Walt Weiss Resigns As Rockies Manager
Walt Weiss has resigned his post as manager of the Rockies, the team has announced. Weiss’ three-year contract expired at the end of the season. Glenallen Hill, the Rockies’ Triple-A manager, could be a candidate to replace him, MLB.com’s Tracy Ringolsby tweets.
Weiss and GM Jeff Bridich have not always had a strong working relationship, leading to reporting yesterday from Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post that Weiss was not long for his job as manager. Notably, Saunders reported, Weiss was not a part of the decision-making that led to the acquisitions of Jake McGee, Chad Qualls, Jason Motte and Gerardo Parra, all of whom have struggled this year.
“The working relationship is evolving and continues to evolve,” said Bridich. “There has been mostly good communication, some great communication and some periods where he’s busy and I’m busy and we haven’t communicated as well as we could have. That’s a natural thing for the job that he has and the job that I have.”
Weiss, for his part, says his relationship with Bridich “wasn’t healthy, wasn’t productive,” according to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (Twitter links). He spoke to Rockies owner Dick Monfort yesterday and tried to find compromises that would allow him to stay on the job, but ultimately elected to step aside instead.
Weiss was not Bridich’s hire — Weiss replaced Jim Tracy prior to the 2013 season, when Dan O’Dowd helmed the Rockies’ front office and Bridich was their senior director of player development. Weiss has posted a 283-365 record in four years in Denver. This year’s 75-87 record was his best.
The Rockies’ failures during that period, however, surely are not entirely Weiss’ fault, as the team did not figure to be a serious contender heading into any of his four seasons. With some exceptions (particularly Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, Jon Gray and David Dahl), the team has struggled to assemble a young core in which to build, and it seemingly stalled in choosing a direction once it became clear that the team it had built around Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez wasn’t a winner. This season, the Rockies were dragged down by poor performances from Parra, Cristhian Adames, Ryan Raburn and much of their bullpen.
“I think Walt has done everything he can do, with what he’s had to work with,” said infielder DJ LeMahieu, via Saunders. “I think he’s done a good job, but I don’t know what’s going to happen. In my opinion, things have improved a lot over past years and I think we are going to be very good next year.”
Before becoming manager, the 52-year-old Weiss had worked as a special instructor and adviser in the Rockies organization. He played for 14 seasons in the big leagues, suiting up with the Athletics, Marlins, Rockies and Braves.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Twins Hire Derek Falvey To Oversee Baseball Operations
The Twins have officially announced that they’ve hired Indians assistant GM Derek Falvey as their executive vice president and chief baseball officer. Falvey will join the Twins once the Indians’ season is over. Rob Antony will continue as interim GM until then. Twins Daily’s Jeremy Nygaard and ESPN’s Keith Law were among the first to tweet that the Twins would hire Falvey, with Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan tweeting that Falvey had emerged as a favorite.
“I believe the addition of Derek Falvey to the Minnesota Twins will markedly enhance our organizational excellence and bring championship baseball back to Minnesota,” says Twins Owner Jim Pohlad.
“It’s a tremendous honor to have the opportunity to lead the Twins baseball operation. This is a proud, resilient franchise, and I’m eager to return championship-caliber baseball to the Twin Cities,” says Falvey. “We will work diligently and collectively to select and develop top-performers, advance our processes, and nurture a progressive culture that will make fans across Twins Territory proud.”
The Twins had been linked to a number of young executives as they look for a replacement for recently dismissed GM Terry Ryan. Among the other names known to have been in the mix were Rays vice president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom, Royals assistant GM J.J. Picollo and Cubs senior vice president of player development Jason McLeod.
