Bud Black

Latest On Rockies’ Managerial Search

By Jeff Todd | October 13, 2016 at 1:07pm CDT

The Rockies are officially looking to fill their open managerial position after parting ways with skipper Walt Weiss. While the organization is holding its cards close to the vest, here’s the latest reporting on that effort:

Former Brewers skipper Ron Roenicke is also interested in the position, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports. Since losing his post with Milwaukee, Roenicke has served as the third base coach for the Dodgers and then the Angels.

Earlier Updates

Colorado will leave a few staff positions open for a new dugout head after announcing several changes to the club’s coaching staff yesterday (via MLB.com’s Thomas Harding). Pitching coach Steve Foster, pen coach Darren Holmes, and third base coach Stu Cole will return. But the team will be hiring elsewhere after cutting ties with bench coach Tom Runnells, hitting coach Blake Doyle, catching and defensive positioning coach Rene Lachemann, and baserunning, outfield, and first base coach Eric Young.
Former Padres manager Bud Black says he’s interested in Colorado’s job after missing out on the Braves’ opening, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports. Black, who has long been considered one of the top managerial free agents and nearly joined the Nationals last year, has served most recently as an adviser in the Angels’ front office. It’s not yet clear whether Black is seen as an option from within the Rockies’ organization, but he has drawn at least some consideration in virtually every managerial search since he left San Diego.
Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo has long been talked about as a possible managerial candidate, and he once again fits that profile with John Farrell set to remain in command of the team in 2017. As of yet, no rival organizations have asked Boston for permission to speak with Lovullo, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports. But it seems reasonable to expect at least one team to take a look. The Rockies may not yet have sought to chat with Lovullo, but Bradford cites sources who indicate that the club has “been asking around about” him. (The Diamondbacks, too, are in need of a skipper but must first sort out its front office.)
We’ve already heard a few hints of other possibilities. GM Jeff Bridich has acknowledged that Triple-A skipper Glenallen Hill is under consideration. The long-time big leaguer is held in high regard by the Colorado organization, per Bridich, who’ll be hiring his first manager after inheriting Weiss when he was promoted. Braves first base coach Eddie Perez has also drawn interest from the Rox, per a report.

Braves “Close” To Naming Brian Snitker Manager

By Connor Byrne | October 10, 2016 at 4:58pm CDT

4:58pm: Atlanta appears to be close to naming Snitker the full-time skipper, per Bowman. An announcement is expected in the coming days, at a time that won’t coincide with the ongoing postseason action.

3:13pm: Snitker is indeed the favorite for the position, reports ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, citing a league source.

OCT. 10, 10:00am: MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets that the Braves are nearing the completion of their managerial search and believes that Snitker will ultimately land the job. David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution also expects news sooner rather than later and believes that Snitker will ultimately be selected for the job (Twitter link).

OCT. 8: The Braves are deciding among Brian Snitker, Ron Washington and Bud Black for their managerial position, according to FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman, who adds that they’re likely to make a hire during the upcoming week.

Snitker has the least experience of the three, but as the only in-house candidate, he has much more familiarity with the organization than Washington or Black. The 60-year-old Snitker took over the Braves’ dugout on an interim basis after the rebuilding club fired Fredi Gonzalez in May. The Braves started 9-28 under Gonzalez, but the Snitker-led outfit rallied to post a respectable 59-65 mark. Impressively, Atlanta finished above .500 (37-35) after the All-Star break.

Washington has experienced more success as a manager than either Snitker or Black, though he had plenty of talent at his disposal in Texas. Between Washington’s hiring in 2007 and his resignation in 2014, the Rangers went 664-611 and made three playoff trips – two of which resulted in American League pennants. After leaving Texas, Washington took over as the Athletics’ third base coach in 2015. Notably, the 64-year-old has a connection that goes back nearly 50 years with Braves president John Schuerholz. When Washington signed with the Royals in 1970, Schuerholz was a member of the club’s front office. More recently, Braves president of baseball operations John Hart was an executive in Texas when Washington managed there.

