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Manager Notes: Red Sox, Sandberg, Mariners

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The Nationals are expected to announce that Davey Johnson will return to the dugout in 2012 soon after the World Series ends. Here are more notes on MLB’s managers…

  • Peter Gammons of MLB Network said on WEEI that Red Sox GM Ben Cherington thinks outside the box and mentioned Dale Sveum and Mike Maddux as managerial possibilities for Boston. Sveum, a 12-year MLB veteran, managed the Brewers on an interim basis in 2008 and Maddux is the Rangers' pitching coach. Justin Doubleday has more details at WEEI.com.
  • Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said on ESPN 1000's The Waddle & Silvy Show that he's going to speak with manager Mike Quade in the coming days. Talk about bringing a certain Hall of Famer in to replace Quade is premature, according to Epstein. "Ryne Sandberg obviously was a great Cub, great player, great guy by all accounts, but he's a Philadelphia Phillie,” Epstein said. “He's a Triple-A manager. It would be just so premature for us to talk about that."
  • Toni Ginnetti of the Chicago Sun-Times explains that Epstein and Sandberg have been avoiding questions about whether Sandberg could manage for the Cubs.
  • The Mariners announced that their entire coaching staff will return in 2012. “I feel we made progress this season,” manager Eric Wedge said in a statement, “and this group was a big part of it."

Phillies Decline Options On Lidge, Oswalt

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The Phillies announced that they have officially declined the 2012 options for right-handers Brad Lidge and Roy Oswalt. Lidge obtains a $1.5MM buyout instead of a $12.5MM salary and Oswalt obtains a $2MM buyout instead of a $16MM salary. The team hasn't ruled out a new deal with either Lidge or Oswalt.

"We will remain in contact with representatives for both players about the possibility of bringing them back for the 2012 season,” GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said in a statement.

Lidge, 34, appeared in just 25 games in 2011 because of a rotator cuff injury. He posted a 1.40 ERA with 10.7 K/9 and 6.1 BB/9 in 19 1/3 regular season innings before pitching two scoreless frames in the Division Series. Though he's a Type B free agent, an offer of arbitration seems highly unlikely given his extended DL stint and 2011 salary of $12MM.  For fantasy analysis on Lidge, check out Dan Mennella's latest at CloserNews.

Oswalt, also 34, posted a 3.69 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 139 innings in 2011. He made just 23 starts, as lower back issues landed him on the DL twice. A Type A free agent, Oswalt almost certainly won't receive an offer of arbitration.

Phillies Notes: Madson, Nathan, Moyer, Lambe

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The Phillies have a number of issues to address this winter, including Jimmy Rollins' impending free agency.  The shortstop is after a five-year deal but the club will likely push for a shorter contract.  Here's a look at some other news out of the City of Brotherly Love..

  • General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. wants stability in the ninth inning, but committing top dollar and multiple years to a proven closer has its risks, opines Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  Earlier this month, the GM said that if Phillies don't re-sign closer Ryan Madson, the club will go outside the organization for a replacement.
  • On his blog, Gelb suggests that 37-year-old Joe Nathan could be a sensible choice for the Phillies this offseason.  Nathan would come cheap and could serve as a stopgap while one of the club's young arms develop and build towards taking over the role of closer.  The right-hander pitched 44.2 innings in 2011 after undergoing Tommy John surgery and missing the 2010 season.
  • Former Phillies left-hander Jamie Moyer, who will turn 49 in November, continues to eye a comeback in 2012, writes Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com.  Moyer is roughly 11 months removed from undergoing Tommy John surgery.
  • The Phillies reached out to Bryan Lambe about joining their organization just after he agreed to become an area scout for the Astros, tweets Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated.  Heyman calls Lambe a "man of integrity" for not wavering after giving his word to Houston.

Cafardo On Farrell, Red Sox, Rollins, Oswalt

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When the Red Sox and manager Terry Francona parted ways, Blue Jays skipper John Farrell was the preferred candidate to manage the team, a major league source told Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe.  There's conflicting information on how much the Red Sox have explored this possibility but they've internally considered a few managers and the one who would fit best would be Farrell.  One source said the BoSox wouldn't want to give compensation to a division rival while another thought the issue already had been brought up and the discussions didn't get very far. 

The Red Sox have been hesitant to turn to bench coach DeMarlo Hale for the job because of a feeling that he’s too close and tied into Francona, but Cafardo notes that Farrell also learned his managerial style from him.  Farrell took the Toronto job because it appeared that Francona was deeply entrenched in Boston.  Had he known that Francona and the team would part ways, Cafardo wonders if he would have stayed.  Here's more from Cafardo..

