Jose Bautista Plans To Play Next Season
The 2017 season was easily Jose Bautista‘s worst since his memorable breakout campaign in 2010, but the soon-to-be 37-year-old has no plans to retire, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reports. If the right fielder does play somewhere next season, it probably won’t be in Toronto, which informed Bautista a couple weeks ago that it will buy him out for $500K in lieu of exercising its half of his $17MM mutual option, according to Davidi. Considering Bautista’s struggles this year, the decision was an obvious one for the Blue Jays, who gave the franchise icon a hero’s sendoff during their final home series of the season from Sept. 22-24.
A Blue Jay since August 2008, when they acquired him from Pittsburgh in a swap for catcher Robinzon Diaz (who had his last of 148 major league plate appearances in 2009), Bautista now stands as one of the greatest players in team history. Across 5,272 PAs with the Jays, Bautista slashed .253/.372/.506 with 288 home runs – second to Carlos Delgado in club history. While Bautista’s regular-season production in Toronto was outstanding, his go-ahead three-run homer and subsequent bat flip in the seventh inning of Game 5 of the 2015 ALDS against the Rangers will go down as his signature moment as a Jay.
Unfortunately for the Jays and Bautista, his offensive output began tailing off significantly the next season. At .234/.366/.452 with 22 long balls in 517 trips to the plate, Bautista logged above-average numbers in 2016, but they paled in comparison to his previous totals.
Thanks to his offensive decline and his inability to offer much value as either a defender or baserunner, he sat on the free agent market into last January until re-signing with the Blue Jays on a deal that guaranteed him $18MM this season and could have been worth another $37MM had he played out the options over the next two years. But Bautista sealed his fate in 2017 by hitting a mere .203/.308/.366 in 686 PAs and finishing with the majors’ seventh-worst fWAR among position players (minus-0.5). Along the way, he registered his worst strikeout and walk rates as a Jay (24.8 percent and 12.2 percent, respectively), his lowest ISO (.164), and his highest chase and swinging-strike rates (25.3 percent and 10.9 percent). Bautista also wasn’t the Statcast darling he had been in prior seasons, recording a paltry .304 expected weighted on-base average (via Baseball Savant) that nearly matched his actual wOBA (.301).
Judging by his stark dropoff in 2017, the upcoming winter figures to be far less lucrative for Bautista than the last one. Nevertheless, it won’t stop him from seeking another contract. Should Bautista land another deal, it probably won’t come from the Jays, though he told Davidi that he’d like to stay where is.
“All I can do is get ready for next season and be ready to contribute to the team that I’m with at that time,” Bautista said. “Right now I’m a Toronto Blue Jay, and that hasn’t changed. I’ve said it all along, this is where I want to be and finish my career. We’ll see what happens in the future. It’s out of my control now.”
Coaching/Managerial Notes: Hot Seats, Royals, Scioscia, Snitker
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic runs down the big league managers that could be on the hot seat (subscription required and strongly recommended). Rosenthal lists Braves skipper Brian Snitker as an immediate candidate and notes that Red Sox skipper John Farrell, too, could be on the hot seat if the Sox are bounced in the ALDS for a second straight season. Farrell was inherited rather than hired by president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. While Orioles owner Peter Angelos isn’t likely to dismiss Buck Showalter, the tension between him and GM Dan Duquette continues to loom large in the organization. Rosenthal also covers several other managers on shaky ground that could find themselves in jeopardy with poor team showings in 2018.
A bit from MLB’s dugouts around the league…
- The Royals and pitching coach Dave Eiland reached a mutual agreement to part ways, reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman. The 51-year-old Eiland spent six seasons as the pitching coach for manager Ned Yost in Kansas City, helping the team to consecutive World Series appearances in 2014-15 and, of course, a World Series victory in the latter of those two seasons. He also spent 2008-10 as the Yankees pitching coach, so Eiland’s considerable experience should get him some type of opportunity with another organization, even if the Royals’ pitching staff as a whole underperformed in a disappointing 2017 campaign. Rustin Dodd and Pete Grahoff of the Kansas City Star, meanwhile, report that bench coach Don Wakamatsu, bullpen coach Doug Henry and assistant hitting coach Brian Buchanan are also expected to be dismissed. Kansas City has since announced that Eiland and Wakamatsu will not have their contracts renewed.
