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Tony La Russa

D-backs Have Decisions To Make On Key Execs

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The last-place Diamondbacks have until Aug. 31 to decide whether to exercise 2017 options for general manager Dave Stewart and senior vice president of baseball operations De Jon Watson, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Chief baseball officer Tony La Russa told Piecoro that he expects owner Ken Kendrick and CEO Derrick Hall to retain Stewart and Watson. However, La Russa doesn’t seem aware of his own job security going forward.

“There has not been one conversation, not one, between Derrick and Ken, the three of us, having to do with front office contracts, not one, because what’s dominating us is the disappointing season and that’s where our concentration and energy are going,” said La Russa, who’s unsure of whether his three-year contract began in 2014 – when the team hired him, Stewart and Watson – or in 2015.

Regardless, if the Diamondbacks let go of the 71-year-old La Russa, the longtime manager won’t collect any of the money still owed to him, he informed Piecoro.

“If they like what I’m doing, then I’m here,” the three-time World Series winner stated. “If they don’t, then I’ll leave knowing that right now I’m not very happy with the job that I’m doing. So I’m determined to do better.”

After posting 79 wins and a plus-7 run differential last year, the Diamondbacks’ first full season under La Russa, Stewart and Watson, the club has gone backward in 2016. Those three are currently at the helm of a 48-68 team despite aggressively trying to turn it into a contender in the offseason. Not only did Arizona commit $206.5MM to right-hander Zack Greinke, but it famously dealt 2015 No. 1 pick and top shortstop prospect Dansby Swanson, outfielder Ender Inciarte and young righty Aaron Blair to Atlanta for Shelby Miller.

Greinke has pitched well in his first season with the Diamondbacks, though it’s too early to assess whether their long-term investment in him was wise. On the other hand, Miller’s 2016 has been an unmitigated disaster. The decision to trade such a significant haul for the righty was widely pilloried from the get-go, but no one expected the 25-year-old to regress from a quality starter to someone incapable of holding a spot in a major league rotation. Miller, who has registered a 7.14 ERA, 6.49 K/9 and 4.41 BB/9 across 69 1/3 innings with the Diamondbacks, has been with Triple-A Reno since mid-July.

After acquiring Miller, Greinke, shortstop Jean Segura and reliever Tyler Clippard (who is now a Yankee after a July trade) during the winter, D-backs brass expected to field a postseason-caliber squad. Prior to the season, Stewart called the idea of the club winning fewer games than last year “a joke” and referred to it as “impossible” (via Jack Magruder of Today’s Knuckleball). Unfortunately for Stewart, that impossibility is going to become a reality.

In fairness to Stewart and the rest of the Diamondbacks’ front office, injuries haven’t helped the team’s cause. Most notably, Arizona has been without star center fielder A.J. Pollock all season because of a fractured elbow. Plus, the 26-year-old Segura – whom the Diamondbacks acquired from the Brewers for righty Chase Anderson, infielder Aaron Hill and shortstop prospect Isan Diaz – has been quite effective. Moreover, lefty Robbie Ray, righty Rubby De La Rosa and outfielder Yasmany Tomas, all of whom were picked up after La Russa, Stewart and Watson took the helm, have shown promise. But, despite Tomas’ offensive strides, the big-bodied 25-year-old has minimal upside because of his limitations as a defender and base runner. Thus, the Diamondbacks’ $68.5MM investment in him looks questionable at best.

Arizona’s other noteworthy Cuban signing, 2014 addition Yoan Lopez, has scuffled in the minors during his tenure in America and the righty hasn’t pitched since June 29 because he’s contemplating leaving the sport. Signing Lopez, then an international free agent, for a record $8.27MM bonus took Arizona out of the running to land any other international amateurs for more than $300K during both the 2015 signing period and this year’s.

The era of La Russa, Stewart and Watson has clearly produced more negatives than positives for the Diamondbacks, who enter play Sunday with the fourth-worst record and third-worst run differential (minus-114) in the majors. While La Russa expects his cohorts to return next season, the fact that there’s uncertainty regarding their statuses obviously wasn’t what they or the franchise had in mind at the beginning of the year.

