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Buck Showalter Will Not Return As Mets Manager In 2024

By Nick Deeds | October 1, 2023 at 11:02pm CDT

5:52PM: Cohen told Tim Britton and other reporters that Stearns made the decision to fire Showalter.  “When you bring in a president of baseball ops, they’re entitled to bring in their own people….It became clear [Stearns] wanted to go in a different direction.  That was his right, and I gave him that right,” Cohen said.

1:35PM: Buck Showalter told reporters this afternoon (including Anthony DiComo of MLB.com) that he will not return to the Mets as manager in 2024. Per Mike Puma of the New York Post, Showalter was told he would be fired if he did not step down as manager. The Mets released a statement on the matter, confirming that Showalter would not return.

“We are heading in a new direction, with a new president of baseball operations and we let Buck know we’ll be parting ways. We will begin the search for a new manager immediately,” owner Steve Cohen said in the statement. “Buck is a generational manager, and we value what he has done for our team… The commitment and heart that Buck brings to the game will be felt by our organization for years to come. We wish Buck all the best in the next chapter of his career.”

The statement also noted that Cohen will be made available to the media tomorrow afternoon to address Showalter’s departure and announce the club’s new president of baseball operations. The club has reportedly agreed to terms with former Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns to take over baseball operations in Queens earlier this month. GM Billy Eppler also commented in the statement, while Showalter spoke to reporters before today’s game against the Phillies.

“I was honored to get a chance to manage a second New York team,” Showalter said (as relayed by DiComo), “I’m proud of what the Mets did. We won close to 180 games in two years. Especially last year, as much fun as I’ve ever had in the game. It reminded me of why I always loved this kind of work.” Showalter added (per Tim Britton of The Athletic) that he “wishes things could have gone better this season because Mets fans deserve that” and that he “still loves the city and the players” despite this not being the ending to his tenure as Mets manager that he hoped for.

Showalter’s first managerial gig was with the Yankees back in 1992. Since then, he’s spent a combined 22 years at the helm of a big league club, with stints as manager of the Diamondbacks, Rangers, and Orioles before joining the Mets ahead of the 2022 season. Showalter has won Manager of the Year four times in his career: in 1994 with the Yankees, 2004 with the Rangers, 2014 with the Orioles, and most recently in 2022 with the Mets. In 3,392 career games managed, Showalter has a record of 1726-1664, with a winning percentage of .509.

Though Showalter won 101 games with the Mets en route to his aforementioned fourth Manager of the Year award last year, this season’s club fell well below the lofty performance of the 2022 team despite the addition of future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander. The club’s struggles led the front office to deal away Verlander, fellow Hall of Fame-bound ace Max Scherzer and closer David Robertson prior to the trade deadline on August 1, with the Mets being mathematically eliminated from postseason contention six weeks later. With the Giants having fired manager Gabe Kapler earlier this week and Cleveland’s Terry Francona widely understood to be retiring following the 2023 campaign, Showalter’s departure in New York makes three managerial vacancies to be filled this offseason.

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New York Mets Newsstand Buck Showalter

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Tim Anderson Willing To Move To Second Base

By Mark Polishuk | October 1, 2023 at 10:44pm CDT

Not much went right on the South Side this year, including a miserable season for longtime shortstop Tim Anderson.  No qualified player in baseball finished with a lower wRC+ than Anderson’s total of 60, as he hit only .245/.286/.296 over 524 plate appearances — a stunning dropoff from player who’d posted a 123 wRC+ from 2019-22.

The timing couldn’t have been much worse for Anderson to have a down year, as 2023 was the last guaranteed season of the six-year, $25MM extension he signed back in March 2017.  The contract came with a pair of club option years, with the 2024 option worth $12.5MM (with a $1MM buyout).  That makes for a tricky decision for the White Sox, as paying an extra $11.5MM is steep for a player coming off a sub-replacement season.

