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MLB Hires Michael Hill, Raul Ibanez, Rajai Davis, Bo Porter

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12:35pm: The league has announced that both Hill and Ibanez have been named senior vice presidents of on-field operations. Specifically, Hill will oversee umpiring and on-field disciplinary matters at both the major league and minor league level. Ibanez, meanwhile, will focus on issues pertaining to rules, equipment and on-field technology.

Beyond that pairing, the league also has hired former outfielder Rajai Davis as a director of on-field operations, where he’ll share that title with recent retirees Nick Hundley and Gregor Blanco. Davis will focus on rule changes and amateur baseball. Per the league’s announcement, Davis will also focus on “mentorship of minority players as they progress through amateur baseball and the minor leagues.”

Former Astros skipper Bo Porter was also hired by MLB today, the league announced. He’ll serve as a consultant on coaching development — a role in which he will assist with the “identification and development of candidates for coaching positions throughout amateur and professional baseball, with a focus on underrepresented groups.”

12:18pm: SNY’s Andy Martino reports that in addition to Hill, MLB is hiring former big league outfielder Raul Ibanez to work with on-field operations. He’ll also have a VP title, and he’ll bring a more player-focused perspective that the league lost when Young took his post with the Rangers. The 48-year-old Ibanez retired after the 2014 season and enjoyed a very strong 19-year career in the Majors, during which time he hit .272/.335/.465 with 305 home runs. Ibanez had been working as a special assistant with the Dodgers’ front office prior to accepting his new role.

With regard to Hill, Martino indicates that he’d have been a candidate to work in the recently shuffled Mets front office had he not taken this opportunity with the league office.

9:00am: Former Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill will be named Major League Baseball’s senior vice president of on-field operations, reports USA Today’s Bob  Nightengale (Twitter link). Hill will step into the role that was vacated by former big league right-hander Chris Young earlier this offseason, when Young was named general manager of the Rangers.

The league has yet to formally announce the move, but a press release is surely forthcoming. Young, during his time with this role, oversaw “the application of playing rules and regulations, on-field standards and discipline, pace of play and other special projects” and drew praise from deputy commissioner Dan Halem for his ability to explain things from the players’ vantage point.

Hill won’t bring the same playing background to the role that Young, a 13-year  MLB veteran, brought to the table. However, with more than 20 years of baseball operations experience, he’ll have his own perspectives to offer. (Hill did play a few years of minor league ball after being drafted by the Rangers out of Harvard in 1993 as well.)

The Marlins parted ways with Hill back in October. CEO Derek Jeter said afterward that the two sides had discussed a new contract but ultimately weren’t able to come to terms. Hill’s departure didn’t register as a major surprise, as he was a holdover from the Jeffrey Loria era. It’s common for incoming ownership groups to shake up their front office composition, and the Marlins were no exception. Hill finished out his contract, but Jeter and Bruce Sherman eventually went in a different direction, hiring Kim Ng as their new general manager.

Hill, meanwhile, was reportedly considered for the top baseball operations posts with the Phillies, Angels and the Mets following his departure from Miami. It’s certainly plausible that the 49-year-old will be considered for future front office vacancies, but for the time being, he’ll take on a much different challenge within the league.

Quick Hits: Dodgers, Blue Jays, Turner, Nationals, MASN, Mets, Minaya

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Justin Turner has four options on the table that would place him on a contender, with the Dodgers and Blue Jays two of the four, per MLB Insider Jon Heyman (via Twitter). Still, Heyman notes, the Dodgers are confident they will be able to bring Turner back to Chavez Ravine. The hold-up continues to be the length of the deal, as Los Angeles targets a two-year pact, while the 36-year-old seeks four years. Speculatively speaking, looking for other potential landing spots leads naturally to the NL East, where any of the Braves, Nationals, Mets, or Marlins could theoretically find room for Turner. Elsewhere…