  • Free agent shortstop Jimmy Rollins will have to back off from his desire for a five-year deal for the Phillies to seriously consider re-signing him.  They probably won’t be interested in free agent Jose Reyes because of his price tag.  If they don't retain Rollins, the club may find a cheaper stopgap to replace him such as Marco Scutaro if the Red Sox don’t pick up his option ($6MM club/$3MM player, $1.5MM buyout).
  • Phillies right-hander Roy Oswalt could become available in free agency as he is due $16MM on a mutual option and the team will likely either buy him out for $2MM or try to negotiate a lesser deal.  If he becomes a free agent, one major league talent evaluator said that he would be a great acquisition for anyone on a two-year deal, but obviously not at a $16MM rate.
  • In the event that the Red Sox decide on Farrell and reach agreement with the Blue Jays, there are an endless number of candidates the team could hire to replace him.  Those options include current bench coach Don Wakamatsu and third base coach Brian Butterfield.
  • Since the Padres have allowed Jed Hoyer and Jason McLeod out of their respective contracts, Cafardo wonders if they'd let Bud Black walk to become the Red Sox's next manager.  Black could straighten out the pitching staff and got the most out of John Lackey as pitching coach for the Angels. 
  • Francona probably needs to sit out a half-year before taking on another managerial job sometime next season.  In the meantime, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he took on a job as a special assistant.  An American League GM said that the former Red Sox skipper would have "an endless number of opportunities" along those lines.
  • DeMarlo Hale has a year remaining on his contract and eventually he'll meet with new GM Ben Cherington to determine his fate.  Hale hopes to interview for the Sox managerial job and could also could be a candidate with the Cubs under Theo Epstein.  Davey Johnson is still expected to return to the Nationals job but there may be an interview process and Hale will likely be a candidate given the strong backing he’ll receive from Nats special adviser Bob Schaefer.
  • Don't be surprised if Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum emerges as a top candidate for the Boston job.

NL East Notes: Reyes, Johnson, Phillies, Sandberg

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Some news from the NL East…

  • Two Mets players "wouldn't be surprised to see" Jose Reyes sign with the Nationals this winter, tweets David Lennon of Newsday.
  • The Nationals are conducting a managerial search to abide by MLB rules, but Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated tweets that the job is Davey Johnson's if he wants it.
  • All six members of the Phillies' coaching staff have signed new contracts for 2012, according to a team press release.  This includes bench coach Pete Mackanin, who has been mentioned as a candidate to become the next Red Sox manager.
  • As Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer points out, the intact coaching staff means that Ryne Sandberg (who managed Philadelphia's Triple-A affiliate last season) isn't getting a promotion.  Gelb predicts that Sandberg will manage or coach somewhere in the Major Leagues next year, which would mean he'll leave the Phillies' franchise unless Mackanin gets the Boston job and Sandberg is promoted to bench coach.
  • Also from Gelb, he examines Ruben Amaro's plan to sign a proven closer if Ryan Madson leaves and compares it to how the Cardinals relied on unproven (and cheaper) closing options like Jason Motte and Fernando Salas to great success this season.
  • Despite the Braves' collapse in September, Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution thinks the club is close to a World Series.

NL East Notes: Hanley, Phillies, LaRoche

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MLBTR has offseason outlooks for the Nationals, Marlins and Mets with pieces on the Braves and Phillies coming soon. Here’s the latest on the NL East… 

  • Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen didn't rule out a position change for Hanley Ramirez, according to Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Guillen says he's happy as long as Ramirez is on the field every day.
  • One insider told Jon Heyman of SI.com that he could see Jose Reyes ending up with any NL East team. Ramirez has said he'd change positions for Reyes, who is a possible fit in New York and Washington. I can't see Reyes ending up with the Braves.
  • Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer points out that the Phillies have some flexibility on their 40-man roster. Phillippe Aumont and Sebastian Valle are locks for 40-man roster spots this offseason, according to Gelb. Jiwan James could be on the bubble and may be exposed during this winter's Rule 5 draft.
  • The Nationals didn’t promise Adam LaRoche that he’ll have the starting first base job in 2012, according to MLB.com’s Bill Ladson (on Twitter). Until Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols sign elsewhere, rumors and speculation will link them to the Nationals, who haven’t been afraid to spend in recent years and aren’t so far away from contending.

