Finding A Match In A Starling Marte Trade
Pirates center fielder Starling Marte isn’t a perfect player, but he’s a very good one. And he’s now within two seasons of free agency, with the Bucs looking increasingly unlikely to contend before that time comes. The 31-year-old ought to have plenty of appeal, given that he can be controlled through 2021 for just $24MM (and perhaps issued a qualifying offer thereafter). Marte doesn’t draw walks and hasn’t quite reached the ceiling it once seemed he was headed for, but he’s a well-above-average hitter who runs the bases with aplomb and defends well. He has played like a first-division regular since cracking the majors and was his usual self in 2019 before a wrist injury ended his season.
Beyond a neutral value perspective, the market particulars seem to line up well for the Pirates to achieve an appealing return. Free agent options are generally uninspiring. And there are plenty of teams that have good reason to show interest. Here are the most interesting possible suitors (in alphabetical order):
- Blue Jays: It’s time to gain some traction in Toronto and a center field upgrade stands out as one major way to make gains. Teoscar Hernandez and Randal Grichuk held things down in marginal fashion in 2019 after the departure of another OBP-challenged player with pop, Kevin Pillar. There are loads of young position players on the Jays roster, but none stands out as a likely everyday option in center in the near term. The Toronto front office is going to need to make some tough calls on its talent, giving up on and/or trading away some players. With the Pirates always on the lookout for ways to add multiple affordable/controllable MLB assets in a single trade, perhaps there’s a match here.
- Cubs: It may be tough to hammer things out with a division rival, but the Cubs have to consider a look here after watching Albert Almora stumble in 2019. The club may not have immense payroll flexibility but wouldn’t need all that much of it to go for Marte. And the Cubs are loaded up reasonably talented, relatively youthful position players that haven’t (yet?) established themselves as highly valuable big leaguers. If the Bucs take a shine to one or more of these players, it’s not too hard to imagine something coming together.
- Mets: Even if you’re a big believer in the Mets’ top 2020 outfield options — Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, J.D. Davis, and Yoenis Cespedes, with Jeff McNeil also a factor depending upon other moves and needs — the roster feels like it’s missing a true center fielder. And the front office can’t afford to be timid. Many of the pieces needed to contend are there, but the club hasn’t made it into the postseason since 2016.
- Phillies: While Odubel Herrera could be a factor when he is reinstated from his suspension, it’s not really clear at this point whether the Philadelphia organization will choose to carry him moving forward. Adam Haseley and Scott Kingery are options, but it’s tough to see the win-now Phils simply turning over the keys to either or both. Money isn’t an issue and this organization needs to put as many high-quality players on the roster as it can. Plus, the club has recently dealt for players in roughly similar contractual situations (J.T. Realmuto, Jean Segura).
- Rangers: The Texas organization can run Joey Gallo up the middle, which is quite a nice luxury, but probably prefers to limit the wear and tear to their star slugger. Better to plant him in a corner and install a regular center fielder. Delino DeShields Jr. isn’t that. With Willie Calhoun also an option in a corner, the Texas org could (but would not necessarily need to) utilize Nomar Mazara in this or another trade.
- Reds: Though Nick Senzel is a possibility in center, he’s also a strong candidate to move back to his native second base. And though the Reds do have a few outfield bats, none profiles as an everyday guy up the middle. The club already dealt away top center field prospect Taylor Trammell and has made clear it’s planning to push hard for the postseason in 2020. Having made several deals for veterans in recent years, it stands to reason that the Reds will look closely at an intra-division swap for Marte.
- White Sox: What’s that? Why yes, I also hear wunderkind Luis Robert banging on the door. But he may not open the year with the MLB club and it isn’t as if his value is tied inextricably to his ability to play up the middle. More importantly, the White Sox need another outfielder even if Robert and Eloy Jimenez occupy two of the spots for years to come. It’s nice to have some flexibility, and there are other possibilities in free agency, but Marte stands out as a potential impact addition that wouldn’t tie up loads of future payroll. With pressure building on the Chicago front office to produce winning baseball, it’s a possibility worth examining.