“All I can do is understand whatever process it is and live with it,” Anderson told MLB.com’s Scott Merkin.  “It’s not my decision if I want to stay or leave.  I just have to hang with them.  I mean I would love to [stay], but I understand if I don’t fit into what they are trying to do.”

An early-season knee sprain resulted in three weeks on the injured list, and Anderson said “the body felt different each day” after he returned.  This partially explains his rough season, but heading into 2024, Anderson said he plans to be fully healthy and to sharpen all aspects of his game, both on offense and defense.  This might even include a new defensive position altogether, as Anderson admitted that it might be time for a move across the middle infield if necessary.

“Really, at this point, it doesn’t matter.  I’m a shortstop/second baseman,” Anderson said.  “It’s whatever to allow my career to keep going.  I’m not going to wrestle with a team that I’m this or I’m that.  It’s just an honor and a blessing to fit in any lineup as a starter considering how hard this game is.  Short would be my first choice, but I also understand how older guys are viewed, now that I’m stepping into that phase, which sucks and is different.  I just want to continue to keep building on what I started and get back to what I used to be.”

Public defensive metrics have been down on Anderson’s glovework for each of the last two seasons, so beyond adding positional versatility to his resume, it also might make more sense from a pure baseball perspective for Anderson to explore a move to second base.  The 30-year-old had exclusively played as a shortstop at the MLB level before this season, when he made two appearances at second base in order to help manage a minor shoulder issue.

Colson Montgomery is also a shortstop, as well as Chicago’s top prospect and ranked by MLB Pipeline as the 17th-best minor leaguer in the sport.  Montgomery hit well in his first taste of Double-A ball and should be in line to make his big league debut at some point in 2024, if all continues to go well for the 22nd overall pick of the 2021 draft.  If Montgomery might be the shortstop of the future, Anderson moving over to second base while still working as a mentor to the rookie would seem like an interesting possible scenario for the White Sox.  As well, it isn’t as if the Sox are deep in second-base options, as Chicago second baseman combined for a -0-4 bWAR in 2023.

Anderson and new White Sox GM Chris Getz spoke earlier this week, and while Anderson didn’t get into specifics about their conversation, “his ultimate goal is really trying to fix what’s going on here.  And I get that.”  Speaking with reporters prior to talking with Anderson this week, Getz said no decision had yet been made about the infielder’s club option, since the topic “deserves an exhaustive discussion because of what he has meant to this organization.”

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Chicago White Sox Tim Anderson

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Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts On Ross, Hendricks, Payroll

By Mark Polishuk | October 1, 2023 at 9:20pm CDT

After losing seasons in both 2021 and 2022, the Cubs finished 83-79 this year, representing some progress.  Unfortunately for Wrigleyville, that record left the team one game behind the Diamondbacks for the last NL wild card slot, as a 5-12 slide in the Cubs’ last 17 games quickly muddied what seemed like a clear path to the playoffs a few weeks ago.

As such, team chairman Tom Ricketts was measured in his praise when speaking with reporters (including The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma and The Chicago Tribune’s Meghan Montemurro) today.  While “there was a lot of excitement and the organizational health is as strong as it’s been in a long, long time,” Ricketts also said “I don’t think that we want to start calling seasons we don’t make the playoffs good seasons.  That’s a consolation prize and we don’t play for consolation prizes.”

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer recently gave manager David Ross a public vote of confidence, seemingly confirming that Ross would return for 2024 (the final guaranteed year of the skipper’s contract).  The odds of Ross continuing with the team grew even stronger today when Ricketts also credited the manager’s work.

“I think Rossy did a great job.  He creates a great clubhouse culture, the players love playing for him,” Ricketts said.  “He keeps a steady, balanced approach game in and game out, that you need over the course of 162 games.”  Specifically citing the full-season aspect in a year when the Cubs started with a 26-36 record, Ricketts noted that “when the team got down, way below .500 and it looked like the season was over, he didn’t let it go.  He got the guys back and playing hard.  We got to here.  He was a big part of that.”