  • The Nationals responded today with a statement to recent cuts made by the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network. The Nats’ years-long headache over MASN – the local sports network co-owned by the Nationals and Orioles, but controlled by the Orioles – took another turn this week as on-air personalities Dan Kolko, Bo Porter, and Alex Chappell were let go without prior notice being given to the Nats, per Ben Strauss and Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post. In the Nationals’ statement, provided by the Athletic’s Britt Ghiroli (via Twitter), they wrote, “…To say that we are incredibly disappointed and upset by MASN’s decisions would be a gross understatement. To be clear – these decisions were made by MASN and against our wishes…” Porter, of course, was a coach with the Nationals from 2011 to 2012 and later managed the Astros for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. He has teamed with Kolko on pre- and postgame shows since 2019, during which time Chappell has served as a dugout reporter.
  • Omar Minaya will accept an ambassadorship with the Mets to be a public presence for the organization, per Mike Puma of the New York Post (via Twitter). Minaya’s relationship with the Mets dates back to childhood, but his professional career began drawing notice during his time as an assistant general manager from 1998 to 2001. He became the Mets’ general manager from 2004 until 2010, when he was succeeded by Sandy Alderson. After four years with the Padres and some time working for the MLBPA, Minaya returned to serve as one of Alderson’s lieutenants in 2017. He stayed on with the team through the Brodie Van Wagenen era, but he was let go as part of the housecleaning under the new ownership of Steve Cohen. Minaya now returns for his fourth stint with the team. It does not sound as if Minaya will have any impact on baseball operations.

 

Heyman’s Latest: Royals, Cobb, Hendry, Snitker, Dickey, Werth

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Within his latest AL Notes column, FanRag’s Jon Heyman writes that Royals GM Dayton Moore doesn’t appear to be going anywhere despite rumors about him possibly taking over the Braves’ front office. Moore, who cut his teeth in the front office world as a Braves exec, has been an oft-rumored replacement for John Coppolella in Atlanta following his resignation as general manager.

In other Royals news, the team is planning to give a qualifying offer to center fielder Lorenzo Cain, though the team hasn’t firmly decided on that option just yet, per Heyman. It seems like a no-brainer in my view. Despite the fact that Cain will be 32 next season, he hit .300/.363/.440 season at the plate with15 homers and swiped 26 bases while playing elite center-field defense in 2017. The Royals undoubtedly expect Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas to reject QOs, so the minimal risk of Cain accepting would hardly put an exorbitant strain on payroll, though it’d limit their maneuverability for the remainder of the winter. Cain should be able to shatter that mark even with draft compensation attached to him. Heyman also notes that hitting coach Dale Sveum will now be the team’s bench coach, replacing the departed Don Wakamatsu. As such, the Royals are on the hunt for a new pitching coach and a new hitting coach to step into Sveum’s spot.

A few more items of note…

  • Though payroll is always an issue for the Rays, they’re nonetheless expected to make righty Alex Cobb an $18.1MM qualifying offer, per Heyman. The 30-year-old logged a career-high 179 1/3 innings in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery, pitching to a 3.66 ERA with 6.4 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and a 47.8 percent ground-ball rate. Cobb should draw widespread interest, though I’d personally imagine that the fact that he’s yet to ever reach even 180 innings in a single season (to say nothing of 2017’s diminished strikeout rate) will limit his marketability to some extent. Still, Cobb should be able to score a more lucrative multi-year deal, and it’s difficult to imagine him accepting a QO.
  • There’s a belief that former Cubs general manager Jim Hendry, currently a special assistant with the Yankees, could be brought over to the Marlins by Derek Jeter, Heyman reports in his NL roundup. He’d work in baseball operations department under president of baseball ops Michael Hill, per Heyman, and while this particular report doesn’t specify a role, MLB Network’s Peter Gammons referred to Hendry as the “anticipated GM” in a column yesterday. Even if Hendry were to assume that title, however, Hill’s status as president of baseball ops would presumably still make him the top decision-maker for the Marlins.
  • The Braves were leaning toward a managerial change before last week’s scandal with now-former GM John Coppolella, Heyman reports. Internal candidates Bo Porter and Ron Washington, both former big league managers, were the leading candidates to take over the dugout, and Heyman writes that one of the two would “likely” have been handed that job. Instead, Brian Snitker will keep his post. Meanwhile, with Moore likely to remain loyal to the Royals, some candidates that are “in the mix,” per Heyman, include former Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington, former Marlins general manager Dan Jennings and current Nationals assistant GM Doug Harris.
  • Also on the subject of the Braves, Heyman writes in his NL Notes roundup that the team is waiting for R.A. Dickey to determine whether he wants to play in 2018 or retire. Atlanta would be “happy” to pick up his $8MM option for the 2018 season after he ably served as an innings eater and a veteran mentor to the team’s young pitchers.
  • Though Jayson Werth is 38 years of age and has dealt with injuries in recent years, the well-respected veteran doesn’t appear to have any inclination to call it a career after his seven-year, $126MM contract with the Nationals expires this season. Per Heyman, Werth has stated that he’d like to play another three or four years, at the least, before retiring from the game. Werth struggled in his return from a left foot injury this season but had hit .262/.367/.446 with eight homers, five doubles, a triple and four steals through 196 plate appearances before landing on the shelf in early June.

