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Red Sox Notes: Mike Maddux, Dale Sveum, Ortiz

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Here are some links from New England while we wait for the Red Sox and Cubs to finally decide on compensation for Theo Epstein…

  • SI.com's Jon Heyman reports (on Twitter) that the Red Sox have not yet asked the Rangers for permission to interview pitching coach Mike Maddux, but he's seen as a likely candidate for their pitching coach job.
  • In another tweet, Heyman says that Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum has a good chance at the Red Sox's and the Cubs' managerial jobs. Sveum served as Boston's third base coach from 2004-2005.
  • In a Twitter chat with fans, GM Ben Cherington confirmed that Sveum will be in for an interview tomorrow. The full chat transcript can be found here.
  • The Red Sox haven't made David Ortiz an offer, according to the Boston Herald. The DH is seeking a three-year deal.

Red Sox Notes: Manager, Ortiz, Papelbon

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The Red Sox declined their club options on relievers Dan Wheeler and Scott Atchison today. Here are more details on the Red Sox, who have formally begun their managerial search…

  • Phillies bench coach Pete Mackanin interviewed for Boston's managerial opening today and told reporters, including Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald, that he's hoping for the job. "The way I look at it is, who wouldn’t want to manage the Boston Red Sox?”
  • Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum will interview for Boston's managerial opening Wednesday, according to Lauber (on Twitter). Boston hasn't yet asked for permission to interview others.
  • Red Sox GM Ben Cherington hopes to name a manager by Thanksgiving, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com (on Twitter).
  • Cherington doesn't expect to reach a deal with David Ortiz or Jonathan Papelbon before the players hit free agency on Thursday, according to Lauber (on Twitter).

Red Sox Notes: Ortiz, Manager, Compensation, Lackey

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We heard earlier today that the Red Sox have yet to make a formal contract offer to Jonathan Papelbon. Now let's round up another handful of offseason items out of Boston….

  • Boston has yet to make a contract offer to David Ortiz but the sides are expected to speak soon, possibly tomorrow, a source familiar with the talks told Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.
  • The Red Sox will begin to interview managerial candidates early this week, starting with Pete Mackanin and Dale Sveum, according to WEEI's Rob Bradford.
  • With Bud Selig looking more likely to intervene in discussions between the Red Sox and Cubs on Theo Epstein compensation, ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider link) predicts that the Sox won't get much for their former GM. Olney writes that the league has attempted to "tamp down the perceived value of executives," and that a huge return for Epstein wouldn't be consistent with those efforts.
  • A source tells Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald that the Red Sox attempted to convince John Lackey to get Tommy John surgery as early as April, but the right-hander refused.
  • In his weekly column for the Boston Globe, Nick Cafardo surveys executives and evaluators, asking whether a club might sign David Ortiz to play first base this winter. The answers ranged from "no way" to "he's athletic enough to be able to pull it off."
  • From the team's perspective, there's no rush to try to lock up Jacoby Ellsbury to a long-term extension, argues Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal.

Blue Jays Will Explore Signing David Ortiz

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The Blue Jays will discuss the possibility of signing David Ortiz this winter, reports Richard Griffin of The Toronto Star. GM Alex Anthopoulos cautioned that he would be "doing his due diligence" more than anything, but Griffin says he's likely to have preliminary talks with Ortiz's agent once the free agency period begins.

The Jays do have several things working in their favor when it comes to wooing Ortiz to Toronto. The slugger knows manager John Farrell from his four seasons as the Red Sox's pitching coaching, and Ortiz is friends with Jose Bautista. Bautista could also stand in the way of a deal though; Griffin says the front office would like him to remain the highest paid player on the team. He'll earn $14MM in 2012, and Ortiz is likely to seek a raise from the $12.5MM he made in 2011.

Ortiz, 36 next month, hit .309/.398/.554 with 40 doubles and 29 homers this past season. Last week he said that he wants to return to Boston next season, backing off some earlier comments about not wanting to be part of the "drama" surrounding the team. In his introductory press conference, GM Ben Cherington said he has had some initial dialogue with Ortiz about a possible return.