The well-regarded Black, 57, grabbed the reins as the Padres’ manager in 2007 and held the position until the team fired him in June 2015. Black’s Padres won at least 89 games in a season twice, with the second successful campaign leading to 2010 National League Manager of the Year honors. That was also the final time the talent-challenged Padres finished above .500 in a season under Black, who compiled a 649-713 mark in San Diego. Black – who’s now part of the Angels’ front office – knows Schuerholz and Hart from his days as a pitcher in Kansas City and Cleveland (Hart also worked there previously).

Before whittling their search down to Snitker, Washington and Black, the Braves interviewed bench coach Terry Pendleton, first base coach Eddie Perez and third base coach Bo Porter. Perez is now a candidate for the Rockies’ job.

Braves To Interview Ron Washington, Bud Black

By charliewilmoth | October 5, 2016 at 12:54pm CDT

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.

Cafardo’s Latest: Fernandez, BoSox, Yanks, Jays, Dodgers, Cubs

By Connor Byrne | September 17, 2016 at 10:04pm CDT

The Marlins and agent Scott Boras appear unlikely to negotiate an extension for ace Jose Fernandez early in the offseason, according to the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo, who reports the team could shop the right-hander as a result. Several of the majors’ high-payroll clubs, including the Dodgers, Red Sox, Yankees and Cubs, would have interest in acquiring and extending Fernandez, per Cafardo. The 24-year-old is scheduled to hit free agency after the 2018 campaign and has thrown a career-high 174 1/3 innings this season. Along the way, Fernandez has posted dazzling numbers – 2.99 ERA, 12.44 K/9, 2.84 BB/9 – which has been the norm since he debuted in 2013.

Braves Notes: Olivera, Gonzalez, Ballpark

By Jeff Todd | May 4, 2016 at 1:57pm CDT

Major League Baseball has once again extended the paid administrative leave period of Braves outfielder Hector Olivera, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reports on Twitter. The league has done so once already, and has yet to issue any final determination under the domestic violence policy since Olivera was arrested on April 13th. Along with Olivera, Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes has yet to learn the outcome of his own pending domestic abuse investigation despite the fact that his court case was brought to a close before the season started. While it isn’t surprising to see commissioner Rob Manfred proceeding cautiously while gathering facts, and there are no doubt behind-the-scenes discussions taking place, it’s surprising to see such lengthy periods of uncertainty.

Here’s more from Atlanta:

The Braves are weighing whether now is the time to part ways with manager Fredi Gonzalez, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. If Gonzalez is fired, he’d likely be replaced from within on an interim basis. But the organization could well look to veteran skipper Bud Black in the long run, Nightengale suggests.
While Gonzalez makes a rather easy target given the club’s start, Nightengale says that the club’s higher-ups don’t view him as somehow being solely responsible. Still, the sense is that things shouldn’t be as bad as they are. As Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes, the Braves have already cycled through plenty of roster options in an effort to spark some improvement.
Atlanta’s ballpark machinations have extended back well beyond their current stadium-building efforts, Ira Boudway and Kate Smith of Bloomberg report. Per the report, the organization has engaged in political and financial maneuvering with several of its minor league affiliates, too, with taxpayers often carrying the burden for new buildings while the team-owned affiliates prosper.

AL West Notes: Trumbo, Angels, Soto, Astros

By Steve Adams | November 24, 2015 at 11:44pm CDT

Multiple execs around the game tell ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick that they expect Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto to trade Mark Trumbo for a second time (Twitter link). Dipoto, formerly the Angels GM, sent Trumbo to Arizona in a trade that netted him Hector Santiago and Tyler Skaggs prior to the 2014 season and again inherited the first baseman upon taking over in Seattle. He’s targeted defense and on-base percentage in many of his early moves at the helm in Seattle, and Trumbo doesn’t necessarily fit with that type of philosophy. Trumbo projects to earn $9.1MM in 2016 and is a free agent following next offseason.