D’Backs Notes: Ziegler, Hudson, Lopez, La Russa

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It’s been a busy day for Diamondbacks news, thanks to such items as Zack Greinke hitting the 15-day disabled list, Paul Goldschmidt switching agencies and Robbie Ray generating some trade buzz.  Here’s even more from the desert…

  • Brad Ziegler and Daniel Hudson have been mentioned as both trade candidates and extension candidates, though Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic considers a merge of the two strategies: the D’Backs deal one or both of the relievers now for minor league help, then re-sign them as free agents this winter.  Both Ziegler and Hudson say they would be open to continuing their careers in Arizona, though obviously if they were dealt, their opinions could certainly change based on what happens with their new teams.  “I think I’ve heard [Ziegler] say that you maybe get one chance to get to this point in your career and get a pretty good payday.  I’ve got to take advantage of it if it comes to that point and do what’s best for my family,” Hudson said.  While obviously every player has such big-picture concerns in mind, long-term security is likely of particular importance to Hudson since he’s already undergone two Tommy John procedures in his career.
  • On the extension front, Ziegler said isn’t sure of the D’Backs have reached out to his representatives yet, as he has told his agents that he wants to solely focus on baseball during the season.  Hudson said that the team made contact with his agents but financial or length terms have yet to be discussed.
  • In another item from Piecoro, Tony La Russa said he has no regrets about signing international prospect Yoan Lopez to an $8.27MM bonus, even in the wake of Lopez’s struggles both on and off the field in his first two pro seasons.  “When you have a chance to get a guy like that, you don’t have any regrets.  This guy has major potential. I have no crystal ball, but we’ve just got to keep working at it,” La Russa said.  Three Diamondbacks scouts, according to La Russa, would rank Lopez as a top-three prospect within any organization in baseball, an opinion Piecoro notes isn’t shared by several scouts on rival teams.  (Prospect rankings from Baseball America and MLB.com, in fact, don’t even have Lopez ranked within the top five in Arizona’s own system.)  Beyond Lopez’s own issues, there is the larger fact that his signing put the D’Backs over the international signing pool limit and subjected them to a two-year ban on signings for more than $300K.  When asked if the D’Backs should’ve exceeded the pool limit to sign many players beyond just Lopez, La Russa said no.

Diamondbacks Notes: Trades, La Russa, Hudson

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The Diamondbacks didn’t just beat the league’s best club with today’s 3-2 victory over the Cubs, they also hung a rare loss on Jake Arrieta.  Arrieta had won his last 20 decisions prior to today’s loss, a streak dating back to July 25, 2015.  While the D’Back struck out 12 times against Arrieta, they also tagged the Chicago ace for three runs on nine hits and a walk over five innings.  Here’s some more from the desert…

  • Today’s win improved Arizona’s record to just 25-34 on the season, yet despite the slow start, chief baseball officer Tony La Russa told reporters (including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic and MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert) that the D’Backs aren’t ready to start shopping pieces for the trade deadline.  “Now is not that time,” La Russa said. “If this was a veteran-laden team and you were trying to win in ’16 only, at some point you would say we’re going to be sellers not buyers.  But this is a club that’s put together — and we went to lengths during the off-season — it’s about the next four or five years.”
  • It also doesn’t appear, however, that the D’Backs will necessarily make any big upgrades to make a postseason push.  “The problem with a major trade is that it means they take your best kids, and we like our young players,” La Russa said. “I think the healthiest attitude for the guys in uniform is win with what you got. You compete and win with what you got or [what you have] in the organization.”
  • Impending free agent Daniel Hudson stands out as a possible trade chip if the D’Backs do sell at the deadline, though the reliever tells Nick Piecoro that his first choice would be to remain in Arizona both through July and in the offseason.  “I’d love to stay here and be here when we’re good,” Hudson said.  “I don’t want to come here and face our lineup when they put it all together and I’m not here…But I’ve got to do what’s best for me and my family.  If that means exploring more options at the end of the year, then that’s what it’s going to come down to.  I want to be here for the long run, for sure.”  Hudson has been with the organization since 2010 but has only appeared in 144 games due to a pair of Tommy John surgeries.  The former highly-touted pitching prospect has reinvented himself as a reliever and delivered strong results over the last two seasons out of the Diamondbacks bullpen.  Hudson tells Piecoro that to his knowledge, there haven’t been any extension talks between his representatives and the D’Backs.