AL East Notes: Ortiz, Chavez, Shoppach

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The Orioles are searching for a new GM and the four other AL East teams have begun preparations for the coming offseason. The latest links from the division:

Ben Cherington Press Conference Quotes

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The Red Sox introduced Ben Cherington as their executive VP and general manager this afternoon. Cherington says the Red Sox will have a very good team in 2012 and discussed Boston's managerial search and other offseason plans. He also announced that John Lackey will undergo Tommy John surgery. Here are the details:

  • Cherington wants a new manager with a strong voice who cares about players and can collaborate with the front office. He says the team will start interviewing candidates soon. The Red Sox have several candidates in mind for first round interviews, but they haven't asked permission to interview any of them yet. Previous managerial experience would be a plus, but it's not necessary.
  • Boston's success in terms of free agent signings has "not [been] good enough," according to Cherington.
  • Despite Boston's disappointing 2011 season, Cherington says the Red Sox have enough on and off of the field to succeed. "What I'm left with is a conviction that the Red Sox will be the best organization in baseball going forward," he said. 
  • The Red Sox would like to have David Ortiz and Jonathan Papelbon back, according to Cherington. They have had some initial dialogue with each player and they expect to continue discussions.
  • The Red Sox will look to build pitching depth and could go for buy-low acquisitions.
  • Cherington believes Marco Scutaro would be "very coveted" this offseason if he got onto the market. The Red Sox have a $6MM option for Scutaro that they'll likely pick up this offseason ($3MM player option, $1.5MM buyout).
  • Cherington says he pushed hard to sign Carl Crawford and believes in him.
  • The new GM discussed the importance of having top talent evaluators and vowed that the Red Sox will employ some of the top scouts in the game.
  • Boston's farm system is "stronger and deeper than ever" at Double-A and below, Cherington said.
  • Red Sox president and CEO Larry Lucchino says the Red Sox hired a team player who is hungry for more success. "There is no one more prepared to take on the role of General Manager of the Red Sox than Ben,” he said.  “He will hit the ground running, in full stride, and no one will outwork him.”
  • "I've always believed in hybrid baseball executives and Ben is a hybrid baseball executive," Lucchino said.
  • The Red Sox will soon announce promotions within their front office. Epstein has not asked Cherington about taking front office members with him to Chicago.
  • Cherington is the first person from our list of GM Candidates to land a GM job. Here's my piece on Cherington from August 2011.
  • Former Red Sox GM Theo Epstein discussed the Cubs and Red Sox at his introductory press conference in Chicago earlier today.

AL East Notes: Ortiz, Orioles, Hellickson

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Until the Red Sox and Cubs agree to compensation for Theo Epstein’s departure, Boston’s GM situation will dominate headlines out of the American League East. Here’s the latest news from the division, starting with an update on the Red Sox…

  • Alex Speier of WEEI.com previews the market for David Ortiz and concludes that he won't have an overwhelming number of suitors this offseason. Speier suggests the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Angels and Mariners are possible fits for the slugger, though some of those teams won't have strong interest. I can see the Orioles getting involved, depending on who their next GM is.
  • Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com previews the Orioles' 2012 bullpen and points out that there's a lot of uncertainty at this point. Jim Johnson could move to the rotation, Willie Eyre and Jo-Jo Reyes could be non-tendered and the Orioles are likely to add relievers from outside of the organization.
  • Congratulations to Rays starter Jeremy Hellickson, who is Baseball America's 2011 Major League Rookie of the Year. The 24-year-old right-hander posted a 2.95 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 over the course of 189 innings in his first full season.

David Ortiz Still Wants To Return To Red Sox

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David Ortiz wants to return for his 10th season with the Red Sox in 2012, the slugger tells MLB.com's Mark Newman.  Ortiz has consistently said he'd like to keep playing in Boston when asked about his pending free agency, but last week said there was "too much drama" around the club and “I don't know if I want to be part of this drama for next year," while also noting the calmer state of the Yankees' organization.

Today, however, Ortiz reiterated that Boston is still his top choice and his mention of the Yankees was respectful praise, not a hint to his free agent plans.

"Of course I would like to come back," Ortiz said. "We have a lot of things going on right now, so once they go through all this stuff — GM and manager things — I think they're going to start talking to the players. We'll see. We've got time."

"I never said I would sign with the Yankees. No, don't be making [stuff] up," Ortiz said. "They asked me if I would play for the Yankees, and I said I would think about it. But I didn't confirm to nobody that I would play for the Yankees. I'm still a Red Sox, aren't I?"

It's hard to see where Ortiz would fit as a full-time player in the New York lineup, so there are practical reasons standing in the way of a possible move for Ortiz to that particular team.  It's very possible Ortiz was just venting last week in the wake of the Red Sox' September collapse and all of the controversy that has since has erupted amongst players and management.  Ortiz earned $12.5MM last season when Boston exercised its team option on the slugger for 2011 and he projects as a Type A free agent this offseason.