Phillies Outright Brandon Moss, Pete Orr

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The Phillies outrighted Brandon Moss and Pete Orr to Triple-A Lehigh Valley yesterday, according to MLB.com’s transactions page. They now have 38 players on their 40-man roster.

Moss appeared in five games for the Phillies in 2011. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a strong .275/.368/.509 line with 23 homers. The 28-year-old was part of the 2008 trade that sent Manny Ramirez to Los Angeles and brought Jason Bay to Boston.

Orr, 32, appeared in 46 games for Philadelphia this year. He posted a .219/.279/.250 line in 104 plate appearances and appeared at second and third. The six-year veteran has suited up for three of the five NL East teams: the Phillies, Nationals and Braves.

East Notes: Backman, Red Sox, Rays, Phillies

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Here are a handful of items out of the AL and NL East …

  • MLB.com's Bill Ladson cites three different sources in reporting that Wally Backman, who currently manages in the Mets minor league system, was never offered a position with the Nationals' Major League club.
  • Backman told Ed Randall of New York's WFAN radio that he will remain in the organization rather than accepting a position on another team's Major League staff, according to MetsBlog. Backman interviewed for the Mets' managerial vacancy before it went to Terry Collins last year.
  • The Red Sox are not expected to interview former Diamondbacks skipper A.J. Hinch for their managerial vacancy, a source familiar with the situation tells Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Hinch is currently vice president of pro scouting for the Padres.
  • The Rays are unlikely to make quick decisions on whether to re-sign free agents Johnny Damon and first baseman Casey Kotchman, writes Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. Tampa will look to improve its offense, according to Topkin, but that won't be easy without detracting from its deep well of pitching talent, which it won't want to do. Andrew Friedman will likely do most of his roster shuffling via trade, writes Topkin.
  • As their core position players are getting older and dealing with injuries, the Phillies' window of opportunity may be closing, opines Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer. One talent evaluator told Brookover that the Phillies should let Jimmy Rollins walk in free agency. "It might be time to find out about a guy like Freddy Galvis," the scout said. "I saw him this year and he really is improving. I don't know if he's ready to be an everyday player in the big leagues, but I just think they need to get younger."
  • Former Yankees pitching prospect Brandon Weeden, now 28, has resurfaced as the starting quarterback of the Oklahoma State Cowboys, writes Tom Spousta of the New York Times (cap tip to Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues). Weeden was a second-round pick of the Yanks in 2002 (a compensatory selection for Tino Martinez signing with the Cardinals), but he washed out of baseball by 2007 due to injuries and ineffectiveness.

Phillies’ Manuel In Favor Of Third Base Upgrade

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In two seasons with the Phillies, third baseman Placido Polanco has struggled to stay healthy and on the field.  Despite being named an All-Star for the second time in his career in 2011, manager Charlie Manuel says that he would be in favor of an upgrade at the position, writes MLB.com's Nate Mink.

"If we need to upgrade and we can, we should do it," the skipper said on Wednesday.

Polanco is guaranteed $6.25MM next season, but Mink writes that it shouldn't handcuff the Phillies from exploring other options at third base.  Manuel doesn't think that the Phillies need a power bat at the position, but durability will be a major focus for the club this offseason.

Polanco underwent surgery yesterday to repair two sports hernias, which could sideline him for the beginning of the 2012 season.  The 36-year-old played in 132 games in 2010 and just 122 this past year.

NL East Notes: Phillies, Mets, Morgan

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Jimmy Rollins said earlier today that there's a "good chance" he re-signs with the Phillies after the season. Here are some more updates from around the NL East, where all five teams are in offseason mode…

  • Ryan Howard's five-year, $125MM contract ranks fourth on Joe Posnanski's list of the ten worst contracts in baseball at SI.com. Howard, whose deal kicks in next season, is "becoming a less and less useful player all the time," Posnanski writes.
  • The Phillies interviewed Orioles scouting director Joe Jordan for their director of player development position this week, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. Philadelphia now has a short window to decide whether they're going to offer Jordan the job, which previously fell under Chuck LaMar's responsibilities.
  • The Phillies will look to sign a free agent closer this offseason and a division rival could be interested in similar relievers. GM Sandy Alderson has hinted that the Mets will find their next closer on the free agent market, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
  • A Spring Training conflict between Jayson Werth and Nyjer Morgan nearly escalated to the point that punches were thrown, according to Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post. Now a member of the Brewers, Morgan has emerged as a star (along with his many alter egos). 
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