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Odds & Ends: Yankees, Varitek, Sheffield

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A few links to browse while we watch to see if the Phillies can finish off the last of the Division Series….  

  • Benjamin Kabak of River Ave. Blues wonders how Johnny Damon's recent slide and Hideki Matsui's hot streak will affect the New York Yankees' decisions this winter.
  • Josh Beckett wants Jason Varitek back in Boston in 2010, according to Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com.
  • MLB.com's Kelly Thesier writes that Joe Mauer has spoken to agent Ron Shapiro about his contract status, but that there haven't been any "serious discussions" yet.
  • Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reports that Gary Sheffield wants to return to Florida. "It would be nice to finish my career with the Marlins," Sheffield said. "This is where I made a name for myself.''
  • The Houston Astros aren't handling the managerial interview process well, according to Richard Justice of The Houston Chronicle. Justice's pick for the opening, Jim Fregosi, wasn't one of the ten candidates announced by the Astros.
  • Chris Ruddick of the Sports Network, via the Miami Herald, speculates on the next moves for St. Louis and Boston. He isn't opposed to letting Tony LaRussa and Matt Holliday walk, and suggests that Jonathan Papelbon could be shopped for a "young bat" this winter.
  • The Cincinnati Enquirer's John Fay writes that former Diamondbacks pitching coach Bryan Pryce is on the Reds' list of candidates for their pitching coach. The Brewers have also expressed interest in Pryce.
  • Within a mailbag on MLB.com, Chris Haft writes that players like Matt Holliday and Jason Bay will be out of the San Francisco Giants' price range, and that the team is more likely to acquire a "hard-hitting utilityman."

Braves Notes: Jones, Vazquez, Hudson

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The Atlanta Braves went 34-21 in the months of August and September.  Unfortunately for them, their poor play early in the season meant that the playoffs were still out of reach.  While their starting pitching was strong (Derek Lowe's underwhelming year not withstanding), their offense couldn't generate enough support.  Chipper Jones had, arguably, the worst year of his career, posting an OPS of .818 – his lowest in nearly a decade-and-a-half.  Jones' performance was a microcosm of the Braves' season as a whole: certainly not awful, but short of expectations.

Buster Olney, Baseball Prospectus and the Insider Staff broke down the season that was for the Atlanta Braves and what to expect from them this winter.  An ESPN Insider account is required to read the article but here are the highlights for those without:

  • Olney writes that the Braves need a bopper, preferably of the right-handed variety.  The piece suggests Dan Uggla or Miguel Tejada while noting that Matt Holliday and Jason Bay are probably too pricey.  Gary Sheffield is mentioned as a cheaper alternative, but one has to wonder if the Braves are at all interested in reuniting with the outspoken soon-to-be 41-year-old.
  • Atlanta may need a big bat, but they can afford to stand pat when it comes to their rotation.  Javier Vazquez was brilliant this year, posting career bests with an ERA of 2.87 and 9.8 K/9.  With a starting five that also includes Jair Jurrjens, Derek Lowe, Tommy Hanson and Tim Hudson, the Braves are one of the fortunate teams that do not have to sift through this year's pool of free agent starters if they don't want to.  While the Braves may give some thought to moving Lowe, who is owed $15MM in each of the next three seasons, they may not find much of a market for his services.
  • The Braves "face an intriguing decision" when it comes to Hudson's $12MM option.  Hudson missed most of the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery but has looked rather healthy since returning, posting an ERA of 3.61 in seven starts.  A blog post from David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution noted that the Braves could decline the option and be able to sign Hudson for "quite a bit less", as Hudson has just built a home in the area.
  • Shawn Hoffman of Baseball Prospectus concludes the piece by saying, "If the rotation can hold some of its gains, and Chipper Jones can at least maintain his current level, the Braves could be very, very tough."