A few more notes from the division…

The Angels announced a wave of front office hires today, including the previously reported addition of former Padres manager/former Angels pitching coach Bud Black as a special assistant to GM Billy Eppler. Former Yankees scouting director Steve Martone has also been brought on as assistant GM (also previously reported but not official), and 27-year-old Jonathan Strangio has been promoted to AGM also. Strangio, a Harvard grad that joined the Angels as an intern in 2012, spent last season as the team’s manager of Major League operations. The Angels also promoted Bobby Scales from director of player development to special assistant; Justin Hollander from director of baseball ops to director of player personnel; and Mike LaCassa from assistant director of player development to director of minor league ops. The team also announced that A’s third base coach Mike Gallego has been hired as its new director of baseball development.
Eppler tells MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez that Geovany Soto, who inked a one-year, $2.8MM contract with the Angels today, will compete with young backstop Carlos Perez for the team’s starting role behind the plate next spring (Twitter link). The situation could ultimately result in a timeshare more than a standard starter/backup alignment, Gonzalez notes.
Brian McTaggart of MLB.com spoke to Astros GM Jeff Luhnow about his team’s upcoming arbitration decisions and was told that there are no budgetary constraints dictating whether or not the team will tender or non-tender any of its eight arb-eligible players. Nonetheless, McTaggart writes that one of Chris Carter, Luis Valbuena, Evan Gattis or Jason Castro is likely to be non-tendered, with Carter representing the likeliest option. With prospect A.J. Reed representing an affordable alternative, the team can probably afford to cut bait with Carter. Valbuena and Jed Lowrie are capable of handling first base in his stead if needed, McTaggart adds.
The Houston Chronicle’s Evan Drellich breaks down the Astros’ search for a reliever. While ESPN’s Jayson Stark reported recently that Houston is “hell-bent” on adding a closer, Luhnow said that’s not necessarily the case and he’s more “hell-bent” on improving the team by any avenue necessary. Of course, Luhnow isn’t likely to openly tip his hand about how strongly he wants a given asset, and Drellich points out that it makes sense to downplay this report in particular due to Luke Gregerson’s status as a well-respected leader in the bullpen. Luhnow again noted that it’d be nice to add an arm that can throw 95 to 100 mph, stating that he likes the notion of being able to give plenty of “different looks” to opposing lineups, though he didn’t characterize the need to add to the ’pen as any kind of top priority. Drellich writes that Houston would probably take Tony Sipp back on a two-year deal right now, but setup men like him — Sipp is arguably the market’s top lefty — tend to seek three years. The general expectation, though, seems to be that the Astros will add at least one relief arm (McTaggart noted that it’s likely in the above-linked piece as well). Luhnow told Drellich that for the time being, trade talks are more active than free-agent talks.

Kapler, Roberts Are Finalists For Dodgers’ Manager; Decision To Come By Monday

By Steve Adams | November 22, 2015 at 7:55am CDT

Since the Dodgers and manager Don Mattingly mutually agreed to part ways last month, the Dodgers have been conducting interviews to determine their next skipper. Farm director Gabe Kapler was said to be the early front-runner, although to this point, Los Angeles has also interviewed Padres bench coach Dave Roberts, Mets bench coach (and former A’s manager) Bob Geren and former big leaguer/current Nebraska head coach Darin Erstad. Last month’s updates on the search can be found here, and we’ll keep track of the November updates to the Dodgers’ managerial search in this post…

The Dodgers will decide on their next manager no later than Monday, sources tell Buster Olney of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The club’s choice still appears to be between Kapler and Roberts.