- Angels manager Mike Scioscia will be back with the team in 2018 — the final season of his 10-year contract as skipper of the Halos, tweets Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. Scioscia hopes to manage the Angels beyond the 2018 season, Fletcher notes, but he’s content heading into the final season of his contract without signing an extension. The 58-year-old Scioscia is Major League Baseball’s longest tenured manager, as he’s been skipper of the Angels since the 2000 campaign. The Halos were in contention for the American League’s second Wild Card spot up until the final week of the season despite a slew of injuries that decimated their pitching staff for much of the year.
- Braves president of baseball operations plans to meet with manager Brian Snitker to discuss his future “as early as today,” tweets MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. The Braves will have a decision on the coaching staff at some point midweek, per Bowman. Notably, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets that Hart said today’s sudden resignation of GM John Coppolella in the wake of an MLB investigation isn’t likely to impact the decision one way or another (Twitter links). O’Brien guesses that the option on Snitker will be exercised, though it seems that a formal decision has not yet been made.
Braves General Manager John Coppolella Resigns
In stunning fashion, the Braves announced today that general manager John Coppolella has resigned, effective immediately, in the wake of a “breach of Major League Baseball rules regarding the international player market.” Special assistant Gordon Blakely is also reportedly resigning from his post as Major League Baseball works to conclude an investigation that is said to have been ongoing for multiple weeks.
“Major League Baseball is investigating the matter with our full cooperation and support,” said president of baseball operations John Hart. “We will not be issuing any further comment until the investigation is complete.”
The Braves are immediately beginning the search for a replacement, per their release, and Hart will assume all of Coppolella’s duties for the time being while serving as the primary decision-maker in baseball operations matters. FanRag’s Jon Heyman points out (via Twitter) that Hart wasn’t under contract beyond this year, though it seems he’ll stick around at least until the team has a replacement for Coppolella in place, if not longer.
While it’s not yet clear what transgressions the Braves have committed, the resignation of a general manager — be it forced or voluntary — would represent the most extreme outcome for any scrutiny under which GMs have come in recent years. Padres general manager A.J. Preller was suspended for one month after his team’s medical disclosure practices were revealed to be substandard, and the Red Sox were forced to tear up some agreements with international prospects they’d signed in package deals as a means of circumventing international bonus restrictions. Neither of those incidents, however, resulted in the resignation or firing of a high-ranking official.
Coppolella’s departure as the team’s general manager comes as the team concluded its first season in the newly constructed SunTrust Park and was widely expected to take another step toward contention in 2018. Atlanta had been in the process of a lengthy rebuild for much of Coppolella’s tenure as general manager, but touted young talents such Ozzie Albies, Dansby Swanson, Sean Newcomb and Luiz Gohara, among others have reached the Majors, with wunderkind Ronald Acuna on the precipice of Major League readiness as well.
The Braves have been among the most active teams on the international market in recent years, with an aggressive splash on the 2016-17 international market (headlined by slugger Kevin Maitan) resulting in strict limitations on the organization for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 international periods. Last signing period’s mass accumulation of talent helped to bolster the Braves to have one of the consensus top farm systems in the league. However, it also put them in the same position as a number of other clubs that shattered their bonus pools in recent years, prohibiting the Braves from signing any one international amateur player for more than $300K.
Yahoo’s Jeff Passan and Joel Sherman of the New York Post suggest (Twitter links) that Coppolella’s rapport with other general managers wasn’t strong and that he had a reputation for being difficult, if not unpleasant to deal with. His relationship with fans, on the other hand, seemed to be a fairly strong one; Coppolella was more outspoken than most GMs, often conducting lengthy Twitter Q&As with the Braves faithful, and he was oftentimes more candid with the media than many of his front-office peers as well. That in and of itself may have rubbed some GMs the wrong way, of course, as most high-ranking front office execs are fairly tight-lipped.
