Phillies Hire Bryan Price As Pitching Coach
10:32am: The Phillies have formally announced the hiring.
9:22am: The Phillies have made a key hire for the staff of incoming manager Joe Girardi. As expected, the team will bring on Bryan Price as pitching coach, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic (via Twitter). He’s said to have turned down offers to serve as the pitching coach with the Diamondbacks and with the Padres this month, instead opting for the Philadelphia opportunity.
Price, 57, served as the Reds manager from 2014 until his firing early in the 2018 campaign. Before that, he had a lengthy history as a pitching coach, including stints with the Mariners (2000-06), Diamondbacks (2007-09), and Reds (2010-13). He’s the first major addition to incoming manager Joe Girardi’s new-look pitching staff, and the Phillies can now shift their attention to find a replacement for interim hitting coach Charlie Manuel.
Job Openings – Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Operations
From time to time, as a service to our readers, MLB Trade Rumors will post job opportunities of possible interest that are brought to our attention. MLBTR has no affiliation with the hiring entity, no role in the hiring process, and no financial interest in the posting of this opportunity.
The Milwaukee Brewers are hiring two positions in their baseball operations department. For additional information and to submit an application, follow the links below.
- Baseball Research and Development Analyst: The analyst will deliver research and tools to improve decision making across Baseball Operations. The position requires a person who has intellectual curiosity, is a self-starter and can communicate technical and analytical concepts effectively to non-technical people. Being passionate about using data, analysis and technology to improve decision making processes is also a key differentiator. Residence in Milwaukee is required.
- Baseball Research and Development Intern: The intern will design and execute a strategic research project with the assistance of experienced mentors. The internship program is designed to give the candidate real-world experience in a Baseball Research & Development department, including exposure to development processes and best practices. Residence in Milwaukee is required.
Royals Name Mike Matheny Manager
The Royals announced Thursday that they’ve hired Mike Matheny as the 17th manager in club history. It’s not exactly a surprise, given that Matheny has been rumored to be the likely successor to Ned Yost since joining the Royals organization as a special advisor to GM Dayton Moore last offseason. Matheny replacing the recently retired Yost has looked all the more like a fait accompli with the Kansas City organization opting not to interview any external candidates for the position.
“Our entire organization is delighted to announce and celebrate the hiring of Mike Matheny,” Moore said in a statement announcing the hiring. “Every department has had the pleasure to work and interact with him this past season. Through this interaction, it became very clear to our leadership team that Mike is the obvious person to lead our baseball team. Mike Matheny is a passionate leader with strong virtues, intelligence, and a relentless commitment to help players reach their full potential.”
Matheny, 49, spent 13 seasons as a big league catcher with the Brewers, Blue Jays, Cardinals and Giants and was hired to manage in St. Louis following the 2011 season despite a lack of coaching/managerial experience. Matheny took the reins from retiring Hall of Fame skipper Tony La Russa, inheriting a roster that had just won the 2011 World Series.
St. Louis went on to post a winning record in each of Matheny’s six full seasons as a manager and even had a 47-46 record when he was fired midway through the 2018 campaign. In all, he posted a 591-474 record in St. Louis and was at the helm for three consecutive NL Central titles from 2013-15. Matheny’s 2013 Cardinals advanced to the World Series before falling to the Red Sox in six games, and the 2014 Cards made it as far as the NLCS before falling victim to the Giants’ “even year” dynasty that captured World Series titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014. The 2015 Cardinals won 100 games but were bounced in the NLDS by the division-rival Cubs.
The Cardinals didn’t make the postseason again under Matheny, who was ousted by the organization in a radical shakeup near the midpoint of the 2018 season. For all of his success in terms of wins and losses, Matheny also drew criticism for his bullpen management and an aversion to modern data trends. He was known as a manager who rode the “hot hand” frequently — often at the expense of providing consistent playing time to younger players. Shortly before his 2018 dismissal, reports of clubhouse strife between veterans and rookies emerged, although then-rookie right-hander Jordan Hicks quickly downplayed them when asked by reporters.