The 33-year-old Falvey will become one of baseball’s youngest executives and represents a significant departure from the status quo for Minnesota. His rise to the position of president is a surprise, to say the least, as he’s spent less than one full season as an assistant GM. Falvey was promoted to that post last October in conjunction with the promotions of Chris Antonetti to president of baseball operations and Mike Chernoff to general manager. Prior to that, he spent four seasons as Cleveland’s director of baseball operations. The Boston native holds a degree in economics from Trinity College, where he also played baseball, and has contributed to the Cleveland front office in many capacities. In addition to his longstanding role in the team’s player development process, Falvey has overseen the advanced scouting department and worked with Antonetti and Chernoff on “financial, statistical and contractual dealings,” per the Indians’ media guide.
Falvey figures to be the first of multiple new hires for the Twins, who reportedly will allow their new president to hire a general manager to work underneath him as well. Beyond that, changes atop a baseball operations hierarchy often lead to personnel shuffling further down the pecking order, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise if further new faces join the Minnesota front office. One name that won’t be changing, however, is manager Paul Molitor, whom owner Jim Pohlad has already stated will remain his manager in 2017.
Pirates Notes: Starting Pitching, Coaches, Marte
Here’s the latest on the Pirates, via Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
- The team plans to add a veteran starting pitcher this winter, manager Clint Hurdle says. Retaining Ivan Nova is a possibility, although, as Biertempfel suggests, Nova seems likely to hit the free agent market. “It’s definitely one of the conversations we’ve already initiated, whether it be Nova or somebody else of that ilk,” Hurdle says. The Pirates don’t have much in the way of veteran starting pitching beyond Gerrit Cole, with a variety of 2016 rookies, including Jameson Taillon, Chad Kuhl, Tyler Glasnow, Steven Brault and Trevor Williams, lined up behind him. One veteran, Jeff Locke, lost his rotation spot this year and looks like a non-tender candidate, while another, Drew Hutchison, spent most of the year in the minors.
- The Pirates do not plan any coaching changes this winter despite a losing season in 2016, GM Neal Huntington says. Hurdle is signed through 2017 with a team option for 2018.
- The Bucs placed outfielder Starling Marte on the 15-day DL with back trouble this weekend, a seemingly unnecessary move that did not clear roster space for another player and was not tied to any clauses in Marte’s long-term deal. Huntington’s explanation for the move was vague. “He’s missed a large majority of (September), unlike some of the other guys like (Francisco) Cervelli, who are banged up,” said Huntington. “We felt it was useful for a variety of reasons to note that he went on the DL.” Biertempfel suggests that the move might have been intended to send a message to Marte that the Pirates were unhappy he didn’t play more in September. “I was still working on my back,” says Marte. “I was working to get back into the lineup, but it still hurt.”
White Sox Replace Robin Ventura With Rick Renteria
The White Sox have officially announced that bench coach Rick Renteria will replace Robin Ventura as their manager. Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times was the first to report the move. The White Sox had a meeting with Ventura last night, at which he intended to resign, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Three Needs: White Sox]
“Rick is incredibly well respected within the game as one of the top baseball men,” said GM Rick Hahn in a statement (via Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune on Twitter). “He is a knowledgeable teacher of the game who loves to develop players and spends hours watching video looking for any nuance that gives us an edge. He is well respected within the clubhouse, and his ability to communicate in English and Spanish is a real plus as he interacts with our players.”
Nightengale reported Wednesday that the White Sox were hoping to re-sign Ventura, whose contract would expire at season’s end, if he wanted to return. But Ventura is content to move on, per Van Schouwen, who adds that the 49-year-old’s relationship with the organization is “amicable” and devoid of hard feelings.
Ventura, a former third baseman who spent the majority of his 16-year major league career with the White Sox, took over their dugout in 2012. Unfortunately for Ventura and the club, his stint as its manager hasn’t been nearly as successful as his playing days were, though it’s not as if Ventura has been given excellent rosters during his five years as Chicago’s skipper.
Under Ventura, the White Sox have gone 375-433 with only one above-.500 campaign and no playoff berths, thereby extending their postseason drought to eight years. The Ventura-led Sox got off to an excellent start this year with a season-best 24-12 mark on May 13, but they’ve gone just 54-71 since and now own the American League’s fifth-worst record (78-83).