Coppolella’s ousting as GM also figures to directly impact the fate of Atlanta skipper Brian Snitker, who has a club option for the 2018 season that has not yet been exercised or declined. Snitker has told reporters that he hopes to remain in his post for years to come, though the organization has reportedly still been waffling on whether to retain him or go in a new direction for 2018 and beyond. Certainly, Coppolella’s voice would have been a prominent one in those discussions, but the decision will be left to Hart and the lieutenants of the now-former general manager.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported that Coppolella would resign (Twitter links). Yahoo’s Jeff Passan reported that the Braves had been under investigation regarding their international practices for weeks and that a complaint had been levied against them (Twitter links). Rosenthal reported that Blakely would resign as well (Twitter link).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Sale Of Marlins To Sherman/Jeter Group Complete
OCT. 2: The sale of the Marlins to the Sherman/Jeter group closed this morning, reports Jackson (on Twitter). Their group now officially owns the Marlins, and a press conference with new ownership will be held later this week.
SEPT. 27: The 29 other Major League owners have approved the sale of the Marlins to the ownership group led by Derek Jeter and Bruce Sherman, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports (Twitter link). As per an announcement from Major League Baseball, the 29 owners voted unanimously in favor of the Jeter/Sherman group in a conference call held this afternoon. The approval will only be fully official once the sale closes between the new owners and outgoing Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, though that deal is expected to be finalized next week. FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman reported yesterday that a vote would be coming soon, though the quick turn-around is still something of a surprise, as Heyman’s report indicated it would be a matter of days or weeks.
The news brings a somewhat abrupt end to a rather drawn-out sale process, as several prominent names from the business, entertainment, political and baseball worlds had been mentioned as candidates to buy the Marlins from Jeffrey Loria. Jeter had long been connected to former Florida governor Jeb Bush as part of a bid, though after Bush dropped out of the partnership in May, Jeter changed course with new investors, most prominently Sherman, co-founder of the Private Capital Management wealth-management firm. The group ended up winning the bidding at the reported price of $1.2 billion.
As per Heyman’s report yesterday, that $1.2 billion price tag breaks down as $800MM in actual cash on hand and $400MM of debt. Sherman will own 46 percent of the team and will be the Marlins’ control person in the eyes of Major League Baseball. Jeter will reportedly own four percent of the franchise and become the Marlins’ CEO, as well as overseeing the baseball operations department.
“I congratulate Mr. Sherman on receiving approval from the Major League clubs as the new control person of the Marlins and look forward to Mr. Jeter’s ownership and CEO role following his extraordinary career as a player,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in the league’s official news release.
With the sale all but complete, attention will now fully shift to what the change in ownership will mean for the Marlins both on and off the field as the franchise moves on from the controversial Loria era. There have already been early reports of yet another rebuild in Miami as the new owners are looking to cut payroll, potentially more than halving the Marlins’ $115MM Opening Day payroll from this season if Giancarlo Stanton is traded.
Cardinals Notes: Outfield, Tuivailala, Pitching Staff
Outfielder Randal Grichuk ended not only his 2017 season but possibly his Cardinals career with a solo home run on Sunday, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cards have an oft-discussed glut of outfielders with Grichuk, Dexter Fowler, Stephen Piscotty, Tommy Pham, Harrison Bader and Magneuris Sierra all on the big league roster, plus prospect Tyler O’Neill in Triple-A Memphis. St. Louis will look to reduce its redundancies on the roster this winter, and Goold points out that the arbitration-eligible Grichuk carries a similar profile to the powerful-but-strikeout-prone O’Neill. Controllable through 2020, the 26-year-old Grichuk brings significant power (career .239 ISO) and a center-field-capable glove to the table but has also continually struggled to make contact. Through 1386 MLB plate appearances, Grichuk has a 29.9 percent strikeout rate. In 442 PAs in 2017, he hit .238/.285/.473 with 22 long balls and a 30.1 percent strikeout rate.
More out of St. Louis…
- Right-hander Sam Tuivailala will be out of options in 2018, and his strong finish to the season looks to have earned him a spot in next year’s bullpen, writes Rick Hummel of the Post-Dispatch. “He’s continued to move his way up in how we viewed him,” said manager Mike Matheny. The 24-year-old Tuivailala was optioned to the minors on three different occasions in 2017, his final option year, but wound up totaling 42 1/3 innings with a 2.55 ERA, 7.2 K/9, 2.3 BB/9, a 48.8 percent ground-ball rate and a strong 23.4 percent weak-contact rate. President of baseball ops John Mozeliak tells Hummel that he’s long been excited about “Tui,” but the righty simply hasn’t had consistent opportunities until late in the year. “I think he finished strong, and I think he helped himself,” said Mozeliak.