Another Wrigleyville staple also return in 2024, as Ricketts said “at this point I would see [Kyle Hendricks] coming back,” though the chairman said Hoyer would ultimately be making the decision.  Chicago holds a $16MM club option ($1.5MM buyout) on Hendricks for next season, and it seemed like Hendricks was on the decline after down years in both 2021 and 2022.  However, the veteran righty bounced back nicely from an injury-shortened 2022 to post a 3.74 ERA over 137 innings this year, increasingly his chances of getting that option exercised.  Even if Marcus Stroman doesn’t opt out of the final year of his contract, retaining Hendricks might still make sense to bolster the rotation depth.

The rest of Chicago’s payroll picture will naturally factor into the $14.5MM decision on Hendricks.  Ricketts again stated that Hoyer is calling the shots on player personnel, but with an Opening Day payroll of roughly $184.2MM last March, Ricketts said “I think we’ll stay at those levels” for 2024, and “we’ll see where that shakes out” in terms of whether or not the Cubs would be willing to boost spending closing to the $237MM luxury tax line.

The Cubs’ rebuilding efforts of the previous two seasons helped add a lot of younger talent into the system, which Ricketts cited as another (and perhaps wiser) method of improving the Major League roster.  “We’ve got a lot of good young players and hopefully some will be ready to go next year so we can bring homegrown talent to supplement the guys we have out there,” Ricketts said.

“That’s the ultimate way you maintain consistency and try to stay in the playoff hunt for years to come…The key to consistency is to not build a one-year super team, but to try to get to the playoffs as often as possible.  You do that by finding guys that you like, giving them extensions, solidifying your core and then trying to supplement them with guys from your system and the occasional free agent.  That’s going to be our strategy going forward.”

It isn’t as if Ricketts and Hoyer have shied away from larger investments, such as signing Dansby Swanson, Seiya Suzuki, or Jameson Taillon, or in locking up Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ through 2026 on contract extensions.  However, should Stroman opt out and Cody Bellinger leave in free agency, that is automatically two big holes that need to be addressed, in addition to the Cubs’ other roster needs.

At the very least, Ricketts’ comment seemingly indicates that the Cubs will make a measured effort at best to re-sign Bellinger, who figures to land one of the winter’s biggest contracts.  It could be that the front office and ownership are willing to spend a bit bigger now that the Cubs have gotten over the .500 hump and back into playoff contention, though it may take a particular target (i.e. Swanson last winter) to really move the organization to make a splash.

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Chicago Cubs David Ross Kyle Hendricks

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AL East Notes: Judge, Yankees, Rays, Siri, Raley, Cora

By Mark Polishuk | October 1, 2023 at 8:03pm CDT

Aaron Judge spoke with MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch and other reporters about what the Yankees should do differently in 2024, including “some bigger picture ideas and philosophies that I think maybe need to change.”  The communication of analytical information seems to be one of Judge’s sticking points, since the slugger has no issue with the use of analytics themselves.  “The Yankees are top-notch in the numbers we get.  I think we’re the best in the game at that,” Judge said.  “I think it’s about funneling those down to the players in the right format….I think it’s just looking at the right numbers.  I think maybe we might be looking at the wrong ones.  We need to value some other ones that people might see as having no value.”

The reigning AL MVP also put some pressure on the clubhouse, saying “I think a level of urgency and an understanding [is needed that] just because you get to the big leagues and you get to New York, you’ve still got to improve.  You’ve still got to make adjustments.”  Judge gave a full endorsement of Aaron Boone as the club’s manager, though as Hoch put it, “Judge was less effusive” in speaking about GM Brian Cashman in comparison to his praise of Boone.