Diamondbacks Notes: Window, Goldschmidt, Pollock

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The Diamondbacks front office has repeatedly drawn flak for unusual trades and signings under GM Dave Stewart’s leadership. Club executives are unconcerned by the outside chatter, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The most often critiqued moves include the trades for Shelby Miller (full post), Jean Segura (post), and the salary dump of Bronson Arroyo (post). Many industry observers believe Arizona received terrible value on their young talent in these swaps. Executive Tony La Russa views the deals an instance of zigging while the rest of the industry zags. La Russa may be correct to view prospects as over-appreciated these days but part of a successful “zig” involves taking advantage of market inefficiencies. Arizona has seemingly ignored the current market for prospects.

  • Of course, there’s more to it than just prospects. Since Arizona has to somehow beat the big payroll Dodgers, they have to pick their windows to contend, writes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. The team has a window over the next few years while Paul Goldschmidt and A.J. Pollock are exceptionally inexpensive and in their primes. The club believes they have enough middle infield depth, explaining their willingness to part with Dansby Swanson and Isan Diaz for major league upgrades. They also believe pitching prospect Touki Toussaint is four to five years from major league ready – outside of their current window.
  • DBacks executives compare Goldschmidt to former Cardinals star Albert Pujols, writes Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic. Goldschmidt is coming off a vintage Pujolsian season with 33 home runs, 21 stolen bases, and a .321/.435/.570 slash. He also earned a Gold Glove award. La Russa, who managed Pujols, is among those to make the comparison.
  • Star outfielder Pollock remains questionable for Opening Day, writes Chris Gabel of MLB.com. Pollock has been held out of game action since March 8 due to right elbow soreness. The club may look to play him only in minor league contests for the remainder of Spring Training so they can backdate a potential stint on the disabled list.

NL Notes: Lackey, D’Backs, Kimbrel, Colletti

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MLBTR has learned the full details of the incentives clause negotiated last winter between the Cardinals and righty John Lackey. (Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has already reported major elements of the clause.) The provision calls for $400K payouts to Lackey for reaching each of five innings tallies. His first milestone was 100 innings, with successive markers every 25 innings thereafter. When Lackey reached 200 frames last night, he maxed out the bonus at a total of $2MM (on top of the league minimum salary that was already called for in his deal).

Here are some more notes from the National League:

  • The Diamondbacks face several contract questions regarding pitchers even before considering outside additions, as Zach Buchanan of AZCentral Sports writes. Whether to tender Jeremy Hellickson and Jhoulys Chacin, exercise a club option over Josh Collmenter, and pursue a reunion with free agent-to-be David Hernandez are among the matters that Arizona will need to address. Chief baseball officer Tony La Russa discussed all four pitchers with Buchanan. Most interestingly, perhaps, is the situation regarding Chacin. La Russa says that he has “seen enough from Chacin” to know that he’d be “in the competition” for the club next year. The 27-year-old looked good at Triple-A this year and has put together three nice outings for Arizona. Because of his limited MLB time this year, he is arb-eligible. Chacin had agreed to a $5.5MM deal with the Rockies before he was released in the spring before signing successive minor league deals with the Indians and D’Backs. My guess would be that the club will look to work something out with him before the tender deadline.
  • Padres closer Craig Kimbrel says it’s been a frustrating first season in San Diego, as Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Kimbrel says that he expects the club to improve next year, citing the assembly of new faces as one factor that may have slowed down the Pads this year. Of course, as Lin writes, it’s certainly plausible to imagine a scenario where Kimbrel is dealt elsewhere to address other areas of needs or re-build the farm system.
  • Former Dodgers GM Ned Colletti, who now works with the organization as an adviser, is “right in the middle of everything, but nowhere near anything,” Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times writes. But as Plaschke points out, Colletti — who says it’s been “a different kind of year” — was responsible for bringing in many of the team’s key pieces. That includes not only players like Clayton Kershaw and Zach Grienke, but youngsters such as Joc Pederson and Corey Seager. All said, the piece suggests, Colletti’s nine-year tenure as the head of the organization’s baseball operations department was probably more successful than many have acknowledged.