- While the Cardinals’ bullpen gets much of the blame for the team missing the postseason, Bernie Miklasz of ESPN 101 points out that St. Louis relievers ranked well in both ERA and Win Probability Added — even late in the year after the loss of Trevor Rosenthal. However, the starting rotation faltered significantly, Miklasz writes, failing to make it to the fifth inning in six of the team’s final 13 games and posting an ERA just shy of 5.00 over the Cardinals’ final 42 games of the year. While there’s undoubtedly work to be done in the ‘pen this winter, the rotation indeed looks like an area in need of reinforcements as well. Lance Lynn is set to hit the open market, and Adam Wainwright is undergoing arthroscopic elbow surgery tomorrow — further creating uncertainty on the starting staff.
Phillies Notes: Galvis, Hernandez, Bowa, Mackanin
Freddy Galvis‘ pinch-hit double for the Phillies on Sunday may very well have been his final plate appearance with the team, writes CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury. Top prospect J.P. Crawford arrived in the Majors in September, and while he hardly set the world on fire with the bat (.214/.356/.300 in 87 plate appearances), he still could land the team’s Opening Day shortstop job next year. It’s likely that general manager Matt Klentak will shop both Galvis and second baseman Cesar Hernandez this winter, writes Salisbury, as the team will want to get a look at its potential middle infield of the future — Crawford and top second base prospect Scott Kingery — in 2018.
Galvis, 27, posted an uninspiring .255/.309/.382 batting line in 2017 but played in all 162 games and has generally received strong marks for his glovework at short. He’ll be due a raise on this year’s $4.35MM salary and is controlled through 2018. Hernandez, meanwhile, posted a .294 average that is identical to his 2016 mark with a .373 OBP (up marginally from .371) with improved power output. After slugging .393 last year, the 27-year-old slugged .421 with 26 doubles, six triples and nine homers in 2017. A solid defender himself, Hernandez is controlled through 2020 and will be arb-eligible for the first time this winter.
More on the Phils…
- The Phillies have informed bench coach Larry Bowa that they want him to remain in the organization next year, reports Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer. However, it doesn’t seem likely that it’d be in the same role, as the team has also informed the coaching staff that whoever is hired as Pete Mackanin’s replacement in the dugout will have the ability to name his own staff. Bowa could be retained as an instructor at multiple minor league levels next year, per Brookover, though he’s yet to make a decision and likely won’t do so until he meets with the team later this week. Bowa could certainly have value in that capacity; Galvis told Salisbury in the previously linked column that Bowa played a significant role in honing his own defensive skills.
- Recently dismissed manager Pete Mackanin spoke to MLB.com’s Ben Harris about his new role in the Phillies’ front office as a special assistant to Klentak. In his new role, Mackanin will evaluate players both in the Phillies organization and on other teams to help the front office in trade decisions, and he more generally stated that he’ll be an advisor to Klentak and his staff on a variety of baseball operations issues. As Mackanin points out, he’s played, coached and managed in both the minors and Majors in addition to previous work as a big league scout, so he’ll have plenty of experience to offer the Phillies. Mackanin revealed that he’s been given permission to pursue other opportunities with other teams if presented, but the 66-year-old also suggested that he doesn’t have plans to do so. “I would truly like to be here when this team wins,” he said.
Quick Hits: Otani, Rangers, Rays, Cozart, Paulino
Little is known about Shohei Otani‘s preferred destination if he makes the jump to Major League Baseball this offseason, though in a profile of the two-way star, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times wonders if Otani’s reputation as a “yakyu shonen” (as Hernandez puts it, “basically, a kid who lives, eats and breathes baseball”) could provide some hints. Otani is believed to be intent on coming to MLB for competitive reasons given his outward lack of interest in money. For this same reason, Otani may not necessarily be swayed by a wealthy team like the Dodgers or Yankees, according to Hiroshi Sasaki, Otani’s former high school coach. When choosing schools, Otani chose to play for a lower-profile high school closer to home rather than accept offers from larger programs.
Here’s more from around baseball as we head into the postseason…
- The Rangers seem like one of the four or five teams most likely to sign Otani, and possibly the favorite “if it comes down to the dollars available and a college-recruiting like pitch,” Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes as part of a reader chat. Still, Grant doesn’t believe any team has more than a 15-18% chance of signing Otani, since any number of factors could influence his choice.