In Renteria, the White Sox have someone with previous managerial experience in the city of Chicago. Renteria oversaw a rebuilding Cubs team that finished 73-89 in 2014, and the 54-year-old has drawn praise this season from Ventura and other White Sox coaches, notes Van Schouwen. Renteria is also a fluent Spanish speaker, which is an obvious asset.
“He’s just a good baseball guy,’’ Ventura said of Renteria. “You see the work he puts in, all the little things he does and [what he can do for] our Latin guys. His interaction. He does a lot of stuff people don’t see. Gets there early, does video work. It’s been great.’’
While the White Sox are set to move forward with Renteria, it remains unknown which approach they’ll take during the offseason. A rebuild is possible, it seems, as left-handers Chris Sale and Jose Quintana would command enormous returns if the Sox were to trade one or both. However, owner Jerry Reinsdorf is reportedly reluctant to take that route, meaning Renteria could be at the helm of a team that aims to end its lengthy skid next season.
Kane was first to note (via Twitter) that Ventura had confirmed he would not return as the White Sox’ manager. FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi tweeted that the White Sox planned to announce Renteria as their manager on Monday.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Tigers To Meet With Brad Ausmus This Week
Tigers GM Al Avila will meet with manager Brad Ausmus this week to discuss his future with the team, as MLB.com’s Jason Beck explains. Ausmus says the team hasn’t told him whether it plans to exercise his 2017 option, and his answers to questions from reporters Sunday exuded none-too-subtle frustration about not knowing whether he’ll keep his job.
“You might want to ask whoever’s managing next year,” Ausmus responded to a question about how Bruce Rondon will be used in 2017. When asked about the challenges of being an interim manager (like Brian Snitker, whose Braves the Tigers played this weekend), Ausmus said, “I couldn’t answer that. I’ve never been one, although I’ve been kind of an interim manager for like two years.”
Ausmus says he would still like to return next season. “It’s going to be between me and Al,” he says. “If Al thinks he would rather have someone else, I would respect his decision. If Al would like me to do it, I would love to do it. But to speculate over it is a waste of time.”
Avila praised Ausmus in July, and Ausmus did manage an aging roster to an 86-win season, although the Tigers missed the playoffs for the second straight year. In three seasons on the job, Ausmus holds a 250-234 record.
Reds’ Dick Williams On Offseason Plans
Here’s GM Dick Williams on the Reds’ offseason plans, via MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon and the Cincinnati Enquirer’s C. Trent Rosecrans:
- The Reds don’t figure to be big players on the free agent market, Williams says. To the extent that they do open their wallets, it could be on relief help. “I could see spending some money on the bullpen,” Williams says. The Reds’ 2016 ‘pen was among the game’s worst, with a 5.09 ERA, 8.2 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9 for the season, so adding there would seem to be a convenient way to upgrade for a team not looking to spend heavily.
- The team could also attempt to add bench players and perhaps a veteran starter to complement Anthony DeSclafani, Homer Bailey, Brandon Finnegan and Dan Straily. Williams reiterates, though, that the team won’t be looking for a high-end player, and names Robert Stephenson, Cody Reed, Amir Garrett and Tim Adleman as candidates to take over the fifth spot.
- If the team uses Raisel Iglesias and Michael Lorenzen in its bullpen after both had strong 2016 seasons, it will do so with the goal of “maximizing their innings,” Williams says. “[I]f you do put them in the bullpen, it’s not going to be with the intent of making them one-inning guys. They’re too talented for that.”
- With much of its former veteran core (such as Todd Frazier, Aroldis Chapman and Jay Bruce) already having departed in trades, the Reds don’t figure to be big players on the trade market, either, Williams says. “We’ll always continue to be opportunistic as a team in our place in the lifecycle has got to be, [but] I don’t think we’ll be terribly active.”