- Other Possibilities: You have to begin getting creative from this point, but plenty of other teams could yet become involved. Several stand out, depending upon their particular views of their own situations. The Cardinals are another team with multiple options but no clear, immediate solution in center. It seems a bit unlikely but they’re arguably the most plausible of this bunch. The Giants need a center fielder, assuming they non-tender Kevin Pillar, but it feels early to push in trade chips for two seasons of Marte. Out in San Diego, there are possibilities — including the aforementioned Trammell, in the near future — but not much set in stone. And the Mariners are an opportunistic potential buyer now that they are trying to ramp up, though it seems likelier they’ll stick with internal options.
Pirates Announce New TV Deal
The Pirates have announced a multi-year extension of their television rights fees agreement with AT&T Sports Networks. Financial terms and the length of the pact weren’t released publicly.
Clearly, the entities remain pleased with their relationship, as it has already lasted for over thirty years. Club president Frank Coonelly said that “the Pirates are extremely pleased” to carry on with the same essential framework.
There are plans to expand coverage to ensure that fans can access all Bucs contests. Coonelly explained that “all 162 games will be telecast either by AT&T SportsNet or one of our national television partners and that nearly all of our home Spring Training games will now be broadcast on AT&T SportsNet.”
With a series of disappointing seasons, the Pirates have struggled to draw as many TV viewers. But it seems the sides still see a path to profitability. Putting a winner on the field would go a long way, though the Pirates are in an exceptionally tough roster situation and have overseen major year-over-year payroll reductions in each of the past three offseasons.
Pirates Part Ways With Ray Searage, Tom Prince
The Pirates won’t be bringing back pitching coach Ray Searage or bench coach Tom Prince in 2020, as per a team announcement. No other coaching changes were announced, as such decisions will be made in conjunction with the hiring of the team’s new manager. After the Pirates fired former skipper Clint Hurdle, it seemed a foregone conclusion that a larger shake-up was coming to the team’s staff, with Searage saying earlier this week that he wasn’t expecting to return next season.
Both Searage and Prince were longtime fixtures in the Pittsburgh organization, with Searage boasting 17 years of experience as a minor league pitching and (since 2010) the Major League pitching coach. Prince has an even longer track record in the Steel City, spending parts of seven seasons with the Bucs as a player and then working as a minor league manager and coordinator from 2005-16 before assuming bench coach duties prior to the 2017 season.
It wasn’t long ago that Searage was considered arguably the best pitching coach in all of baseball, as several veteran pitchers found their careers rejuvenated after coming to Pittsburgh. Names like A.J. Burnett, Francisco Liriano, and J.A. Happ all enjoyed renewed success under Searage’s tutelage, and the Bucs’ ability to unearth hidden pitching gems was a big part of the team’s three consecutive postseason appearances from 2013-15.
Searage shared his thoughts on his dismissal, his hesitant embrace of the analytics movement, and the Pirates’ disappointing 2019 season as a whole in a wide-ranging interview with Rob Biertempfel of the Athletic (subscription required). Searage initially believed that he would continue to work as pitching coach in 2020 and “then I would fade off into the baseball clouds as a special assistant and that would be it.” That said, Searage has “no regrets and I’m not angry. It’s part of baseball.”
It’s hard to necessarily project what the Pirates could be looking for in a new bench coach or pitching coach until a new manager is hired. Based on Searage’s comments, it could be that the Bucs hire a pitching coach more specifically attuned to analytics, though it isn’t clear if that was necessarily the reason for why Pirates pitching struggled — as Biertempfel points out, the 2019 Pirates were hampered by injuries and poor defense. As for the bench coach role, that position is usually filled by a close confidant of the manager, or an up-and-coming-manager type of coach that the organization wants to deploy in a more high-profile position.