More from the AL East…

  • Jose Siri and Luke Raley are expected to participate in a live batting practice on Monday, Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters (including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times).  Siri hasn’t played since September 11 after his right hand was fractured by a pitch, and Raley has been on the 10-day injured list since September 21 due to a cervical strain suffered a few days prior.  Tomorrow’s BP session should indicate whether or not either player might factor into the Rays’ roster for their Wild Card Series matchup with Texas.  If neither can play, Topkin speculates that the Rays might add both of Junior Caminero and Osleivis Basabe, and possibly Francisco Mejia as a third catcher.
  • Red Sox manager Alex Cora indicated two weeks ago that he didn’t have interest in moving into the front office, possibly as the team’s new head of baseball operations.  Cora reiterated this stance more directly today with reporters (including WEEI’s Rob Bradford), and said “I was very honest with the front office…and said, I’m not ready to do that.  I’m not ready.  If I felt that I think I can do that job I would probably tell them hey, I would like to be part of the process — or not the process of but one of the candidates.  But I’m not ready for that.”  However, Cora did say that he’ll have some level of influence in the eventual decision to find Chaim Bloom’s replacement.
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Boston Red Sox New York Yankees Notes Tampa Bay Rays Aaron Boone Aaron Judge Alex Cora Jose Siri Luke Raley

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Poll: Who’s Going To Win The World Series?

By Mark Polishuk | October 1, 2023 at 6:57pm CDT

Both the playoff field and the first-round matchups now have been set, so we can get on with deciding who’s going to be holding the Commissioner’s Trophy by the end of the World Series.  After 162 games (well, give or take a Marlins/Mets game that will now be scrapped entirely), the list of contenders has been narrowed to a dozen teams.

The Braves led all of baseball with 104 wins, and their spectacular lineup tied a Major League record with 307 home runs.  Leading the league almost across the board in significant offensive categories this season, Atlanta boasts MVP favorite Ronald Acuna Jr. as their top player, yet the incredible depth of the everyday lineup is a nightmare for opposing pitchers.  Injuries to Max Fried and Charlie Morton have left some questions about the readiness of the staff heading into the playoffs, but if Atlanta’s games start turning into slugfests, the Braves are more than well-equipped for that type of baseball.

Despite a huge swath of injuries to their pitching staff, the Dodgers still finished 100-62 and won the NL West.  It was the fifth time in the last six 162-game seasons that L.A. hit the 100-win threshold, and the Dodgers have now won 10 of the last 11 division titles.  All of that success, of course, has netted “only” one World Series title (in 2020) to date, and it will be up to Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman to keep carrying the offense while the somewhat makeshift pitching staff will try to produce quality innings.

The Orioles went from 110 losses in 2021 to 101 wins this season, winning the AL East for the first time since 2014.  Baltimore’s extensive rebuild led to a new wave of young talent (i.e. Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Grayson Rodriguez) providing a quick impact, while roster holdovers and unexpected hidden gems like Ryan O’Hearn all kept producing for a well-rounded team.  The rotation is either a question mark or perhaps just underrated heading into October, and the O’s want to leave no doubt that their team is for real.

The Astros went into the final series of the season not even knowing if they’d be in the playoffs at all, yet Houston ended up with a first-round bye and their sixth AL West crown in seven seasons.  The defending World Series champs have weathered a lot of pitching injuries and a bit more inconsistency than usual from their lineup, yet if any team knows how to turn up the volume in the postseason, it’s the Astros.

These four teams will get first-round byes, while the other two division champions and the six wild-card teams will have to survive the best-of-three first round.  The AL Central champion Twins and the sixth-seeded Blue Jays will meet in the postseason for the first time since 1991, with Toronto trying to win its first playoff game since 2016 and Minnesota trying to end an unfathomable 0-18 record in playoff games dating back to 2004.  Both the Twins and Jays have relied on recipes of strong starting pitching, solid bullpen work and (especially in Toronto’s case) excellent defense, while the offense has been much more hit-and-miss for each club.  A low-scoring series wouldn’t be a surprise, making things a tossup even though the Twins have the home-field advantage.