Cafardo’s Latest: Lowrie, Fister, Geren, Cobb, Braves

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Here are highlights of the latest from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe:

  • The Athletics have a $6MM option or a $1M buyout on Jed Lowrie’s services for 2018, and Lowrie says he hopes the A’s retain him. “I love playing here,” he says. “I think being here surrounded by the good young players we have has been fun. So I hope to stay here, but you never know.” It would be eyebrow-raising, to say the least, if the A’s declined Lowrie’s option — he’s batting .276/.358/.444 this season. He could, however, be a trade candidate as the team attempts to find space for youngster Franklin Barreto.
  • Red Sox righty Doug Fister, a free agent to be, is being scouted by teams considering adding him over the winter, Cafardo writes. Fister did not sign until May of this season, but Cafardo notes that he’s unlikely to have to wait that long to find a big-league deal in the coming winter. Fister’s 4.40 ERA in 77 2/3 innings this year is similar to those of his last two seasons, but he’s bumped his K/9 from 5.7 in 2016 to 8.0 this season. He’s also fared well in the season’s second half. Those factors could make him a more attractive free agent this time around.
  • Dodgers bench coach Bob Geren could be a favorite to take over the Mets managerial job in the likely event that the Mets part ways with Terry Collins. Geren was previously the Mets’ bench coach and is a favorite of Mets GM Sandy Alderson.
  • The Orioles, Yankees and Blue Jays have seen Rays righty Alex Cobb up close in recent seasons, and they’ll be interested when he hits the market this winter, writes Cafardo. Cobb will also attract plenty of interest from outside the AL East as well, as he’ll be a good and more affordable alternative to a free agent ace.
  • Braves special assistant Bo Porter would have the edge over coach Ron Washington for the team’s managerial job should the Braves part ways with Brian Snitker. Snitker had previously looked very likely to return for 2018, but Fan Rag’s Jon Heyman wrote earlier this week that the Braves were “assessing their managerial situation,” with Porter and Washington (both of them former MLB managers) as possibilities to replace Snitker.

Bo Porter Among Additional Possible Rockies Managerial Candidates

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Former Astros skipper and current Braves special assistant Bo Porter is receiving at least some consideration for the Rockies’ open managerial position, according to MLB.com’s Thomas Harding. The report identifies a number of other possibilities on a growing list of names who appear to be on Colorado’s radar.

Another former Astros’ manager, current Indians bench coach Brad Mills, has also come up. His Cleveland staff mate, first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr., is another name to watch. Obviously, neither of those possible candidates can be pursued in earnest at present, with the Indians just opening play in the ALCS.

Two other bench coaches who could draw interest from the Rockies are Dave Martinez of the Cubs, who also is busy with his current position, and Ron Wotus of the Giants. We heard earlier today that Wotus had received contact from a team with a managerial opening. Given that the Diamondbacks — the other team with an opening — haven’t yet resolved their front office situation, it seems reasonable to suspect that it was the Rockies who came calling.

Today’s report significantly expands the group of names tied in some way to the Rockies’ top dugout post. Last we checked in, the scuttlebutt was that former Brewers skipper Ron Roenicke (most recently of the Angels), former Padres manager Bud Black (ditto), Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo, Braves first base coach Eddie Perez, and Rockies Triple-A skipper Glenallen Hill had some form of connection to the gig — though in some cases, the reporting involved interest on their behalf rather than the team’s.

All told, that slate largely represents a “who’s who” of skippers-to-be around the game. Those that haven’t yet taken managerial jobs at the major league level have at least interviewed for jobs with other organizations.