Managerial Rumors: Padres, Royals, Matheny, Pirates, Kendall
Here’s the latest on a few managerial openings…
- The Padres are “expected” to hire a manager with prior Major League experience, MLB.com’s Jon Morosi tweets. San Diego’s previous manager, Andy Green, wasn’t a managerial rookie when San Diego hired him prior to the 2016 season, as he came with four years of minor league managing experience (plus additional time as the D-backs’ big league third base coach). However, the Padres were Green’s first managerial assignment at the MLB level, and it seems that this time around, general manager A.J. Preller will pursue a more veteran voice. Morosi suggests Buck Showalter, given his previous connection with Preller from their days with the Rangers, although their tenures only overlapped by about two years. Morosi points out that Showalter is also quite familiar with Manny Machado, but that seems unlikely to be a major factor in the team’s search.
- Even though they’re coming off their second straight 100-loss season, the Royals may be content to stay in-house to find retired manager Ned Yost’s replacement. Their “very short list” of candidates includes special advisor Mike Matheny and quality control/catching coach Pedro Grifol, according to Pedro Gomez of ESPN. Matheny comes with vast experience as a manager at the sport’s highest level, having led the Cardinals from 2012-18. The Redbirds went a more-than-respectable 591-474 with four playoff berths in that span, but they missed the postseason in each of Matheny’s final three campaigns. While St. Louis put up nice overall results under Matheny, he was a frequent target of criticism throughout his tenure with the franchise. Grifol, who managed in the Seattle farm system from 2003-05 and again in 2012, has been a coach in the KC organization for seven years.
- One of Kansas City’s former players and coaches, Jason Kendall, told Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he’s eyeing the Pirates’ managerial post. “There’s something that I owe to the city of Pittsburgh,” Kendall said. “I truly believe that. That’s why I would be interested in sitting down and talking about it.” Kendall’s best known for his excellent run as the Pirates’ catcher from 1996-2004, and the $60MM extension he signed with the Bucs in 2000 is still a franchise record to this day. The 45-year-old Kendall has never managed, though he did work as a special assignment coach in KC from 2012-18. Kendall believes that experience (in which he was part of a World Series winner in 2015) and his long playing career have prepared him for a managerial position. That said, there’s no indication the Pirates are interested in discussing the job with him.
Managerial/Coaching Notes: Callaway, Cubs, Ibanez, Bucs, Shelton, Reds
Let’s take a look at several managerial and coaching updates from around the majors…
- The Mets could decide beleaguered manager Mickey Callaway’s fate as soon as Wednesday, David Lennon of Newsday reports. Callaway just wrapped up his second season in New York, which improved from 77-85 to 86-76. The Callaway-led Mets were a mess prior to a second-half tear, though, and indications are the ax will fall on him in the wake of a another non-playoff season.
- The Cubs will consider Raul Ibanez for the managerial post Joe Maddon just lost, according to Jon Morosi of MLB.com. Ibanez, a former major league outfielder, has no managerial experience. However, the 47-year-old has stayed in the game since his playing days ended in 2014 by serving as a special assistant in the Dodgers’ front office and a broadcaster. The work Ibanez has done in his post-playing career has made him an appealing possibility to skipper-needy teams over the past couple years, though he turned down managerial interview requests from clubs last offseason.
- The Pirates, who fired manager Clint Hurdle on Sunday, will “likely” consider hiring Twins bench coach Derek Shelton as his replacement, Morosi tweets. Currently in his second season with the Twins, the 49-year-old Shelton has garnered extensive coaching experience over the past decade and a half. Plus, as Morosi notes, Shelton has an important Pittsburgh connection in general manager Neal Huntington. The two of them worked in the Cleveland organization together from 2005-07.