The Rays and Rangers spent a good chunk of the season looking like they’d sail to division titles, yet the two clubs will now meet in the Wild Card Series.  Tampa Bay’s ever-deep farm system just kept churning out MLB-ready talent, allowing the Rays to stay steady and win 99 games despite an injury-depleted pitching staff.  Texas had greater issues managing pitching injuries and a very leaky bullpen, and though the Rangers still ended up with 90 wins and a playoff berth, the Rangers’ relief corps stands out as perhaps the biggest weak link of any postseason team.

The Brewers went 92-70 to book their fifth trip to the playoffs in six seasons, with three of those trips coming via the NL Central title.  With a 35-20 record since August 1, Milwaukee has been somewhat quietly marching towards the playoffs in top form, even if scoring runs is still at something of a premium for a team powered by its hurlers.  The Diamondbacks have just about the opposite problem, as they’ll head into the playoffs with a -15 run differential and a season-long problem with rotation depth.  But, Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly can be a problem in a short series, and NL Rookie of the Year favorite Corbin Carroll will get his first taste of the postseason spotlight.

The Phillies and Marlins meet in an all-NL East edition of the Wild Card Series, with Miami holding a 7-6 head-to-head edge in regular-season play.  After falling short in last year’s World Series, the Phillies are looking to make another run through the entire bracket, setting up the dynamic of a seasoned, veteran squad against an upstart Marlins club who are in the playoffs following a full 162-game season for the first time since 2003.  A huge 33-13 record in one-run games helped Miami reach the postseason despite a -56 run differential — by contrast, Philadelphia was +81.

Looking at the list of twelve, who is your pick to win it all? (poll link for app users)

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Arizona Diamondbacks Atlanta Braves Baltimore Orioles Houston Astros Los Angeles Dodgers MLBTR Polls Miami Marlins Milwaukee Brewers Minnesota Twins Philadelphia Phillies Tampa Bay Rays Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays

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Coaching Notes: Guardians, Albernaz, Giants, Yankees, Casey, White Sox

By Mark Polishuk | October 1, 2023 at 4:46pm CDT

The Guardians will interview Giants bullpen/catching coach Craig Albernaz about their upcoming managerial vacancy, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.  Terry Francona may officially announce his retirement as Cleveland’s skipper as early as tonight, so the Guardians are already lining up what is expected to be a long list of possible replacements.

Albernaz (who turns 41 later this month) has spent the last four seasons on the Giants’ coaching staff.  A longtime catcher in the Rays’ and Tigers’ farm systems from 2006-14, Albernaz then became a coach, field coordinator, and manager for Tampa Bay at the minor league level.  His experience as a manager consists of a partial season with the Rays’ short-season A-ball affiliate in 2017, and then a full year with the Rays’ high-A affiliate in 2018.

Slusser notes that the Giants might interview Albernaz for their own managerial opening, and interim manager Kai Correa and third base coach Mark Hallberg could also be considered.  Since a managerial change usually begets changes on the coaching staff, Slusser feels teams could try to make some hires away from San Francisco, with pitching coach Andrew Bailey reportedly on the Yankees’ radar.  There hasn’t been any indication that New York pitching coach Matt Blake could be in danger of losing his job, so it isn’t known exactly what role the Yankees might have in mind for Bailey.

More on other possible coaching moves from around baseball…

  • Sticking with the Yankees, hitting coach Sean Casey told the New York Post’s Greg Joyce that he has been asked to return in 2024, though he first had to discuss matters with his family before deciding one way or the other.  Casey took over the hitting coach job at midseason on essentially a 1.5-year contract, with an understanding that the two sides might re-evaluate things after the season.  While the Yankees’ lack of batting prowess has been an issue before and after Casey’s hiring, he has won some immediate support — Aaron Judge praised Casey’s work, while both GM Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone have asked Casey to keep coaching.  Joyce observes that Cashman’s support of Casey might indicate that Boone will also be returning as manager, since Boone and Casey are good friends. [UPDATE: Speaking with The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner and other reporters, Casey said that he hasn’t received a former offer to return next season.}
  • White Sox manager Pedro Grifol implied that some changes are coming to his coaching staff, though was short on details with the Chicago Sun-Times’ Daryl Van Schouwen (X link) and other reporters because “it’s a very sensitive issue.  We talk about the staff, we talk about people who have been in the game a long, long time.  Unfortunately, this is a game that’s predicated on wins and losses.”  Like Grifol himself, several members of the staff are finishing their first season with the White Sox, including bench coach Charlie Montoyo, third base coach Eddie Rodriguez, hitting coach Jose Castro.  It isn’t known if any of these specific coaches might be in jeopardy, or if the Sox are looking at some of the longer-standing holdovers. [UPDATE: assistant pitching coach Curt Hasler will be reassigned to a role in the minor league system, James Fegan of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.]
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Chicago White Sox Cleveland Guardians New York Yankees Notes San Francisco Giants Andrew Bailey Craig Albernaz Kai Correa Sean Casey