- Perhaps with this in mind, the Rays are also “sincere” about their interest in Otani, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. The Rays usually don’t have the financial resources to compete for blue-chip international talent, though Otani’s situation presents a unique opportunity. The Rays can offer Otani a chance to both pitch and hit, and they can point to their willingness to let fourth overall pick Brendan McKay be a two-way player as an example of their flexibility.
- The Nationals have shown interest in Zack Cozart in the past and could be a fit for the free agent shortstop this winter, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe opines. It may hinge on whether or not the Reds issue Cozart a qualifying offer, though if the Nats did make a move, Cozart would take over at short and Trea Turner could shift to center field. (This would also move Adam Eaton to left field to replace free agent Jayson Werth.) Defensive metrics indicate that Turner’s glovework is better as a shortstop than as a center fielder, though it may still be too early in Turner’s young career to make that call one way or the other. Cozart, of course, is one of the game’s better defenders and is coming off an outstanding season at the plate.
- Astros righty David Paulino recently underwent surgery to remove bone spurs from his throwing elbow but is expected to be ready for Spring Training, the team announced (MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart has the details). Paulino was placed on the 60-day DL just as he was eligible to be activated following an 80-game PED suspension. The 23-year-old was cited on top-100 prospect lists from Baseball America (51st), MLB.com (54th) and Baseball Prospectus (83rd) prior to the season and he has gotten cups of coffee in each of Houston’s last two seasons, with a 6.25 ERA over 36 big-league innings.
Mets Notes: Alderson, Warthen, Payroll
The latest from Citi Field…
- Sandy Alderson said he’ll be back with the Mets next season, the general manager told Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News and other reporters. It has been widely expected that Alderson would return to the front office in 2018 even though his contract is up at the end of this season. (There have been no details about an extension, and one may not yet exist, other than perhaps a handshake deal between Alderson and Mets ownership.) There is some question as to whether or not Alderson will continue as GM, as there have been rumors that assistant general manager John Rizzo could take a larger role in the baseball operations department. “I am very happy with the [front office] personnel we have. The question is do we have the right organization structure, do we have all the right things that a season like this would cause us to take a look at.”
- Noah Syndergaard gave pitching coach Dan Warthen a strong vote of confidence, telling Ackert and other reporters that “in my opinion, I think he is what’s best for our pitching staff and I want him to be my pitching coach for the remainder of my career.” With a managerial change in the offing, there has naturally been speculation about the Mets’ coaching staff, with Warthen potentially on the way out after nine and a half years as the pitching coach.
- Better health (especially with the starting rotation) is the biggest roster concern facing the Mets, Alderson said, via James Wagner of the New York Times. The Mets’ offseason shopping list includes one or two hitters and Alderson likes the “foundation of the bullpen,” which could imply that New York will be looking for complementary arms to build around AJ Ramos, Jeurys Familia and Jerry Blevins.
- The Mets are likely to cut salaries for next season, with Joel Sherman of the New York Post hearing that the payroll would drop as much as $20MM from their Opening Day 2017 payroll of just under $155MM. Sherman lists five offseason moves the Mets could make while spending modestly, including getting mid-tier relievers or innings-eatings starters, addressing second and third base (including exercising Asdrubal Cabrera‘s club option) and installing Juan Lagares as the regular center fielder to upgrade the outfield defense.
Central Notes: Jaso, Montoyo, Tigers, Carpenter, White Sox
John Jaso may have played his last big league game, he told reporters (including Elizabeth Bloom of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and MLB.com’s Adam Berry) following the Pirates‘ season-ender today. “Honestly, this is probably it for me, as far as baseball goes,” the veteran utilityman said, though he stopped short of entirely confirming his retirement. “We’ll see. I mean I can’t say anything for sure. I can’t really tell you what the future holds or whatever. But if I left now, it would be a really good feeling to leave right now, if I did. These last couple of years with the Pirates were good. It’s just taking that step and being brave enough to do it. For most of us, this is all we know. There’s a lot of those ‘what ifs’ and ‘buts’ and everything like that. That stuff kind of scares you when you have to make a decision like this. There’s a lot of excitement out there that I’m looking forward to. I feel ready to make that step.”