Earlier Updates

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that a decision has been delayed until Sunday or Monday, as some members of the Dodgers’ ownership group are traveling.
Bud Black “appears to be out of the mix,” ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports (Twitter links), suggesting that Gabe Kapler and Dave Roberts are the two finalists. Second interviews with finalists are ongoing, with the club expected to make its decision this Friday or Saturday. With Kapler and Roberts apparently the final two names under consideration, Los Angeles seems set to go with a skipper that has not previously run a big league dugout at the big league level.
Erstad has withdrawn from the search, telling Shaikin (Twitter link) that he’s committed to continuing with the University of Nebraska.
Gibson is not one of the four finalists, per Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, who tweets that the other four names just listed will be interviewed further next week.
There are five names still in the mix at present, ESPN.com’s Jim Bowden reports (Insider link): Black, Erstad, Kapler, Gibson, and Roberts. The team will move forward with four finalists, meaning that one of those candidates will not make it into the second stage.
Dodgers GM Farhan Zaidi said the team expects to be down to 3-4 candidates by the end of the week, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles will interview Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Martinez, of course, also served under Chicago skipper Joe Maddon with the Rays back when Friedman ran the baseball operations there. He joins a still-growing list of possible candidates for one of the game’s premium field staff positions.
Former Diamondbacks skipper (and Dodgers World Series hero) Kirk Gibson will also interview for the job, ESPN.com’s Jim Bowden tweets. Gibson was diagnosed with Parkinson’s earlier this year, and discussed his treatment and life with the disease recently with Scott Miller of Bleacher Report. Needless to say, it’s remarkable and encouraging to hear that he is well enough even to be considered for the position.
Bill Plaschke of the L.A. Times hears that Kapler is no longer the favorite. That distinction, Plaschke writes, instead goes to Roberts. According to Plaschke, Dodgers ownership voiced a strong preference for an honest managerial search instead of simply anointing Kapler, and Roberts “aced” his interview with Dodgers decision-makers. Of course, it’s also worth bearing in mind that Rosenthal’s recent update said the team was only half-done with its initial wave of interviews, so there’s still time for this to change.
Bud Black, whose reported deal with the Nationals fell through last night, will interview for the Dodgers’ vacancy, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The Dodgers are about halfway through the interview process, according to Rosenthal, and the team could interview as many as 10 candidates.

Latest On Angels’ Front Office

By Steve Adams | November 18, 2015 at 4:36pm CDT

4:36pm: Eppler tells Fletcher that the Angels “have not hired Bud Black” and are still in the process of assembling their front office unit (links to Twitter). However, Fletcher notes that it won’t be a surprise if Black ultimately does land in the Angels’ front office, calling him a natural fit.

Notably, Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times has tweeted that Black will join the front office even after Eppler’s comment, so perhaps in light of the drama with the Nationals, the Angels are just being careful to limit talk of Black’s return until everything is official.

4:09pm: Former Padres skipper and Angels pitching coach Bud Black will return to the Halos as a member of their front office, reports MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez. Black’s specific role isn’t clear just yet, though Gonzalez says he’ll likely be a special assistant to GM Billy Eppler. Additionally, Jeff Fletcher of the O.C. Register reports that the Angels have hired Yankees manager of pro scouting as their new assistant general manager.

Black, 58, was fired by the Padres in June of this past season after serving as the team’s skipper for parts of the past nine seasons. He drew offseason interest from both the Nationals and Dodgers in the clubs’ respective managerial searches and was even reported at one point to be the Nats’ choice as their new manager. However, contract discussions between the two sides broke down, and Washington ultimately tabbed Dusty Baker as its new manager. Following that, Black was reported to be one of a handful of finalists for the Dodgers, but the field has since been narrowed to two (Gabe Kapler and Black’s former bench coach Dave Roberts).

Black began his coaching career with the Angels, serving as Mike Scioscia’s pitching coach from 2000-06 before being named Padres’ manager. While his exact duties aren’t yet known, one can envision him working with the club’s young pitchers in Spring Training and going on advance scouting assignments to weigh in on pitchers over the course of the regular season.

Martone, of course, has a connection to Eppler from the pair’s time together in the front office, where Eppler recently held the title of assistant GM. He’ll absorb many of the duties that were shared by Angels assistant GMs Matt Klentak and Scott Servais, who recently left the Halos’ front office to become GM of the Phillies and manager of the Mariners, respectively. Fletcher notes that Martone has been with the Yankees dating back to 2007 and was largely responsible for identifying trade and free-agent targets in New York.

Gonzalez also reports that Ron Roenicke, who served as the Angels’ third base coach from 2000-05 but has more recently been manager of the Brewers and third base coach for the Dodgers, will also return to the Angels. He’ll assume his former duties as the third base coach in Anaheim after missing out on the Dodgers’ managerial gig himself.

NL East Notes: Baker, Nats, Marlins, Gordon

By Zachary Links | November 8, 2015 at 4:33pm CDT

The Nationals reportedly agreed to hire Bud Black as their manager before going with Dusty Baker, but GM Mike Rizzo has a slightly different version of events. “We definitely had financial parameters discussed with (both), at the same time,” Rizzo said at a press conference, according to The Associated Press.