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Tim Wakefield Passes Away

By Mark Polishuk | October 1, 2023 at 3:16pm CDT

Former Red Sox and Pirates knuckleballer Tim Wakefield passed away today at age 57.  Wakefield pitched in 19 MLB seasons from 1992-2011, beginning his career in the Pittsburgh organization before moving onto a 17-year run with the Sox.

In an official statement from the Red Sox, club president/CEO Sam Kennedy said “It’s a rare occurrence for a two-time World Series Champion’s extraordinary personality to shine even brighter than their illustrious career.  Tim was undeniably an exceptional pitcher, but what truly set him apart was the ease with which he connected with people.  He was an extraordinary pitcher, an incredible broadcaster, and someone who exemplified every humanitarian quality in the dictionary.  I will miss my friend more than anything and can only aspire to live as genuinely and honorably as he did.”

The Pirates also paid tribute, saying “Tim began his Major League career with the Pirates and was a part of our baseball family for six years.  He made his big league debut in 1992 and was a key addition to the pitching staff that helped propel the team to its third consecutive Postseason appearance.  Off the field, Tim always devoted his time to make an impact on others within the Pittsburgh community.  He was a great man who will be dearly missed.  Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this difficult time.”

Many more testimonials have poured in from across social media from Wakefield’s many former teammates, colleagues, friends, and fans, in a sign of just how beloved a figure Wakefield was to an entire baseball generation, particularly in Boston.  Wakefield was closely involved with numerous charities and non-profit groups, and was recognized for these off-the-field endeavors by Major League Baseball as the 2010 winner of the Roberto Clemente Award.

Fans are already very familiar with Wakefield’s work on the mound, as his use of the knuckleball made him stand out from the moment he made his MLB debut with the Pirates in 1992.  In fact, Wakefield’s entire rookie year was a triumph, as he posted a 2.15 ERA over 92 innings in the regular season, and then threw a pair of complete-game wins for Pittsburgh in the NLCS.

However, the vagaries of the knuckleball didn’t lead to consistent success, as Wakefield struggled in 1993 and didn’t pitch at all in the majors in 1994.  Released by the Pirates in April 1995, it looked like Wakefield might’ve been a flash in pan, until he caught on with the Red Sox and rediscovered his form.  Wakefield finished third in AL Cy Young Award voting in 1995, which kicked off his 17-year run in Boston with a bang.

No pitcher in Red Sox history threw more innings (3006) or started more games (430) than Wakefield, who became a fixture of the team’s rotation.  Never the ace of the staff, Wakefield sometimes wasn’t even a starter at all, moving into a swingman or long relief role at times, and he even had a stretch as Boston’s closer in 1999.  Again owing to the difficulties of fully harnessing a knuckleball, Wakefield’s numbers had plenty of ebbs and flows, though he capably filled in whenever the Red Sox had a need to fill in the rotation or bullpen.

As such, Wakefield took part in some of the most memorable moments in Red Sox history, both for good and bad.  He allowed Aaron Boone’s walkoff home run in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS, yet got some revenge on the Yankees the very next year, tossing three shutout innings and earning the win in Game 5 of the 2004 ALCS.  Wakefield won World Series rings for helping the curse-breaking 2004 Red Sox and 2007 Sox win championships.