Braves Notes: Jones, Vazquez, Hudson

By | at

The Atlanta Braves went 34-21 in the months of August and September.  Unfortunately for them, their poor play early in the season meant that the playoffs were still out of reach.  While their starting pitching was strong (Derek Lowe's underwhelming year not withstanding), their offense couldn't generate enough support.  Chipper Jones had, arguably, the worst year of his career, posting an OPS of .818 – his lowest in nearly a decade-and-a-half.  Jones' performance was a microcosm of the Braves' season as a whole: certainly not awful, but short of expectations.

Buster Olney, Baseball Prospectus and the Insider Staff broke down the season that was for the Atlanta Braves and what to expect from them this winter.  An ESPN Insider account is required to read the article but here are the highlights for those without:

  • Olney writes that the Braves need a bopper, preferably of the right-handed variety.  The piece suggests Dan Uggla or Miguel Tejada while noting that Matt Holliday and Jason Bay are probably too pricey.  Gary Sheffield is mentioned as a cheaper alternative, but one has to wonder if the Braves are at all interested in reuniting with the outspoken soon-to-be 41-year-old.
  • Atlanta may need a big bat, but they can afford to stand pat when it comes to their rotation.  Javier Vazquez was brilliant this year, posting career bests with an ERA of 2.87 and 9.8 K/9.  With a starting five that also includes Jair Jurrjens, Derek Lowe, Tommy Hanson and Tim Hudson, the Braves are one of the fortunate teams that do not have to sift through this year's pool of free agent starters if they don't want to.  While the Braves may give some thought to moving Lowe, who is owed $15MM in each of the next three seasons, they may not find much of a market for his services.
  • The Braves "face an intriguing decision" when it comes to Hudson's $12MM option.  Hudson missed most of the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery but has looked rather healthy since returning, posting an ERA of 3.61 in seven starts.  A blog post from David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution noted that the Braves could decline the option and be able to sign Hudson for "quite a bit less", as Hudson has just built a home in the area.
  • Shawn Hoffman of Baseball Prospectus concludes the piece by saying, "If the rotation can hold some of its gains, and Chipper Jones can at least maintain his current level, the Braves could be very, very tough."

Odds & Ends: Pirates, Mariners, Cubs

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Because we know you aren't ready to go to bed just yet…

  • With the Pirates looking to end their streak of losing seasons, Manager John Russell described the team's offseason plan this way: "To say what specific area, we'll see what the board holds," Russell said. "I don't know — is it a left fielder? Is it a second baseman? Is it a pitcher? I don't know. We'll just have to look into it and see what's available. Offensively, we've struggled. It would be nice to find a bat that can be productive."  
  • According to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times, all the Mariners' coaches should be back next season.
  • Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune has his wish list of power hitters for the Cubs. Astonishingly, it includes Gary Sheffield. 
  • According to Corey Brock of MLB.com, GM Kevin Towers has not been told yet by Padres' management if he will be returning in 2010.
  • Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports that Brewers' GM Doug Melvin is expected to ask Ken Macha to return as manager on Friday.
  • Apparently, however, Seth McClung does not expect to return to Milwaukee in 2010, and has Twittered his discontent.

Mets Rumors: Sheffield, Marquis

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The latest on the Mets' offseason plans from a pair of New York Post writers…

  • Gary Sheffield tells Kevin Kernan that he will play at least one more season. Sheffield would consider returning to the Mets, but he's not ruling out other clubs. Kernan lists the Astros, Rangers, Rays and Marlins as possible fits. 
  • I find it hard to imagine the Rays making a play for him. Still, Sheffield, who turns 41 in November, has managed an .822 OPS in 309 plate appearances, so he can still hit.
  • Jeff Francoeur tells Mike Puma that his friend Jason Marquis would "love to come" to New York and pitch for the Mets. Francoeur raves about Marquis, who will hit free agency after the season. 