NL Notes: Duda, Cueto, Tomas, Braves, Diamondbacks

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The Mets and Lucas Duda have failed to reach an extension prior to the first baseman’s Opening Day deadline and have shelved negotiations, reports Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. “No agreement was reached, so talks have concluded and Lucas will focus on the upcoming season,” agent Dan Horwits told Rubin. Duda will make $4.2MM in 2015 and will be eligible for arbitration two more times before becoming a free agent following the 2017 season.

In other National League news and notes:

Diamondbacks Links: Towers, La Russa, Manager

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There’s been no shortage of coverage on the Diamondbacks since the surprising news that they’d hired Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa as their new Chief Baseball Officer. Earlier today, one report indicated that opposing teams aren’t even sure whether La Russa or GM Kevin Towers is the go-to contact for trade negotiations. Here’s the latest on their leadership situation…

  • Towers appeared on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM earlier today and said that he’s currently not sure how the labor will be broken down among the front office (98.7’s Vince Marotta has highlights and full audio available). The GM said he’s been on a scouting trip and will know more once he is able to sit down and talk with La Russa. Towers said he’s assuming the only current change is that he will report to La Russa instead of CEO Derrick Hall and is hoping not much will change. “I certainly don’t want to be a pseudo-GM,” he said. 
  • ESPN’s Buster Olney offers a different take in today’s edition of his Insider-only blog (subscription required). “[T]he simple truth,” Olney writes, “is that Diamondbacks general manager Kevin Towers lost his power when Arizona hired Tony La Russa.” Olney looks back at the surprising lack of stability in Arizona’s front office despite relatively strong success with a modest payroll. He writes that history tells us Arizona ownership will eventually get fed up with La Russa and turn on him.
  • Olney’s colleague, Jerry Crasnick, says that one name to watch in potential managerial searches under La Russa’s watch will be Joe McEwing (Twitter link). Currently the third base coach for the White Sox, the former Mets utility player goes back a long way with La Russa.

West Notes: Perez, Cashner, Ibanez, La Russa

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Rangers left-hander Martin Perez underwent his Tommy John surgery earlier today, and everything “went as expected,” writes Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. The surgery was performed by Dr. Keith Meister, who performs most of the club’s surgeries. As the Rangers look to deal with that blow to their rotation, here’s more from baseball’s Western divisions…

  • For the time being, Padres ace Andrew Cashner has avoided joining Perez on the list of series elbow injuries. Cashner underwent an MRI today, and while that test has conditioned the public to fear the worst, GM Josh Byrnes issued the following statement via press release: “After performing an MRI today on Andrew’s right elbow, our doctors have indicated to me that he has elbow soreness and irritation. Based on our doctors’ recommendation we will be proceeding with rest and rehabilitation for his recovery.”
  • Though the Angels will soon need to make roster moves to get Kole Calhoun, David Freese and Dane De La Rosa back on the active roster, releasing struggling DH Raul Ibanez isn’t likely, reports MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez. General manager Jerry Dipoto wouldn’t say Ibanez will not be released, Gonzalez writes, but he expressed that the team will remain patient and voiced confidence in the aging slugger: “Raul has a track record. He has done this before. He has gone through cold spells, and he has gotten hot. There’s nobody here who believes Raul has had his last good days in the big leagues.”
  • Diamondbacks president Derrick Hall “can hardly stop pinching [himself]” after the team’s hiring of Tony La Russa as its new chief baseball officer, writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. La Russa drew interest from multiple clubs for an executive role and turned down at least one offer, feeling that he wasn’t needed with that team, Heyman adds. He also writes that manager Kirk Gibson has close to a clean slate following the La Russa hire, and that La Russa will give Gibson and GM Kevin Towers until at least season’s end to help get the Snakes back on track.