Wakefield posted a 4.41 ERA and a 200-180 record over his 3226 1/3 career innings, along with 2156 strikeouts.  The icon of durability pitched until he was 45 years old, facing (who else) the Yankees in his final game on September 25, 2011.

We at MLB Trade Rumors send our condolences to Wakefield’s family and many loved ones.

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Boston Red Sox Newsstand Obituaries Pittsburgh Pirates Tim Wakefield

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Cubs Announce Several Roster Moves

By Nick Deeds | October 1, 2023 at 12:54pm CDT

The Cubs announced several roster moves this afternoon. The club selected the contracts of right-handers Shane Greene and Tyler Duffey, while transferring infielder Nick Madrigal and right-hander Michael Fulmer to the 60-day IL to clear space on the 40-man roster for the duo. Right-hander Hayden Wesneski and left-hander Jordan Wicks were optioned to the minors to make room for the duo on the active roster. In a separate pair of moves, second baseman Nico Hoerner was placed on the 10-day IL with a left knee contusion while infielder Jared Young was recalled to replace Hoerner on the active roster.

Greene is in the tenth season of his big league career, having debuted as a member of the Yankees back in 2014. From 2017-2020, Greene was a strong set-up option at the back of the bullpen for the Tigers and Braves, posting a 3.25 ERA and 4.04 FIP in 221 1/3 innings of work, including his lone All Star campaign in 2019. Unfortunately, he’s struggled badly since then with a 6.83 ERA in 27 2/3 innings since the start of the 2021 campaign. Greene was selected to the major league roster by the Cubs earlier this year, but recorded just one scoreless inning before being outrighted off the 40-man roster. Now he’s back for the final game of the season, with the Cubs having been eliminated from postseason contention last night.

Duffey, 31, spent his entire career as a member of the Twins prior to the 2023 campaign. Since his debut in 2015, he’s posted a 4.57 ERA and 3.96 FIP in 475 innings of work with Minnesota. Upon hitting free agency last offseason, Duffey signed on with the Cubs on a minor league deal but is only just cracking the big league roster despite a solid 3.77 ERA in 45 1/3 innings of work at the Triple-A level. That’s in part thanks to a elevated 12.6% walk rate. Still Duffey posted a solid 29% strikeout rate and will now appear in the ninth big league season of his career, should he get into today’s game.

Departing the roster to make room for the pair of veterans are Wesneski and Wicks, a pair of youngsters who each got auditions in the Chicago rotation this season. Wesneski posted a 4.72 ERA and 5.52 FIP across 87 2/3 innings of work with the big league club, while Wicks sported a sterling 3.00 ERA and solid 3.96 FIP through six starts before getting shelled during last night’s game against the Brewers in Milwaukee, which raised his season stats in the majors to a 4.41 ERA and 4.70 FIP. Both youngsters figure to enter Spring Training next season as potential options for the Cubs at the major league level.

Meanwhile, Hoerner heads to the IL after fouling a pitch off his knee during Friday’s game and sitting out on Saturday. With the Cubs having been eliminated from postseason contention last night, clearly the club saw no reason to have Hoerner play through the injury on the last day of the season. It was a strong campaign for Hoerner, who slashed .283/.346/.383 in 688 trips to the plate while going 43-for-50 on the basepaths and playing elite defense at second base. Taking Hoerner’s place on the active roster is Young, a 27-year-old rookie who made his MLB debut with the Cubs last year. Through 65 trips to the plate in the big leagues the past two seasons, Young has slashed .224/.308/.466 while playing first base and right field.

The moves are purely procedural for both Madrigal and Fulmer, who were already on the injured list through the end of the season.