- The Reds’ player development system is undergoing significant changes, Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer details. Outfield/baserunning coordinator Billy Hatcher, Triple-A manager Jody Davis, Triple-A pitching coach Jeff Fassero, Double-A pitching coach Danny Darwin and hitting coordinator Milt Thompson are all on the way out. The longest-tenured Red of the bunch was Hatcher, who was one of the organization’s coaches for 14 years.
Managerial Rumors: Ausmus, Ross, Pirates
For those who are waiting with bated breath for the ousting of their favorite team’s manager, Angels skipper Brad Ausmus would probably advise you to ignore unconfirmed rumors. Today, Ausmus reminded Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register that his time as Detroit’s manager was marked by unfounded rumors of his impending ouster (link). “It came out that I was being fired [in 2015]. I was there for two more years.” Indeed, several major outlets reported that season that Ausmus was as good as gone from the Tigers dugout, but intervention by GM Al Avila was later said to be instrumental in the former catcher maintaining his job in the Motor City.
Besides this helpful bit of historical perspective, it’s pertinent to note that Ausmus was relaying this experience in response to questions surrounding his own, current job security with Los Angeles. When asked about rumors that the club may be looking for a managerial change in the offseason–rumors that may have stemmed from a recent Ken Rosenthal blurb–Ausmus was nothing if not succinct. “I have a contract,” he told Fletcher. “That’s the only thing I know.” Ausmus is signed through the 2021 season under a three-year contract he agreed upon just last offseason.
More notes on the game’s most hard-to-quantify uniformed role…
- Former catcher David Ross is already a permanent figure in Cubs postseason lore–but could he become a regular fixture in their dugout in 2020? If Ross’ comments on ESPN this evening–as relayed by Jesse Rogers–are any indication, it sure sounds like he would have any interest in the now-vacant Chicago managerial position (Twitter link). “I think it’s one of the best jobs in baseball,” Ross said of the opening. “I’ve got a lot of close ties with those guys. I think the interest would be there. I think my heart is drawn to that dugout a little bit.” It’s worth noting that Ross also said his current role with ESPN does provide him with much-valued family time. At the same time, Ross’ quotes won’t do much to quell rumors tabbing him as the replacement for his former manager Joe Maddon.
- Clint Hurdle was only relieved of his post as Pirates manager this afternoon, but Rob Biertemfel of The Athletic is wasting no time in churning the gears of the managerial rumor mill (link). Although the club hasn’t yet confirmed its list of potential hires, Biertempfel has been asking “players, coaches, scouts, executives, and others in the industry” for several weeks about whom GM Neil Huntington might like to interview. Included among Biertempfel’s suggestions are former Rangers skipper Jeff Banister, Twins bench coach Derek Shelton, and White Sox minor league manager Omar Vizquel. Interestingly, Biertempfel summarily dispenses with any notion of Pittsburgh bringing in Joe Maddon, as the reporter believes that Maddon’s salary demands will be a non-starter for the small-market Pirates.
Ray Searage Expecting To Be Fired
Pirates pitching coach Ray Searage–perhaps one of the most lauded professionals of his vocation in recent memory–informed Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he is expecting to be fired by his organization in short order (link).
After manager Clint Hurdle received a Pittsburgh pink slip this afternoon, Searage’s removal from his pitching coach role would represent a substantial dugout makeover. The Pirates have given no official indication of their coaching plans, but they have informed Searage that a decision on his future is impending. “They told us they would let us know in the next couple of days,” Searage told Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic (link). “Now, bringing in a new manager could mean bringing in different personnel, anyway. I’m preparing myself not to be a Pittsburgh Pirate next year.”
If the Pirates do indeed remove Searage from his post, it would mark the end of an inarguably successful chapter in his career. After a playing career in which he logged seven MLB seasons as a hurler, Searage was named Pittsburgh’s pitching coach in August of 2010–meaning that his tenure has basically lock stepped with Hurdle’s nine-year run with the org.