- The team will chat with second baseman Brandon Phillips to see whether he might waive his full no-trade clause. The Reds attempted to deal Phillips to the Nationals last winter, but he turned that deal down. Phillips recently said he hasn’t strongly considered whether he’d accept a trade. Should he depart, the team would have Jose Peraza and/or Dilson Herrera ready to replace him. The team could also use Peraza at shortstop, which means they’ll have to make a determination about their incumbent at that position, Zack Cozart. (MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk recently explained that finding everyday roles for Peraza and Herrera should be one of the Reds’ top priorities this winter.)
- The Reds could also look for a bit of catching help in case Devin Mesoraco‘s recovery from hip surgery doesn’t go smoothly.
D’Backs Expected To Soon Decide On La Russa, Stewart
Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick is expected to meet with chief baseball officer Tony La Russa on Monday, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports. A decision about the future of La Russa and GM Dave Stewart could potentially be made at the meeting itself, though if not, a final call should be coming relatively soon. Team president Derrick Hall confirmed to Heyman that a Kendrick/La Russa meeting was probably happening Monday, though he didn’t note if he or Stewart would also attend.
For Stewart’s part, the general manager told reporters (including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic) on Sunday morning that he hadn’t been told by club management about when to expect a decision on his future. In a text to Piecoro, Hall said that there would be a sitdown meeting with La Russa and Stewart before any final decision was made, which could represent Monday’s get-together.
The club parted ways with senior VP De Jon Watson a couple of weeks ago, and as Piecoro writes, “many around the game” feel the D’Backs will make changes simply due to the fact that this evaluation of their top baseball execs has gone on for over a month. Stewart’s contract included a 2017 option that was supposed to be exercised by the end of August, though D’Backs upper management held off until the end of the season.
In a radio interview on Sunday, Hall acknowledged that something had to give. “We can’t drag this on….We’ve got to improve this ballclub, and we have to have a plan going into the offseason,” Hall said. “So we’ll make a decision quickly. It’s awkward for these guys to sit around and wait. It’s not good for anyone.”
Despite the high-profile offseason additions of Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller, the Diamondbacks finished the season with a 69-93 record, the seventh-worst mark in baseball. Subpar years from both pitchers, especially Miller, certainly played a part, as did a lack of help from the rotation as a whole, a very shaky bullpen and A.J. Pollock spending almost all of the season on the DL. Combined with pre-existing criticisms about how La Russa and Stewart have handled the team’s prospects and international signings, there is indeed a case for the D’Backs to make a change. On the flip side, as Stewart notes to Piecoro, the management team has only been in place for two years, so they could deserve more time to see things through.
West Notes: Scully, Hudson, Rockies, Bridich, Angels, M’s
Vin Scully signed off for the final time today, ending his incredible career with one final Dodgers vs. Giants matchup. All of us at MLB Trade Rumors join the rest of the baseball world in tipping our caps to Mr. Scully, the greatest to ever call a baseball game. We wish him all the best in a very well-deserved retirement. Here’s some news from around both the NL and AL West…
- The Diamondbacks will talk to free agent reliever Daniel Hudson this winter about a possible return, GM Dave Stewart told reporters, including Jack Magruder of FanRag Sports (Twitter link). Stewart discussed the possibility of extending Hudson last June, though also came very close to dealing the right-hander at the trade deadline. Hudson finished the year with a 5.31 ERA over 59 1/3 bullpen innings, though his solid peripherals (3.89 FIP, 4.20 xFIP, 3.92 SIERA) indicate Hudson’s ERA was inflated by his .333 BABIP and very low 61.7% strand rate.
- The Rockies were within reach of a wild card spot at the trade deadline but stood pat, ultimately faltering over the last two months of the season and finishing at 75-87. MLB.com’s Thomas Harding revisits the decision from GM Jeff Bridich to not make any moves, since while there were some good reasons (such as Trevor Story‘s season-ending injury) for Bridich to resist buying for a playoff run, it could indicate an over-reliance on Colorado’s internal talent.
- There don’t appear to be any changes forthcoming to the Angels coaching staff, manager Mike Scioscia told reporters (including MLB.com’s Austin Laymance).
