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Odds & Ends: Loux, Uribe, Dipoto, Cubs, Phillies

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Links for Thursday night, following Juan Uribe's two-homer, six-RBI inning….

Odds & Ends: Cubs, Towers, Phillies, Torre, Lee

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Tuesday night links, as Scott Baker makes his first start for the Twins in nearly three weeks….

  • Jim Hendry will officially interview Ryne Sandberg for the Cubs' manager job, reports Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago. According to Levine's sources, the club also plans to talk to Pat Listach, Bob Melvin, and Bob Brenly.
  • A "reliable source" told Jim Bowden (Twitter link) that the D'Backs are set to offer Kevin Towers their GM job. Jack Magruder of FOX Sports Arizona says no job offer has been made yet, though the team met with Towers again today (Twitter link).
  • Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly reports (via Twitter) that the Phillies have signed Franklyn Zavala, a 16-year-old Dominican pitcher, for a $330K bonus.
  • Understandably, Joe Torre's comments about the possibility of managing the Mets didn't sit well with current manager Jerry Manuel, as Andy McCullough of the Newark Star-Ledger writes. Torre apologized for his comments, telling Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times that he's "closing the door on managing the Mets – and probably everybody else" (Twitter links).
  • Astros manager Brad Mills avoided the question of whether Carlos Lee would play more first base in 2011, says MLB.com's Pete Kerzel. Alyson Footer, the team's director of social media, notes in a pair of tweets that first base is Lee's strongest position and she'd like to see him there next year.
  • Pat Gillick won't rule out taking another general manager job if the right situation arises, writes Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.
  • Craig Counsell tells Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link) that he'll be back in 2011, either for the Brewers or another club.

Poll: Jayson Werth’s Next Contract

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You could make the argument that Jayson Werth has been the best everyday player on the best team in the National League this year. He has a .291/.381/.521 line, and leads the league in doubles and pitches seen per plate appearance.

That will play in Werth's favor when he hits free agency later this year, but remember that Werth will be up against Carl Crawford, who is two years younger and has a better defensive reputation. Unlike Crawford and many other members of this year's free agent class, Werth has only been a full-time player for three years. Werth will get a multi-year deal from someone, but the details are harder to predict. 

Agent Scott Boras says Werth is more comparable to Matt Holliday (who signed for $120MM) than Jason Bay (who signed for $66MM), but it's time to see what you think:

Will Jayson Werth sign for more than $100MM?

Click here to take the survey and here to view the results.

Boras: Werth Can Play Center, Is “Different” Than Bay

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It didn’t take long for Scott Boras to start hinting at Jayson Werth’s free agent value. The agent, who recently added Werth to his long list of clients, suggested to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that the outfielder will be seeking more than the $66MM Jason Bay obtained as a free agent last winter. Without making demands or mentioning dollar figures, Boras made it clear that he considers Werth more similar to Matt Holliday (a Boras client who signed a $120MM deal) than Bay.

“Werth is a totally different type of player [than Bay],” Boras said. “He’s an athlete who can play center field, run, steal bases, be a Gold Glove type outfielder.”

Werth, who has started 18 games in center this year, has spent most of the season in right, but Boras made it clear that the 31-year-old is an option for teams looking to add a center fielder.

“He has the closing speed to play center,” Boras said. “It makes your team so different. Normally you get that production out of a corner outfielder.”

Though most around baseball assume that Werth, a projected Type A free agent, will leave the Phillies, Boras says his client may end up re-signing in Philadelphia.

Jayson Werth Now Represented By Scott Boras

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Soon-to-be free agent outfielder Jayson Werth is now represented by Scott Boras, reports Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter). Werth split with the Beverly Hills Sports Council earlier this month and was said to be looking for an agent that charged less than the usual 5% commission. 

Along with Carl Crawford, the 31-year-old Werth figures to be the most highly sought-after free agent outfielder this winter. His 3-for-5 day today included a walk-off homer, pushing his season line to .292/.381/.521 with 24 homers and a career best .902 OPS. 