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Chicago Cubs Transactions Hayden Wesneski Jared Young Jordan Wicks Michael Fulmer Nick Madrigal Nico Hoerner Shane Greene Tyler Duffey

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Twins Designate Gilberto Celestino For Assignment

By Nick Deeds | October 1, 2023 at 12:51pm CDT

The Twins have designated center fielder Gilberto Celestino for assignment, per a club announcement. Celestino’s spot on the 40-man roster will go to right-hander Jorge Alcala, who has been activated from the 60-day IL. Making room for Alcala on the active roster is Dallas Keuchel, who the club placed on the 15-day IL.

Celestino made his debut with the Twins back in 2021 before stepping into a regular role with the club last season, when he appeared in 122 games. Celestino slashed .222/.292/.300 across 409 trips to the plate for the Twins those two years, though he did not appear in the big leagues this season after undergoing th that cost him the first half of the 2023 campaign. Celestino struggled somewhat at the Triple-A level following his return from the injured list, slashing just .243/.392/.389, a noticeable departure from his .290/.384/.443 slash line at the level in 2021.

Going forward, the Twins will have seven days to waive Celestino, who can then be claimed by any interested club. The Twins can outright Celestino if he clears waivers, though it should be noted that he would be eligible to elect free agency following the conclusion of the 2023 campaign if not added back to the 40-man roster.

Celestino’s departure makes way for Alcala, 27, to return from the injured list. The right-hander made his big league debut with the Twins back in 2019 and has spent parts of five seasons with the big league club, posting a 3.84 ERA and 4.35 FIP in 103 innings of work. Alcala’s 2023 season has been a difficult one, as the righty struggled to a 6.46 ERA in 15 1/3 innings of work at the big league level with a 6.84 FIP. Alcala was placed on the 15-day IL in the middle of May due to a stress fracture in his right forearm and didn’t appear in the majors or minors again until he began a rehab assignment in September. Alcala has now returned in time for the final game of the regular season to help the Twins eat innings ahead of the club’s appearance in the AL Wild Card series, which starts Tuesday.

Keuchel has two All Star appearances, a Cy Young award, and five Gold Gloves throughout his career but struggled in recent seasons, with a 6.35 ERA in 222 2/3 innings of work across the 2021 and 2022 seasons with the White Sox, Diamondbacks, and Rangers. Keuchel returned to the big leagues with the Twins back in August and has provided the club with a solid depth option for the rotation, pitching to a 5.40 ERA with a 4.25 FIP in 35 innings of work across nine appearances (six starts).  Speaking with the Associated Press and other reporters, Keuchel said he would like to continue his career in 2024.

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Minnesota Twins Transactions Dallas Keuchel Gilberto Celestino jorge alcala

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Reds Select Alan Busenitz

By Nick Deeds | October 1, 2023 at 12:11pm CDT

The Reds announced this afternoon that the club has selected the contract of right-hander Alan Busenitz. To make room for Busenitz on the active roster, the club optioned fellow right-hander Carson Spiers.

Busenitz made his debut with the Twins in 2017 and returned to the club in 2018 before heading overseas to pitch in Japan, where he stayed for four seasons, racking up a 2.60 ERA and 2.91 FIP in 190 NPB appearances. That performance caught the attention of the Reds, who signed Busenitz to a minor league deal back in December. Busenitz made five appearances for the Reds, pitching to a 3.60 ERA and 2.65 FIP in five innings of work, before being designated for assignment and outrighted to the minors in early September. He’s struggled a bit at the Triple-A level this year, with a 4.94 ERA in 51 innings, but now has returned to the roster, where he’ll have a chance to play for the Reds during the final game of the club’s 2023 season.

Spiers, 25, made his big league debut for the Reds earlier this season. The rookie struggled in his first taste of the big leagues, allowing twelve runs (10 earned) on seven walks and 18 hits across 13 innings of work while striking out 12. Spiers had more success in the minor leagues, spending most of the season at the Double-A level and combining for a 3.60 ERA in 85 innings of work between the Double-A and Triple-A levels. Should Spiers stick around on the club’s 40-man roster through the offseason, he figures to compete for a spot in the big league bullpen in 2024 come Spring Training.

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Cincinnati Reds Transactions Alan Busenitz

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