Cafardo On Red Sox, Lackey, Buehrle, Epstein

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Upon joining the Cubs, Theo Epstein will leave behind one contractual headache in John Lackey and acquire another one in Carlos Zambrano, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  The difference between the two, as a National League scout pointed out, is that Zambrano could once again be a top-of-the-rotation hurler while some doubt if Lackey is even a No. 4 or 5 starter.  The answer for both clubs could be a "garbage-for-garbage" deal that allows them to exchange one bad contract for another.  Some prime candidates include Chone Figgins, Barry Zito, Vernon Wells, and Derek Lowe.  Here more from Cafardo..

  • While Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle is an interesting free agent possibility for the Red Sox if they could get him on a two-year deal.  The veteran could be their No. 5 starter or serve as a strong lefty in the bullpen.
  • It's hard to tell if David Ortiz is serious about leaving the "drama" of Boston for the Yankees, but the veteran wouldn't be a fit in New York as they have no need for a DH.
  • A.J. Hinch, the vice president of pro scouting for the Padres, could have interest from teams like the Red Sox, and possibly the Cubs with Epstein there.  Las Vegas agrees, as oddsmaker Jimmy Shapiro placed Hinch as the odds-on favorite to get the Sox managerial job.  Meanwhile, Josh Byrnes is currently a special assistant with San Diego and could depart for a bigger role with Epstein in Chicago.
  • Mariners skipper Eric Wedge is a very interesting name that could be involved in the Red Sox’s managerial search.  However, getting Wedge out of his deal in Seattle could be a problem as he has a good deal of personnel power there.
  • Tony La Russa would be an interesting choice for Boston, but it appears he'll be staying in St. Louis or retiring.  La Russa has always spoken fondly of the city, but it doesn’t appear at this stage of his career that he would want to deal with some of the issues in the BoSox organization.
  • Brian Cashman's contract extension is nowhere near done.  The Yankees GM’s deal expires at the end of the month, but neither side is feeling any pressure to get something completed.
  • Meanwhile, Cashman's top two assistants, Billy Eppler and Damon Oppenheimer, are being interviewed by the Angels for their GM job.  Cashman told the paper that he feels both men are absolutely qualified to take the next step.  Recently, our own Ben Nicholson-Smith spoke with Oppenheimer about the possibility of becoming a GM.
  • Cafardo wonders if history will be kinder to Dan Duquette now that the Theo Epstein era is concluding in Boston.  Duquette never won a championship as the Red Sox's GM but the 2004 team certainly had his fingerprints on it.  Now working as a business consultant, the longtime MLB exec never got the chance to be a GM again, but hasn't ruled out doing so in the right situation.

AL East Notes: Ortiz, Cherington, Swisher, Rays

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The Red Sox' reputation may have been damaged in recent weeks, but Shi Davidi of Rogers Sportsnet writes that Boston isn't going to suddenly stop being a major force in the AL East.  Some other notes from around the division….

  • David Ortiz wouldn't be a fit with the Yankees, writes Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.  Ortiz called the Yankee organization "a great situation" earlier today, but Feinsand points out that Ortiz wouldn't be willing to come to New York only as a part-time designated hitter.  The Yankees still need to give some DH at-bats to Alex Rodriguez and Jesus Montero, so Ortiz wouldn't be able to play every day.
  • Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd, who worked with incoming Red Sox GM Ben Cherington in Cleveland, praised Cherington's humility and experience to Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.
  • Josh Beckett may not be a popular figure in Boston right now, but Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe thinks the Red Sox would be foolish to trade the right-hander given the club's need for pitching.
  • Mike Axisa of the River Ave Blues blog thinks that Nick Swisher's $10.25MM option for next season is an obvious pickup for the Yankees, even if New York picks up the option with the intent of trading Swisher elsewhere.
  • The Rays want to add a big hitter this winter, but won't do so at the expense of their core of pitching and defense, reports MLB.com's Bill Chastain.  "If you add offense, more than likely you're detracting from the defense," said Andrew Friedman.  "So we're not going to do things where it's a net neutral move, or even to where we take a step back."
  • Rays owner Stuart Sternberg has been open about how critical a new stadium is to his franchise's future in the Tampa Bay area, but Fangraphs' Alex Remington gives several reasons why the Rays won't be leaving Tampa and/or Tropicana Field anytime soon.
  • Joe Jordan, formerly the Orioles' director of amateur scouting, talks to MASNsports.com's Steve Melewski about his seven years in Baltimore.  Jordan was hired yesterday as the Phillies' new director of player development.
  • Unsurprisingly, the Orioles are holding off on any coaching and front office staffing decisions until their new head of baseball operations is hired, reports Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun.
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