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Manager & Coaching Rumors: Heyman’s Picks, Nats, Mets

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Not a lot of player news happening right now in the midst of the playoffs, but there's plenty of speculation going on about the guys who call the shots. We already heard about Ron Gardenhire's inevitable extension today, but let's take a look at some more links from the baseball universe:

  • In these two tweets, Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman makes his picks for some open managerial positions: Eric Wedge in Pittsburgh, Bob Melvin in Milwaukee, Bobby Valentine in Seattle, Mike Quade in Chicago, and Fredi Gonzalez in Atlanta.
  • We heard earlier this year that Jim Riggleman will manage the Nationals again next season. MLB.com's Bill Ladson tells us that the Nats' entire coaching staff will be returning for the 2011 season as well. The Nationals recorded 10 more wins in 2010 than in 2009 under the current regime.
  • Adam Rubin from ESPN New York gives us some insight into the Mets' managerial situation; potential general manager Sandy Alderson has believed it's misusing your resources to hire an expensive manager, while Mets owner Fred Wilpon would prefer a manager with previous ties to the Mets.

Cafardo’s Latest: Matsuzaka, Managers, Konerko

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Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe spoke to nearly a dozen scouts and executives and found that there would be substantial interest in Daisuke Matsuzaka if the Red Sox made the righthander available in a trade this offseason. Most of those polled believe Boston would have to kick in some money to offset the two-years and $20MM left on his deal, but it's unclear what they would want in return. As Cafardo reminds us, there's no such thing as too much pitching depth, so the Sox could simply hold onto him.

As far as teams that could have potential interest in Dice-K, Cafardo names the Mariners, Mets, Dodgers, Brewers, Rangers, and Tigers. Here are the rest of his rumors…

  • There's talk that the Red Sox might go after Yu Darvish if he's posted this winter, and there is a little bit of a New England connection there: Darvish's father attended school in the area.
  • Doug Melvin said he will go outside the organization to replace departed manager Ken Macha, which rules out Dale Sveum and Willie Randolph.
  • Jim Hendry and Cubs ownership likes what interim manager Mike Quade got out of his players down the stretch, so the sentiment to retain him is growing.
  • Fredi Gonzalez turned down a chance to interview with the Cubbies, and it's looking more and more likely that he will take over for the retiring Bobby Cox in Atlanta.
  • Alex Anthopoulos is looking at third base/bench coaches for his next manager, while Neal Huntington might dip into his Indians' roots to fill the Pirates' managerial vacancy.
  • Paul Konerko indicated that contract length won't be much of a factor when he hits free agency this winter because he isn't sure how much longer he wants to play. Kenny Williams indicated that there might not be enough room in the budget for the White Sox to bring back their captain, especially if they seeks out a lefty bat as expected.
  • Jason Varitek wants to return to the Red Sox but the team is thinking bigger picture with Jarrod Saltalamacchia on board. Cafardo suggests the Marlins as a potential landing spot for Varitek, where he would work with the team's young pitchers.
  • Meanwhile, the Sox could sign John Buck as a stopgap while they wait for Salty to establish himself.
  • Teams in need of a second baseman are very interested in Jed Lowrie, though at least one scout thinks he can stick at shortstop. The 26-year-old hit .287/.381/.526 in 197 plate appearances this year.
  • Despite a strong finish (1.41 ERA in his last ten starts), the Cubs would still like to move Carlos Zambrano. Of course, they're going to have to eat some of the $55MM left of his contract to do so.
  • Cafardo thinks that Carl Pavano could command a three-year deal worth $30MM as a free agent this winter, but he'd have to give a bit of a discount to return to Minnesota. The Twins have shown a willingness to spend in the last year, so this will be an interesting negotiation for them.

Managerial Notes: Blue Jays, Farrell, Pirates, Wedge

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With so many managerial jobs open this winter, there's plenty of news to pass along in the world of field managers. Here's the latest:

  • Add Red Sox bench coach Demario Hale to the list of interview candidates for the manager's job in Toronto, reports Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun.  Meanwhile, Dodgers Triple-A manager Tim Wallach will not interview with the Jays since he has signed a new contract with L.A.
  • ESPN.com’s Buster Olney hears that Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell will probably get a chance to manage in 2011.
  • Former Pirate Andy Van Slyke told Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he’d be interested in managing in Pittsburgh. Longtime MLB manager Phil Garner told Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he would like to manage again, potentially with the Pirates.
  • Former Indians manager Eric Wedge tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that he's "burning" to manage in the major leagues again. Wedge has interviewed with the Blue Jays, Pirates and Cubs and is a candidate to manage the Brewers, Mariners and, possibly, the Mets.
  • Jon Heyman of SI.com adds Cardinals coach Jose Oquendo and Juan Samuel to his list of managerial candidates.
  • The Brewers are expected to interview White Sox coach Joey Cora, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, who says Bob Melvin is the favorite to manage in Milwaukee (Twitter link).  Angels bench coach Ron Roenicke is also expected to interview for the Milwaukee job, reports Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.

MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post.