Still, the Rockies aren’t just looking to plug in an experienced hand. According to Harding, Colorado hopes to find someone “who will apply statistics and other research into managing and coaching, and who are adept at various methods for creating team chemistry.” In that regard, certainly, the organization seems to be participating in a near-universal trend leaguewide.

Braves Name Brian Snitker Manager, Hire Ron Washington As Third Base Coach

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The Braves announced on Tuesday morning that they’re dropping the “interim” label from Brian Snitker’s title and naming him their full-time manager. Additionally, the Braves announced that Ron Washington has been hired as the team’s new third base coach, as Bo Porter will become a special assistant to general manager John Coppolella. Snitker receives a one-year deal for the 2017 season with a club option for the 2018 campaign as well.

Brian Snitker

In addition to those moves, the Braves exercised their 2017 options on bench coach Terry Pendelton, first base coach Eddie Perez, hitting coach Kevin Seitzer and assistant hitting coach Jose Castro, adding that bullpen coach Marty Reed will return to the team in 2017 as well. Pitching coach Roger McDowell is the only 2016 coach that won’t remain with the club, as was reported last week, and he’ll be replaced internally by minor league pitching coordinator (and former Rays pitching coach) Chuck Hernandez.

“Brian earned this opportunity through his dedication to the Braves and to our players,” said Coppolella of his new full-time manager, via press release. “We are excited for the energy and momentum he will bring into SunTrust Park next season.”

The 60-year-old Snitker (61 next week) was named interim manager earlier this season after the Braves dismissed Fredi Gonzalez from the post that he had occupied since the 2011 campaign. The 2017 season, incredibly, will be the 41st year that Snitker has spent with the Atlanta organization, Atlanta notes in its release. He’s spent 20 of those seasons as a manager at the minor league level, overseeing clubs in Triple-A, Double-A, Class-A Advanced, Class-A and Rookie ball.

Suffice it to say, while Snitker may not have been a household name at the time he was named interim skipper earlier this year — and may still not be a household name now — he’s been a mainstay in the Braves organization and has earned the trust of Coppolella, president of baseball operations John Hart and vice chariman John Schuerholz over the life of his lengthy career with the team. Beyond his four decades of loyalty, the turnaround to which Snitker guided the rebuilding Braves in 2016 was indeed impressive. Inheriting a 9-28 club, Snitker saw the Braves finish at a much-improved 59-65 pace — including a 37-35 record in the season’s second half. While some of that success, certainly, can be attributed to the arrival of players like Dansby Swanson and Matt Kemp, in addition to rebounds from veterans Nick Markakis, Jim Johnson and others, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Mark Bowman of MLB.com have repeatedly reported on how well respected Snitker became in the clubhouse early on as they began to report over the past week that he had emerged as the favorite to land this position.

Snitker’s primary competitors in the search were longtime Padres manager Bud Black and the man who will now serve as his third base coach: Washington. O’Brien and Bowman have been suggesting that Snitker was the likeliest candidate to come away with the job over the past week, however, and multiple reports yesterday indicated that Snitker was the favorite, with an announcement expected in the very near future. Washington will depart the Athletics organization, where he also served as third base coach, to join the Braves, and Coppolella expressed excitement over the addition of the former Rangers skipper to his coaching staff in the aforementioned press release:

“Ron’s background and success as a Major League manager will be an asset to everyone on the club,” said Coppolella. “His tireless work ethic, up-beat attitude and tremendously high baseball IQ will benefit our players and our staff.”

Black, meanwhile, will have to wait a bit longer to find himself at the helm of another big league club, though his reputation, experience and industry-wide respect make it likely that he’ll land such a post at some point in the future if he remains interested in pursuing such opportunities.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Braves To Interview Ron Washington, Bud Black

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WEDNESDAY: Washington will sit down with the Atlanta brass today, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com tweets.

MONDAY: The Braves will interview Ron Washington and Bud Black for their managerial vacancy, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman (all Twitter links). At last check, the Braves had already interviewed four internal candidates: interim manager Brian Snitker, bench coach Terry Pendleton, first base coach Eddie Perez and third base coach Bo Porter.

Snitker could be the favorite after winning praise for his work with the team down the stretch (although Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets that Black is the “leading candidate“). Braves president of baseball operations John Hart says that hiring Pendleton, Perez or Porter would be difficult given what the team has done with Snitker at the helm. Snitker, meanwhile, says he understands the team’s need to evaluate other candidates.