During his time in black and yellow, Searage earned himself a near-mythological reputation as a pitching whisperer. J.A. Happ, Francisco Liriano, A.J. Burnett are just a few examples of veterans who revived their careers under Searage’s tutelage in the Steel City, and Gerrit Cole, perhaps the sport’s best pitcher circa 2019, began his career as a Searage understudy. Industry-wide respect for Searage was so pronounced following the Pirates 2013-2015 run of success that, in 2016, Sports Illustrated once went so far as to call him “the secret to the Pirates’ success”.
Of course, Searage’s time in Pittsburgh hardly culminated in a storybook ending. Although Pirates pitchers spent the least time on the injured list among all National League teams from 2014-2015, Searage probably made much more frequent trips to the training room in recent years. Jameson Taillon, Trevor Williams, Chris Archer, and Jordan Lyles all spent time on the injured list this year–and that’s not the only list that was pertinent to Pirates pitchers in 2019.
Under Searage’s instruction, Pirates pitchers often worked up-and-in in 2019–a strategy that helped fuel a few on-field brawls, the most notable of which was a Pittsburgh-Cincinnatti duel that resulted in pitchers Kyle Crick and Keone Kela being placed on the suspended list. Crick was later engaged in a clubhouse scuffle with Felipe Vazquez that resulted in Crick needing surgery and both players being levied with fines. This month, Vazquez was shockingly arrested on charges of, among other things, statutory sexual assault of a minor. That Searage would conclude his time in Pittsburgh with such a top-to-bottom disaster of a season would be, in a word, lamentable.
Pirates Fire Clint Hurdle
The Pirates have fired manager Clint Hurdle, according to a report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Hurdle had two years remaining on his current contract.
As Rosenthal notes, general manager Neal Huntington will retain his position spearheading the organization’s baseball operations. Meanwhile, the coaching staff will be determined by the incoming manager.
The move comes as something of a surprise, as just days earlier Hurdle himself asserted that the Pirates assured him that he’d keep his position as the club’s manager. However, later that day both Hurdle and Huntington were curiously noncommittal on the future of the skipper.
Hurdle, 62, was installed as the Pittsburgh manager prior to the 2011 season and finishes his Pirates career as the fourth-winningest manager in franchise history. He’s led his Pirates teams to an overall 735-720-1 record in his nine years at the helm, including three consecutive postseason appearances from 2013-2015. The team peaked with 94- and 98-win seasons in 2013 and 2015, though they were unable to make it out of the Division Series in that three-year stretch—and, in 2014 and 2015, they were eliminated in the one-game playoff.
Not far removed from that stretch of success, this season has been an especially trying one in Pittsburgh. After winning 82 games a year ago, the club has taken a step backwards and will have a final chance today to reach the 70-win plateau. Between a clubhouse altercation involving Kyle Crick and Felipe Vazquez, numerous on-field brawls, and a suspension to Keone Kela for a confrontation with a coach, it would seem that the clubhouse has escaped Hurdle’s control.
Whether he’s at fault for those off-field issues is questionable, but the on-field results haven’t done Hurdle any favors. His Pirates found themselves just a game under .500 at the All-Star break, but proceeded to hit a colossal cold spell en route to a 4-24 stretch into mid-August.
Pittsburgh will join the Giants, Padres, and Cubs among the teams now with a vacant manager position. It seems that wholesale changes to the coaching staff may be in order, with pitching coach Ray Searage among those with an uncertain future. Huntington issued the following statement regarding the decision:
Words cannot express how much respect and appreciation I have for Clint as a person and a leader … We will be forever grateful for his dedication to the Pirates organization on and off the field … As an organization, we believe it was time for a managerial change to introduce a new voice and new leadership inside the clubhouse.
Pirates Pitching Coach On Future After Difficult Season
The Pirates appear ready to roll it back next season under the leadership of President Frank Coonelly, general manager Neal Huntington and manager Clint Hurdle, per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pitching Coach Ray Searage is keeping his feet on the ground for now as he awaits ownership’s decision about his own fate. It stands to reason that Searage could be the fall guy if Hurdle returns after a tough season on the hill (and off) for Pirates pitchers.