Managerial Notes: Porter, Samuel, Padres

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As Marlins executive Larry Beinfest recently pointed out, it's a good time to be a managerial candidate in the major leagues. Here are the latest updates on the many openings around the game:

Pirates Notes: Payroll, Manager, Alvarez

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Pirates president Frank Coonelly stopped by MLB.com today for his monthly chat with fans. With the Pirates' season over, the questions focused on the team's upcoming winter. Here are the highlights from the chat:

  • The Pirates' have the capacity to "meaningfully increase" their payroll for next season, after spending $44MM on their 2010 roster.
  • Coonelly shot down rumors suggesting that Andy Van Slyke has interviewed for the Pirates' managerial opening. The club has only interviewed Eric Wedge so far, and is still in the process of compiling a full list of candidates.
  • Coonelly didn't rule out some of Pittsburgh's coaches being retained by the new manager, but noted that the on-field staff has been given the freedom to explore other opportunities.
  • Despite Pedro Alvarez's occasional struggles at third base (he posted a -8.0 UZR/150 this season), the team has no plans to move him across the diamond to first base.
  • While Coonelly praised the organization's minor league starting pitching, he conceded that many of their young arms may not be ready to contribute at the major league level next year. As such, starting pitching will be targeted through free agency or trades.
  • The Pirates will use free agency to supplement their core talent; Coonelly says the team intends to "aggressively pursue" players who can fill needs.

Managerial Notes: Mariners, Valentine, Porter

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Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik is on the lookout for a new manager and, like many teams, the Mariners are likely to conduct much of their search in the coming month. Here is the latest on the Mariners and other clubs around the league:

  • Former Blue Jays manager John Gibbons confirmed to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times that the Mariners asked permission to interview him for their managerial vacancy. The Toronto Sun first reported the Mariners' interest in Gibbons yesterday.
  • Jon Heyman of SI.com hears that Ted Simmons is high on Seattle's wish list. Simmons has just about everything the Mariners are looking for, including connections with Zduriencik. Interestingly enough, Simmons signed Elmer Dessens and Jose Guillen when he was the Pirates GM in the early 1990s.
  • Joey Cora is another possibility for the Mariners, according to Heyman.
  • Baker hears that Bobby Valentine is still in the mix for the Mariners job.
  • Valentine, Jim Fregosi, Tony Pena and Bo Porter are candidates for the Marlins job according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. 
  • ESPN.com's Buster Olney notes that Porter is a candidate to manage the Pirates (Twitter link).

GM/Manager Notes: Mets, Samuel, Gibbons

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With several GM and manager positions opening up at the end of the season, teams have begun identifying potential candidates.  Let's take a look at who is generating interest..

  • The Marlins will not allow the Mets to interview Jennings, a source tells MLB.com's Anthony Dicomo.
  • Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (via Twitter) hears that Marlins assistant GM Dan Jennings is still in the running for the Mets GM job.  Earlier today it was reported that the Mets had asked for permission to talk to Jennings and fellow Marlins execs Larry Beinfest and Mike Hill but are likely to be denied.  However, Crasnick tweets that Jennings does not need Florida's permission to interview with several clubs and the Mets are on his list.
  • Juan Samuel is getting plenty of attention from teams, writes Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun.  The former O's interim skipper will "likely interview" for the vacancies in Pittsburgh and Seattle.  After Baltimore fired manager Dave Trembley, Samuel led the squad to a 17-34 mark.  Samuel could also interview in Toronto as he is close with several members of the Blue Jays organization, including Cito Gaston.
  • Speaking of the Blue Jays, former Toronto manager John Gibbons could wind up in Seattle.  Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun tweets that the Mariners have asked for and received permission to interview him from the Royals where he is presently the bench coach.  The 48-year-old had an even .500 record with Toronto, leading them to a 305-305 record from 2004 through 2008.

Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Theriot, Padres, Reds, Harper

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Some links on the eve of playoff baseball..

  • The Dodgers have asked Rick Honeycutt to return next season but the pitching coach is weighing his options, tweets Ken Davidoff of Newsday.
  • Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner takes a look at potential second base candidates for the M's in 2011.  Ryan Theriot, who was less-than-stellar for the Cubs and Dodgers this season, is among the players listed.
  • Jerry Hairston Jr. told Jim Bowden of XM Radio (via Twitter) that he wants to return to the Padres in 2011.
  • The Reds could be in position to contend for years to come if they keep their key pieces, writes MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.
  • While the O's projected rotation for 2011 is young, GM Andy MacPhail hasn't ruled out the possibility of bringing a veteran aboard to fill the place of pending free agent Kevin Millwood.
  • The Nats probably won't have Bryce Harper play in the Arizona Fall League this year, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
  • You can expect a busy winter in San Diego, writes Bill Center of the Union-Tribune.
  • Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln and GM Jack Zduriencik sent a letter to fans promising better times ahead.  Larry Stone of The Seattle Times notes that Josh Lueke was omitted from a list of the system's "hard-throwing pitchers".
  • Jim Callis of Baseball America (via Twitter) believes that the Mets should hire Logan White as their next GM.
  • The Pirates have interviewed Eric Wedge for their vacant managerial opening, tweets Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com.
  • Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette gives his thoughts on John Russell's tenure as Pirates skipper.

Pirates Fire John Russell

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The Pirates fired manager John Russell today, according to a press release.  GM Neal Huntington offered praise for Russell but added, "We decided that new leadership in the clubhouse would give us the best opportunity to move this major league team forward."

Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote Sunday that Russell was expected to be fired as early as today.  Russell was hired to manage the Pirates after the '07 season.   His teams posted a 186-299 record.

Odds & Ends: Gross, Cubs, Dunn, Ellis, Pujols

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Links for the final day of the 2010 regular season…

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