“We felt that was the best track to go by,” Rizzo said, “because sometimes the negotiating process also tells you a lot about the people that you’re negotiating with. As we discussed baseball in the interview process, and parameters in the financial process, we came to the conclusion that Dusty Baker was the perfect guy for us.”

Here’s more from the NL East..

The Marlins will explore making an extension offer to second baseman Dee Gordon, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. For his part, Gordon says that he would be receptive to such an offer. The NL batting and stolen base champ is under team control for a few more years and will not be eligible to hit the open market until after the 2019 season. Recently, team president David Samson remarked that the organization has “three of the top ten players in baseball” — referring to Giancarlo Stanton, Jose Fernandez, and Gordon.
The Marlins are less optimistic about signing shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria, however. Miami is under the impression that the 26-year-old (27 in April) will seek a deal in the neighborhood of Elvis Andrus’ eight-year, $120MM pact. Hechavarria, under team control through 2018, slashed a career-best .281/.315/.374 in 2015. Of course, he is valued more for his glove, which resulted in a stellar 17.7 UZR/150 this past season.
Catcher Jeff Mathis remains a possibility to return to the Marlins because of his defense and the way he handles the pitching staff, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. Mathis, 33 in March, slashed just .161/.214/.290 in 103 plate appearances last season. For his career, he owns a slash line of .194/.254/.306 over the course of eleven big league campaigns. While he won’t be winning any battling titles soon, Mathis is valued for plenty of other things outside of his bat.

Nationals Notes: Baker, Papelbon, Manager Hiring, Rizzo

By Jeff Todd | November 5, 2015 at 9:34pm CDT

The Nationals introduced Dusty Baker as the club’s new manager today, bringing a close to a surprising hiring saga. As James Wagner of the Washington Post writes, the veteran baseball man brought plenty of pizzazz to his press conference. The club also announced the hiring of Mike Maddux as its new pitching coach and Davey Lopes as the first base coach.

It was a busy week in D.C., with the Nats also losing an important court battle relating to TV revenue. Here’s more:

Despite starting a nearly-unthinkable dugout brawl with star Bryce Harper, closer Jonathan Papelbon is nevertheless expected to stay with the club and handle late-inning duties alongside Drew Storen, team sources tell Tom Boswell of the Washington Post. Harper has reached out to Papelbon in an effort to improve their relationship, says Boswell, with the team indicating that they don’t expect any issues regarding the clubhouse interactions of any of the above players. Of course, as he notes, there may be some pre-winter posturing in the expression of those views.
There were lots of negative reactions to the Nationals’ unconsummated dalliance with Bud Black prior to agreeing with Baker. We’ve already covered that episode in some detail, but here are some more sources to consider if you want to read further: Boswell writes that the club’s ownership (the Lerner family) has yet to fully adapt to conducting business in the world of baseball. Though the organization eventually offered Black three years at a strong annual rate, says Boswell, it had already botched the negotiations (which were, seemingly, largely conducted by ownership). Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com provides a detailed timeline of what went down with Black and Baker. In his account, the maximum offer only “may have gotten up to two guaranteed years at some point.” Talks failed, then were re-started, before Washington finally told Black late Monday night that the club was going in another direction.
The Post’s Barry Svrluga adds that the botched Black negotiations are not the first time the ownership group has ruffled feathers. “Internal morale … is low,” sources tell him, with one explaining that GM Mike Rizzo is “handcuffed in so many ways” by the organization’s top leadership. And their colleague Adam Kilgore says that Rizzo’s “situation can be considered tenuous.”
The Nationals, of course, are among the many clubs facing difficult qualifying offer decisions tomorrow at 4pm CST. We’ve yet to hear whether D.C. will make the one-year, $15.8MM offer to outgoing free agents such as Jordan Zimmermann, Ian Desmond, Denard Span, and Doug Fister. Only Span, perhaps, presents a difficult decision, though, as the first two of those names seem like virtual locks to receive the offer while Fister’s rough season makes him an unlikely candidate.

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