the Marlins before being tagged for six runs in his final two regular-season appearances. Overall, he wrapped up the year with a 4.43 ERA in 22 1/3 frames, although those last couple hiccups skewed what had been a more successful season on the whole.

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