At the time of his firing, the Cardinals were a game above .500 but also looked to be in danger of missing the postseason for what would be a third consecutive season. That hadn’t happened in 20 years in St. Louis, giving the organization understandably higher expectations than most organizations throughout the league — particularly in the era of the ever-trendy rebuild.
Those standards won’t apply in Kansas City — at least not in the early stages of Matheny’s tenure. The Royals are still in the midst of what looks to be a lengthy rebuilding process and aren’t expected to return to contention until at least 2021, if not the 2022 season. Rather, Matheny’s focus with his new club will be on helping to develop young players and helping them to maximize their potential at the MLB level.
Rising talents like Adalberto Mondesi, Jorge Soler and Hunter Dozier will join steady veterans such as Salvador Perez and Whit Merrifield as the top players on a 2020 roster that will ideally see several top prospects graduate from the minors for their first taste of MLB action. Pitchers Brady Singer, Jackson Kowar and Daniel Lynch could all debut this coming season, as could outfielder Khalil Lee. The 2020 season will also be a pivotal year for former prospects like Nicky Lopez, Bubba Starling and Brett Phillips, who’ve had some experience in the big leagues but have yet to establish themselves.
Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com first reported that Matheny was being hired (via Twitter).
2019-20 Offseason Calendar
Baseball’s offseason calendar largely flows from the end of the World Series. Last night’s thrilling game seven, in which the Nationals prevailed over the Astros, also served as a starting point for several key dates.
Today
- Eligible players officially file for major or minor-league free agency
November 4
- End of “quiet period” during which teams have exclusive negotiating rights with their free agents
- Deadline to issue qualifying offers ($17.8MM) to eligible free agents
- Deadline to exercise or decline options and opt-outs (unless sooner by operation of contract; Stephen Strasburg & Aroldis Chapman reportedly must decide by November 2)
November 11-14
- General Manager Meetings (Scottsdale, AZ)
November 14
- Deadline for qualifying offer recipients to accept or reject
November 20
- Deadline for adding Rule 5-draft eligible players to 40-man roster
December 2
- Non-tender deadline
[RELATED: MLBTR Arbitration Projections]
December 9-12
- Winter Meetings (San Diego, CA)
December 12
- Rule 5 Draft
January 10
- Deadline to exchange arbitration filing figures if agreement has yet to be reached
February 3-21
- Arbitration hearing period
Mid-February
- Spring Training commences
March 26
- Opening Day
Diamondbacks To Hire Matt Herges As Pitching Coach
After running into some roadblocks with other candidates, the Diamondbacks have settled upon Matt Herges as their next pitching coach, per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.
Herges will join the staff of skipper Torey Lovullo after a pair of seasons as the Giants’ bullpen coach. The former MLB hurler replaces Mike Butcher in guiding the Arizona pitching staff.
Phillies Claim Robert Stock
The Phillies have claimed righty Robert Stock off waivers from the Padres. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported the move (Twitter link), which was first aired on Twitter by Tyler Poitras.
Stock, who is closing in on his 30th birthday, finished the season on the 60-day injured list due to a biceps injury. The San Diego club faces tough decisions on several players with a rather tight 40-man roster squeeze.
Though Stock failed to follow up on his strong 2018 debut in a tepid 2019 effort, he showed the same upper-nineties heat that made him so intriguing. He also managed to rack up forty strikeouts in 28 1/3 Triple-A innings. While he has struggled throughout his professional career to stay in the zone, Stock obviously has big-time stuff.
Padres Outright Brett Kennedy
The Padres have outrighted righty Brett Kennedy, per the Pacific Coast League transactions page. That’ll clear another 40-man spot for the Friars to utilize in the coming months.
Now 25, Kennedy debuted in 2018 after a promising run through the San Diego farm system. He struggled in his initial MLB showing but seemingly had a good shot at a second chance and a useful big-league career.