- The Mariners will consider all of their free agents and club option players, GM Jerry Dipoto told reporters, though MLB.com’s Greg Johns believes “only a couple” will return to Seattle in 2017. Outfielder Seth Smith is likely to have his $7MM club option exercised, while the M’s could pass on Chris Iannetta‘s $4.25MM club option since it’s a fairly high price for a backup catcher. Of the free agents, Adam Lind will likely be let go while outfielders Nori Aoki and Franklin Gutierrez could be better fits to be re-signed.
Marlins Notes: Starting Pitching, Dunn, Bonds
Here’s the latest from south Florida…
- “After the Marlins come to grips with the shock and grief of losing Jose Fernandez the man, they will confront the reality of something far less important but daunting: replacing Fernandez the pitcher,” the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson writes. There is no easy way to fill the spot of perhaps the best pitcher in the sport, particularly since the Marlins were already going to be looking for rotation upgrades anyway. This winter’s free agent pitching market is extremely thin, and the Marlins have generally been unwilling to pay big prices on the open market. (It probably doesn’t help that Wei-Yin Chen, last year’s big signing, struggled in his first year in Miami.) Jackson figures the “best case scenario” for the Marlins would be to sign one of Jeremy Hellickson, Rich Hill or Ivan Nova, and then make a trade for another starter. He suggests Adeiny Hechavarria or Derek Dietrich as possible trade chips, and the Fish could even revisit last winter’s attempt to deal Marcell Ozuna for a higher-tier arm.
- The Marlins have “expressed preliminary interest” in re-signing Mike Dunn, the left-hander tells Tim Healey of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Dunn told the club that he “would be more than willing to come back” but is excited to be testing the free agent market for the first time in his career. Dunn and his family are “going to go where the opportunity is. Where that is, we don’t know. I haven’t ruled anybody out.” The southpaw bounced back from a somewhat disappointing 2015 season to post solid numbers this year — a 3.40 ERA, 8.1 K/9 and 3.45 K/BB rate over 42 1/3 innings. Dunn posted the lowest strikeout, grounder and walk rates of his eight-year career and his 93.6 mph average fastball velocity was his lowest since 2009.
- Barry Bonds‘ return as the club’s hitting coach in 2017 “is uncertain,” MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro writes. This was the all-time home run leader’s first year on a coaching staff, and under Bonds’ tutelage, Marlins such as Christian Yelich and J.T. Realmuto had notable jumps in production. Miami was a below-average offensive club overall, however, most notably in the power department (a likely product of their pitcher-friendly ballpark and an off year from Giancarlo Stanton). Frisaro notes that some changes are expected to Don Mattingly’s coaching staff.
- For more Miami baseball news, check out another batch of Marlins Notes from earlier today on MLBTR.
White Sox Notes: Ventura, Williams, Reinsdorf
Here’s the latest from the south side of Chicago…
- Robin Ventura was rumored to be done as the White Sox manager, and he confirmed it with reporters (including MLB.com’s Scott Merkin) after today’s game. “I just feel it’s the right time. It’s more of a personal decision than anything,” Ventura said. “I love being here. The organization means a lot to me. You can go as hard as you can and really the only thing you know is how you conduct your business and how you treat people. I’m good with that. Talking to [general manager] Rick [Hahn] through September, you just realize right now is the right time to do it and you need somebody else.”
- White Sox executive VP of baseball operations Kenny Williams is not stepping down from his position, WSCR 670’s Bruce Levine reports (Twitter link). Williams was promoted to his current role in October 2012 after a twelve-year stint as the White Sox general manager.
- The somewhat awkward handling of Ventura’s final days as manager is a sign that the White Sox need to settle on a clear chain of command within the organization, ESPN’s Buster Olney opines in his latest column for ESPN.com subscribers. Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who Olney calls “the most loyal boss in baseball,” needs to set a clear direction about whether or not the team is rebuilding or in go-for-it mode. It would also help solve some of the front office miscommunication by firmly establishing whether Williams or GM Rick Hahn is in charge of baseball operations.