Ex-Pirates pitchers, meanwhile, have excelled this season, as Tyler Glasnow, Charlie Morton, and Gerrit Cole can be counted among the league’s best. One could see their success as a testament to the tutelage received in Pittsburgh, as Searage suggests, though if ownership deems the above trio’s development as linked in any way to their departures from Steel City, a change in the coaching staff would seem appropriate.
The Pirates weathered criticism and fisticuffs throughout the year for a strategy of pitching up and in that didn’t always meld with a staff that struggled with location (3.63 walks per nine is the 23rd best mark in the league). And while it’s unnecessary to rehash here some of the obvious off-field complications for Pirates pitchers, the team’s 5.22 ERA is certainly apropos to a conversation about Searage’s future. As of today, they are tied for 26th in the league by ERA – easily the worst of the Clint Hurdle era. A fielding independent mark of 4.77 provides a slightly sunnier look on the Pirates’ year, though even that glass-half-full approach puts them in the bottom half of the MLB.
There was progress made on the offensive end, though Searage likely can’t claim much credit for Steven Brault‘s “breakout” season at the plate The Pirates plan on converting their swingman into a two-way player a la Michael Lorenzen of the Reds. With a .341/.357/.439 mark across 49 plate appearances, you can almost argue Brault is a more polished offensive player than on the hill, where he is 4-6 with a 5.16 ERA/4.77 FIP across 19 starts and 6 relief appearances. The plan for now is for Brault to return to the rotation next season, though how exactly that would mesh with a role as a part-time outfielder is still in the storyboard phase of development.
Central Notes: Gordon, Twins, Braun, Pirates
Once again, Royals general manager Dayton Moore has made it clear that the club wants left fielder Alex Gordon to return in 2020. According to Randy Covitz of the Kansas City Star, Moore informed a group of season ticket holders that he told Gordon, “We want you back.” Moore added, “We’re a better ball club with Alex Gordon.” Set to turn 36 in February, Gordon indicated earlier this month he’s likely to wait until the winter to decide if he’ll continue playing next season. The career-long Royal has said he’ll only play for them if he does keep going. Gordon has a $23MM mutual option (or a $4MM buyout) for 2020, but the two sides figure to work out a much cheaper arrangement in the event he doesn’t retire.
More from the game’s Central divisions…
- Twins manager Rocco Baldelli expects the banged up duo of outfielder Max Kepler and utilityman Marwin Gonzalez to be ready when the American League Division Series begins next week, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com relays. Meanwhile, injured utility player Ehire Adrianza is making progress, but he’s not as far along in his recovery process as Kepler and Gonzalez are in theirs. Shoulder and back problems have prevented Kepler from taking an at-bat since Sept. 14, thereby derailing a breakout season; Gonzalez has been dealing with oblique issues throughout the month; and Adrianza went down Sept. 12 with oblique troubles of his own.
- The Brewers announced that outfielder Ryan Braun exited their game against the Rockies on Friday with discomfort in his left calf. The severity of the injury isn’t clear, but with Christian Yelich done for the year and Lorenzo Cain playing through injuries, a serious ailment for Braun would be another unwelcome development for the Brewers’ outfield as the playoffs approach. While the 35-year-old Braun is no longer the star he was in his prime, he has still contributed a valuable .285/.343/.505 line with 22 home runs and 11 steals on 12 attempts in 508 plate appearances this season. [UPDATE: Braun suffered a strain and will undergo an MRI, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.]
- The Pirates have discussed using left-hander Steven Brault as an occasional outfielder in 2020, according to manager Clint Hurdle (via Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). The 27-year-old Brault hasn’t garnered any professional experience in the grass, but he did play some outfield at Regis University. Brault would be open to giving it a shot in the majors, Adam Berry of MLB.com tweets.