That all may still come to pass, but Kennedy will first need to get back to health. He was sidelined early with lat/shoulder issues and ended up on the 60-day injured list. Kennedy attempted a rehab stint but made just one appearance.
Rather than adding Kennedy back to the 40-man, the Pads elected to run him through waivers. The club will still control the rights to the Fordham product.
Blue Jays Outright Brock Stewart, Buddy Boshers
The Blue Jays have outrighted relief pitchers Brock Stewart and Buddy Boshers, per the International League transactions page. Fellow reliever Ryan Dull was also outrighted; he had been designated for assignment recently.
Stewart, 28, had spent his entire career with the Dodgers until he moved via waiver claim at the trade deadline. Utilized in a multi-inning capacity in Toronto, Stewart was tuned up for twenty earned runs (and nine homers) in 21 2/3 frames over ten appearances.
The 31-year-old Boshers took part in his fourth MLB campaign, with quite a different usage pattern. He threw twenty innings in 28 appearances, sporting a 26:10 K/BB ratio and 4.05 ERA but allowing a .257/.366/.486 batting line to opposing left-handed hitters.
As for what’s next, all three hurlers will be looking to bounce back and open a new opportunity at the game’s highest level. But where that’ll take place remains to be seen. Dull likely accrued just enough service time this year to pass three full seasons of MLB time, which would give him the right to reject the assignment, though that has not yet been officially tabulated. Boshers has the right to take to the open market since he has previously been outrighted. Stewart is in a different situation, as he cannot reject the assignment upon either of the above grounds. Neither will he qualify as a minor-league free agent. It seems, then, that he will remain in the Toronto organization unless the club decides to cut him loose.
Rays Outright Johnny Davis
The Rays have outrighted outfielder Johnny Davis to Triple-A Durham, reports Juan Toribio of MLB.com (link). As a player with fewer than three seasons of major league service time who has never been outrighted, Davis does not have the ability to reject his assignment.
This marks the latest chapter in the baseball odyssey of Davis, whom Bob Nightengale of USA Today profiled in a biographical piece back in September (link). After growing up in hard circumstances in South Central Los Angeles, Davis embarked on a six-season minor league career beginning with his selection as a 22nd-round pick of the Brewers in 2013. The speedy outfielder spent portions of 2018 in independent ball and the Mexican league, before spending the majority of the 2019 campaign playing south of the border. The Rays picked up the switch-hitting Davis on Aug 29 of this season and quickly brought him up to the big league roster, largely utilizing him as a pinch-runner across eight games in their Wild Card stretch run.
Davis, 29, has recorded just 22 plate appearances above Double-A in his affiliated career, lining him up for some welcome seasoning at the game’s penultimate level in 2020. Davis’ removal from the 40-man roster gives the club some flexibility as it faces several offseason decisions regarding out-of-options players and prospects in need of protection from the Rule V draft.
Red Sox To Hire Dave Bush As Pitching Coach
The Red Sox are slated to name Dave Bush their new pitching coach. Bush, who has recently served as the club’s minor league pitching performance coordinator, was previously tabbed as the front runner for the pitching coach position in a Monday report from Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. Jared Carrabis of Barstool Sports (link) was first to report today that a final decision has been reached.
It appears that Bush beat out four other candidates for the post, among them former Reds manager Bryan Price (the names of three other candidates remain unreported).Bush’s familiarity with the organization likely worked in his favor, as the 39-year-old has been a coach in the Boston system since the beginning of the 2017 season. Previous pitching coach Dana LeVangie was reassigned to a pro scouting role with the organization earlier this month.
Of course, Bush is best known to readers as a longtime starter in the majors, logging 187 starts with the Blue Jays, Brewers, and Rangers in a nine-year big league career. That background will distinguish him from his predecessor, as LeVangie was noted for being a formidable scout despite having never pitched professionally.