Odds & Ends: Pirates, Schneider, Claggett

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A few links to start the evening off…

  • When asked if the Pirates might pursue a free agent this winter to address their lack of power, Dejan Kovacevic of The Pittsburgh Post Gazette said the team has indicated "that they will wait until they see which of the current players might take a step forward, then identifying needs." That sounds like a "no," or at least a "probably not."
  • MLB.com's Bill Ladson said he would not be surprised if Brian Schneider returned to the Nationals as a backup catcher next year, but he would have to take a big paycut. Schneider has already said he doesn't expect to return to the Mets next year, and after making $4.9MM this year, he should be prepared to take a big paycut wherever he goes.
  • The Yankees designated reliever Anthony Claggett for assignment to clear room on the 40-man roster for Freddy Guzman, reports Peter Abraham of The Journal News. Claggett was originally acquired in the deal that sent Gary Sheffield to Detroit, and got annihilated in his brief callup (33.75 ERA & 5.62 WHIP in 2.2 IP) this year.

Crasnick On Sheffield, Smoltz, Giambi, Pedro

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ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick presents some of the players, managers and executives who can start earning next year's job by finishing the season strong:

  • Gary Sheffield is hitting well, but in the words of one NL official, "he has some explaining to do" if he wants a job next year after last week's drama.
  • Barring a September collapse, Jerry Manuel seems likely to return next year.
  • John Smoltz is "definitely interested" in pitching next year, according to his agent.
  • Jason Giambi can prolong his career if he plays well for the Rockies this month.
  • One NL exec believes Pedro Martinez can still contribute.
  • Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi says he knows some people want him out of Toronto. However, Crasnick believes the GM has a strong relationship with team president Paul Beeston. Once Beeston hands authority over to a new president, Ricciardi could lose his job.
  • Crasnick says managers Eric Wedge (Indians), Jim Riggleman (Nationals), Dave Trembley (Orioles) and Cecil Cooper (Astros) don't have much job security.

Gary Sheffield’s Future

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Gary Sheffield is just 313 hits away from becoming the fifth man in baseball history to have 3000 hits and 500 homers. He turns 41 this offseason, but he tells Danny Knobler of CBS Sports that he can still play every day. He wants as much playing time as possible and told Knobler that it will factor in when he's deciding where to sign as a free agent.

Sheffield has made close to $10MM every season since 1998, so an executive who knows him wonders if he'd be open to taking an eight-figure paycut. Sheffield makes $14MM this year, but no team figures to offer him that much. Sheffield has played in the field for the Mets, but teams may prefer him as a DH, which could leave him in competition with Vladimir Guerrero, Jim Thome and Hideki Matsui, all of whom are free agents after the year.

Odds & Ends: Cubs, Sheffield, Brewers, Relievers

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Here's a few links to take in as you recover from the work week…

  • Maury Brown at The Biz of Baseball reports that The Tribune Co. has reached an agreement to sell a 95% interest in the Cubs to The Ricketts Family
  • Bart Hubbuch of The NY Post tweets that Omar Minaya said the Mets "have no intentions of releasing Gary Sheffield or putting him on irrevocable waivers."
  • Tom Haudricourt of The Journal Sentinel reports that the Brewers have designated catcher Carlos Corporan for assignment. Corporan singled in the only big league plate appearance of his career back in May.
  • Cliff Corcoran at SI.com ranks the top ten setup men in the league. Two of them were acquired not long before this year's trade deadline, one signed as a free agent last winter, and another signed a long-term extension before the season. A fifth player wasn't even in the big leagues at the start of the year.
  • Make sure you follow MLBTR on Twitter. It's the future, man. 

Sheffield Says He Didn’t Ask For Extension

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Gary Sheffield says he didn't ask for an extension from the Mets, according to Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post (via Twitter). Sheffield, who says he's now ready to move on and finish the season, says GM Omar Minaya called the meeting, not him. As Ben Shpigel of the New York Times notes, Sheffield wishes he had found out about his waiver status from Minaya instead of the media.

We heard yesterday that the Mets denied Sheffield an extension when he asked for one. Now, Minaya says he expects Sheffield to remain a Met for the rest of the season, according to Shpigel.

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