Washington and Black are, of course, qualified candidates in their own right. Washington served parts of eight seasons as the Rangers’ manager and led them to two World Series before resigning in 2014. He currently serves as the Athletics’ third base coach. Black managed the Padres from 2007 through 2015, has an NL Manager Of The Year award to his credit, and has won praise for his work with pitchers. He was a candidate for the Nationals’ managerial opening last winter, and he currently works in the Angels’ front office.

Latest On The Braves’ Managerial Search

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The Braves have interviewed four internal managerial candidates, Mark Bowman of MLB.com writes (Twitter links). Those include interim manager Brian Snitker, bench coach Terry Pendleton, first base coach Eddie Perez and third base coach Bo Porter. Bowman notes that, of the four, Pendleton stood out as being impressive.

The Braves still will likely speak to external candidates. There’s no word on who those might be, although last week, Today’s Knuckleball’s Jon Heyman linked the Braves to Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo, former Padres manager Bud Black, former Twins manager Rob Gardenhire and Royals bench coach (and former Mariners manager) Don Wakamatsu.

Snitker would seem to be the most obvious candidate, as he’s won plenty of praise for his work with the Braves down the stretch after the firing of Fredi Gonzalez, and he has extensive experience as a big-league coach and minor league manager. But Pendleton, Perez and Porter also all have résumés well worth considering. Pendleton has served 15 years on the Braves’ staff as a hitting coach and first base coach, and he won an MVP award as a Braves player in 1991. Perez played nine seasons for the Braves as a catcher and has been a coach for the Braves since 2007. Porter has extensive experience outside the Braves organization — he was the Astros’ manager in 2013 and 2014 and has also managed or coached in the Marlins, Diamondbacks and Nationals organizations.

Latest On Marlins’ Managerial Hunt

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The Marlins are continuing to look around at new managerial candidates even as current skipper Dan Jennings finishes out the season. Of course, the former GM has reportedly been offered a chance to return to the front office after the year. Regardless of what happens there, Miami owner Jeffrey Loria and his staff are reportedly aiming to find a new hire with previous experience as a big league skipper, and the names they’ve been connected with reflect that predilection.

Here’s the latest:

  • Bo Porter has interviewed for the Marlins’ managerial post, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The former Astros skipper has been the Braves’ third base coach this season and held that role for the Marlins over 2007 to 2009. Porter also has spent time with the Nationals and Diamondbacks in recent years. While he never meshed in Houston, Porter had been one of the more highly-regarded, younger coaches in the game prior to taking that gig and is still just 43 years of age.
  • Manny Acta is the only other candidate to have interviewed, at least so far as has been reported. He, too, has experience as a MLB skipper — with the Nationals and Indians — despite being a fairly youthful candidate at 46 years of age. Acta’s ability to communicate in both Spanish and English is also said to represent an important factor.
  • The hiring effort is expected to be “extensive,” per Heyman, which seems to suggest that multiple other names could arise. Veteran skipper Dusty Baker has reportedly drawn interest from Miami, though we’ve yet to hear indication that he has been brought in for an interview.

Braves Retain Fredi Gonzalez, Hire Bo Porter As Third Base Coach

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Interim Braves GM John Hart announced today that the team will retain Fredi Gonzalez for the 2015 season and hire recently dismissed Astros manager Bo Porter as a third base/outfield and baserunning coach (Twitter links). According to a team press release, assistant hitting coach Scott Fletcher will not be returning to the organization in 2015, and Porter will replace former third base coach Doug Dascenzo. Hitting coach Greg Walker already announced his resignation earlier this week. The remainder of the coaching staff will return, according to the Braves.

The news may not sit well with Braves fans, as many called for Gonzalez to suffer the same fate as recently fired GM Frank Wren following the team’s collapse and offensive struggles. Gonzalez, however, will be retained for a fifth season as the Atlanta skipper. To this point, the Braves are 358-290 under Gonzalez, who has also managed the Marlins and owns a lifetime 634-569 record as a Major League manager.

David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported shortly before the announcement that Porter was expected to join the Braves’ staff (Twitter links). As O’Brien noted, Porter has strong ties to Gonzalez after spending three years with him as a coach for the Marlins and playing for him when Gonzalez managed Triple-A Richmond in 2002.

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