NL West Notes: Dodgers, Giants, Quackenbush

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Ten years ago today, the Diamondbacks’ Randy Johnson tossed a perfect game against the Braves. The Big Unit was fairly blunt when asked to reflect upon his gem by MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert. “That’s the one thing that I’ve noticed since I’ve stopped playing baseball is that I’m getting older, because time just doesn’t stop,” Johnson said. “Next thing you know we’re having a 10-year anniversary for the World Series and now a 10-year anniversary for my perfect game. It just doesn’t seem that long ago that I threw that perfect game. Although it does feel like 10 years as far as me remembering details of it, because I don’t remember many of the details of the game.” Johnson (owner of 303 wins, five Cy Young Awards, and second place on the all-time strikeout list) will be on his first Hall of Fame ballot next year and is keeping busy in retirement with photography and traveling in support of the USO. 

In news and notes from the National League’s West Division:

  • The Giants discussed the idea of hiring Tony LaRussa, but there wasn’t a fit since the team is happy with their baseball decision-makers and the Hall of Fame manager wasn’t interested in a strictly advisory role, reports Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Sulia).
  • The Dodgers will face a roster crunch when Hyun-jin Ryu is activated from the disabled list Wednesday, writes MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick. Paul Maholm, who replaced Ryu in the starting rotation, will shift to the bullpen, so the Dodgers may have to keep 13 pitchers because their current relievers either have guaranteed contracts and cannot be optioned to the minors (Brian Wilson, Chris Perez, J.P. Howell, and Jamey Wright) or have prominent late-inning roles (Kenley Jansen and Chris Withrow).
  • Corey Brock of MLB.com chronicles the travels of Padres reliever Kevin Quackenbush, who has shuttled back-and-forth between San Diego and Triple-A El Paso five times since April 25. “This is where I want to be, so every time I’m up here, it’s a blessing,” the 25-year-old right-hander said. “It is something to laugh about a bit, I guess. But it’s still exciting.“

D’Backs Hire Tony La Russa To Oversee Operations

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5:34pm: LaRussa receives a multi-year deal, reports Jack Magruder of FOX Sports Arizona (Twitter link). The club had been exploring the possibility of a change in the baseball ops department for about a month.

5:16pm: Team president and CEO Derrick Hall says that Arizona interviewed several other candidates, some of whom would have occupied a similar role to that now handed to LaRussa and others who would have taken over at general manager, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter).

While that certainly raises some additional doubt as to Towers’ situation, Bob Nightengale of USA Today writes on Twitter that LaRussa is expected to exercise patience in determining the path forward and will likely not take action on Towers and/or Gibson until late in the season.

In terms of what LaRussa’s role will be, Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com (Twitter link) analogizes it to that of Theo Epstein with the Cubs, noting that it has some crossover with the former position of Nolan Ryan with the Rangers. Hall says that LaRussa will have “final say” over “any decisions that will be made from the personnel side,” tweets Steve Berthiaume of MLB.com.

11:40am: The Diamondbacks announced that they have appointed Tony La Russa as their Chief Baseball Officer.  La Russa will report to team president & CEO Derrick Hall and oversee the entire baseball operations department.

“The entire organization is obviously frustrated with the results on the field and we are looking to improve,” Hall said in the press release. “Tony brings us a wealth of knowledge, experience and success, and will work closely with [General Manager Kevin Towers] and [manager Kirk Gibson] in evaluating our current state to determine the future of our baseball operations. He is excited and enthusiastic about the challenge, and we are fortunate to have this Hall of Famer on board and a part of the team.”

After an active offseason, the Diamondbacks find themselves at the bottom of the NL West with a 16-28 record, putting them 11.5 games behind the first-place Giants.  As a big league manager, La Russa won three World Series titles, six League Championships, 12 division titles, and was a four-time Manager of the Year.  He was previously working as a Special Assistant to Commissioner Bud Selig.

It remains to be seen how La Russa’s arrival will impact Towers and Gibson.  Towers has been Arizona’s GM since September of 2010.  Gibson was appointed interim manager in July 2010 and was promoted to the permanent role after the season.

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