If this is it for Jaso, the 34-year-old will be hanging up the spikes after 2591 career PA over parts of nine seasons with the Rays, Mariners, A’s and (for the last two seasons) Pirates. Injuries and struggles against left-handed pitching limited Jaso’s usage as an everyday player, though he was very productive in various part-time capacities. Jaso posted good career splits against right-handed pitching and was an above-average run producer overall in six of his eight full seasons, finishing with a 115 wRC+ for his career. If this it for Jaso, we wish him congratulations on a fine career and we tip our hats to his most immediate postseason endeavor — helping with relief efforts in Puerto Rico.
Here’s the latest from both the NL and AL Central…
- The Tigers have asked the Rays about third base coach Charlie Montoyo, FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman reports (Twitter links). It’s hard to know where Montoyo sits on the Tigers’ list of managerial candidates due to the sheer number of names in their search; according to Heyman, Detroit began the process with around 50 names under consideration. Montoyo, who has also drawn interest from the Mets, has been Tampa’s third base coach for three seasons and a manager at all rungs of their minor league system from 1997-2014.
- Matt Carpenter won’t require surgery on his right shoulder, he tells MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch (Twitter link). An MRI revealed only inflammation in the shoulder, which has been a nagging concern for the Cardinals infielder. Possibly due to the injury, Carpenter saw drops in his batting average and slugging percentage from his previous two seasons, though he was still quite productive, hitting .241/.384/.451 with 23 home runs over 622 plate appearances for St. Louis.
- The rebuilding process for the White Sox has gone according to plan thus far, though as CSN Chicago’s Dan Hayes writes, the team has another long year ahead of it next season. “We know we might be entering a slightly more difficult phase of this rebuild, and that is the phase where we have to allow this talent the time and patience to develop….We’re going to have to remain diligent and realize that this isn’t about any individual player or any individual season, this is about building something for the long term,” GM Rick Hahn said. “For this next phase, that’s going to require player development to play its important role and for us to have patience in Chicago that would allow that to unfold.”
- Earlier today on MLBTR, we checked in with more notes from both Central divisions, including items on the Royals, Indians, Cardinals and Tigers.
Twins Notes: Sano, Colon, Perkins
A players-only meeting in the aftermath of the trade deadline may have been the turning point in the Twins’ season, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press writes. A July slump led the club’s front office to deal Brandon Kintzler and Jaime Garcia at the deadline, leaving the clubhouse feeling “angry,” in the words of Byron Buxton. The meeting, led by Joe Mauer and Brian Dozier, lasted only 10-15 minutes and “I think the biggest thing in the meeting was to direct that anger or whatever feeling in a positive way,” Mauer said. The message certainly seemed to sink in, as the Twins turned things around in a big way and are now headed to the AL Wild Card game.
Here’s more from Target Field…
- Miguel Sano is “still having discomfort” in his ailing left shin, manager Paul Molitor told Berardino and other reporters today. The slugger felt some soreness while lightly running out a grounder in the fifth inning today and didn’t return to the game. It is still very much up in the air as to whether or not Sano will be activated for the Wild Card game, as GM Thad Levine said that the club may use every minute until the 9am CT deadline on Tuesday to finalize their roster for the game against the Yankees. Sano has gone 1-for-8 since returning from the DL, and as Berardino notes, “has yet to hit a ball in the air.”
- To honor a promise to his late mother, Bartolo Colon intends to pitch in 2018, the right-hander told reporters, including MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger and Michael Clair. “That’s the goal. That’s what I promised my old lady and that’s what I want to do,” Colon said. Colon earned the 240th victory of his 20-year career today, and he received a standing ovation from Twins fans when he was removed from the game in the seventh inning just in case this is the end of the road for the 44-year-old. After several effective years that belied his age, Colon finally showed signs of declining this season, posting a 6.48 ERA over 143 innings with the Twins and Braves.
- Glen Perkins was emotional after what may have been his final big league game on Saturday, as MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger writes that Perkins has said that he’d consider retiring if he can’t return to the Twins next season. The St. Paul-born Perkins has spent his entire career with his hometown team, and only just returned to the mound in August after missing over 16 months due to shoulder surgery. The Twins will surely buy Perkins out for $700K rather than exercise their $6.5MM club option on his services for 2018, though there’s a chance he could return on a minor league contract.