Speculation earlier this season had Werth getting something similar to the four-year, $66MM contract that Jason Bay received last winter, but never underestimate Scott Boras. Both players hit the market at age 31 and put up very similar triple-slash lines in their walk years (Bay had a .921 OPS in 2009), but Werth is superior defensively and has World Series experience to his credit. 

Click here to see our full list of Boras clients.

Manager Rumors: Riggleman, Blue Jays, Cubs, Manuel

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A few manager-related updates….

  • Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports that if the Nationals want to buy Jim Riggleman out of his contract, they'll have to do so by the day after the World Series ends. Mike Rizzo, who said earlier this year that Riggleman "will be back next season," suggested that a decision on the club's manager has been made, but not announced.
  • ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick says (via Twitter) that Don Wakamatsu, Bob Melvin, and Pat Listach are a few names on the Blue Jays' list of potential Cito Gaston replacements. Crasnick adds that Wakamatsu is also on the Cubs' list.
  • On the general manager front, Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse tweets that the Diamondbacks hope to have a GM in place by the time their final homestand begins on Tuesday.
  • Charlie Manuel tells MLB.com's Todd Zolecki that he could see himself still managing at 85 years old. Manuel is "only" 66 now, so it's safe to say he's not considering retirement quite yet.

Stark On Manny, Rockies, Napoli, Phillies

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An official of a team that once had interest in Manny Ramirez tells Jayson Stark of ESPN.com that he doesn’t think the slugger has much left. Ramirez, who hits free agency this offseason, hasn’t picked up an extra base hit since joining the White Sox and the official says that’s “a major indication he might not have a whole lot left in the tank." Here are the rest of Stark’s rumors.

  • There are indications that the Rockies wouldn’t offer Jeff Francis more than a modest one-year deal with incentives. The Rockies seem likely to decline the $7MM option they have for the lefty.
  • One GM says any team with interest in Jorge de la Rosa needs to do its homework. "He could be [the next] Oliver Perez," the GM said.  MLBTR's Tim Dierkes drew that comparison in an April article, but noted De Le Rosa's higher groundball rate. 
  • There are “vibes” that the Angels will make Mike Napoli available this winter.
  • The Phillies could combine Domonic Brown with a right-handed hitting veteran, but GM Ruben Amaro Jr. says that’s just one possible solution. Brown doesn't have a guaranteed everyday job on next year’s team, even if Jayson Werth signs elsewhere, as expected.
  • One scout who covered Royals prospect and former Miami Dolphins quarterback Pat White in high school, says we shouldn’t be surprised if Dayton Moore’s gamble pays off and White’s athleticism translates well to pro baseball.

Odds & Ends: Rollins, Nady, La Russa, Konerko

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Links for Wednesday night, as Kyle Drabek takes a loss in his first major league start….

Padres Re-Claim Cesar Carrillo

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The Padres re-claimed Cesar Carrillo, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock (on Twitter). They designated Craig Italiano for assignment to make room for Carrillo, who was also recently designated for assignment by the Padres. The Phillies claimed the right-hander when he became available but they had to create roster space yesterday, so they designated Carrillo for assignment.

The Padres selected Carrillo in the first round of the 2005 draft, but he isn’t having much success in the minors. In 27 Triple A starts this year (none in the Philadelphia organization), Carrillo has a 5.60 ERA with 5.7 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9. The 26-year-old debuted on last year’s Padres team but has not returned to the majors in 2010.

This mirrors what happened between the Indians and Rockies a month ago. The Rockies claimed Wes Hodges from the Indians and lost him when Cleveland claimed him back two days later.

Odds & Ends: Marlins, Duke, Red Sox, Lee

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Links for Wednesday, four years after the Padres completed the trade that sent 2010 All-Star Evan Meek to Tampa Bay. A year later, the Pirates shrewdly plucked Meek from the Rays in the Rule 5 draft…

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