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AL Central Notes: Matheny, Twins, Indians

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October 16 is an important date in the histories of the Royals and White Sox, as the two teams each clinched the American League pennant on this day back in 1985 and 2005, respectively.  Kansas City recorded a 6-2 win over the Blue Jays in Game Seven of the 1985 ALCS, completing the comeback after being down 3-1 in the series and winning the second AL pennant in club history.  The Royals went on to take the further step of capturing the franchise’s first World Series that came October, topping the Cardinals in another seven-game set.  The 2005 ALCS was also Chicago’s first step en route to a World Series title, as the White Sox beat the Angels in five games before sweeping the Astros in the Fall Classic.  2005 ended a pair of long droughts for the White Sox, as it marked the club’s first pennant since 1959 and its first World Series title since 1917.

News from around the AL Central…

  • The Giants, Padres, and Mets have all shown some interest in Royals special advisor Mike Matheny as a possible candidate to fill their managerial vacancies, MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan writes.  Matheny hasn’t been linked to any of those clubs for an interview, however, and “word has it that the Padres are going another direction,” Flanagan writes.  [UPDATE: Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Giants hadn’t spoken to Matheny as of three days ago.]  All three of those teams have already amassed a long list of candidates for interviews, as you can follow via MLB Trade Rumors’ central post for the many rumors and reports floating around concerning the offseason managerial carousel.  Matheny has also been widely tabbed as the leading contender to be the Royals’ next manager, and while Flanagan notes that Matheny’s hiring is “not as certain as it once was,” the former Cardinals skipper still appears to be “the odds-on favorite” for the job.
  • Byron Buxton stands out as a prime extension candidate this offseason, MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park opines, looking at the Twins’ model in extending Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco last spring.  Both of those players were coming off solid but not surefire breakout seasons (Polanco’s year was also marred by an 80-game PED suspension) in 2018, while Buxton is similarly coming off something of a mixed 2019 campaign.  He hit .262/.314/.513 with 10 homers in 295 PA while contributing excellent baserunning and center field defense, though Buxton’s year was marred by injuries, including season-ending shoulder surgery that could cause him to miss the start of Spring Training.  With this health uncertainty in mind, Buxton could have interest in locking in a long-term payday, though he would be foregoing potentially big arbitration raises in both 2021 and 2022 (Buxton has three arb years left as a Super Two player).  Buxton has also achieved some financial security already, with close to $9.5MM in career earnings that includes his $6MM signing bonus as the second overall pick of the 2021 draft.  Beyond Buxton, Park figures Jose Berrios and Miguel Sano are also extension candidates.
  • Assuming the Indians are no longer cutting costs, the Athletic’s Zack Meisel (subscription required) estimates that the Tribe could have roughly $17MM to spend this winter.  The current payroll sits at $102MM, as Meisel calculates based on current salaries, some minimum contracts, and MLBTR’s projected salaries for Cleveland’s arbitration-eligible players (with a few non-tender candidates not counted).  That leaves the Tribe short of their $119.5MM Opening Day payroll from 2019, giving the club some extra cash to pursue needed help in the infield and outfield.  Meisel also guesses the Indians could look into some future payroll certainty by discussing extensions with Mike Clevinger and/or Shane Bieber.

Padres Interview Bob Henley For Managerial Position

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In their search for an Andy Green replacement, the Padres conducted an interview with Nationals third base coach Bob Henley, reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter). This is the first we’ve heard of interest in Henley, who has been the Nats’ third base coach since the start of the 2014 season. Notably, Henley has survived two managerial changes in that time, perhaps reflecting an ability to adapt to the differing leadership styles of Matt Williams, Dusty Baker and now Dave Martinez.

Henley is something of a franchise lifer for the National League champs. His only big league playing experience came with the 1998 Expos, with whom he got into 41 games. Solid MLB numbers notwithstanding, Henley was done as a player by age 30, when he took over as a rookie ball manager in Montreal’s farm system. Henley remained with the franchise upon its move to D.C. and accrued six more years of managerial experience at the lowest levels. Henley transitioned to front office work in 2010, taking over as minor-league field coordinator. After four years in the role, he got his first shot at a big league dugout as Williams’ third base coach, and he’s held that position ever since.

The Padres have cast a wide net in their search for a new manager. In addition to Henley, they’ve spoken with Braves third base coach Ron Washington, former Angels manager Brad Ausmus, Padres interim manager Rod Barajas, and Rangers field coordinator Jayce Tingler. It’s a varied group, as Washington and Ausmus have ample big league managerial experience, while Barajas had none until taking over the Pads’ dugout for the season’s final eight games in the wake of Green’s dismissal. Tingler joins Henley as having no MLB managerial experience, although both (as well as Barajas) have minor-league managing experience. Tingler and Henley have also held active roles in player development departments, which could be especially useful to a Padre club rife with young talent throughout the organization.

You can track all of the managerial rumors and interviews around baseball here.

 

Quick Hits: Nix, JBJ, Alfaro

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Padres minor league piitchers Jacob Nix and Tom Cosgrove were arrested on criminal trespassing charges Sunday in Peoria, Ariz., after Nix allegedly entered a home through a dog door, per Jessica Suerth of 12 News. The homeowner caught Nix trying to break in at 3:30 a.m. and kicked him in the face, at which point Cosgrove reached into the dog door in an attempt to get Nix out. The homeowner then hit Nix in the torso with a Taser as he and Cosgrove tried to flee the premises. The police found Nix and Cosgrove at a different home about 10 minutes away and took them into custody. Nix was ordered to post a $100 bond and appear in court Oct. 14, while Cosgrove was ordered to post a $50 bond. Cosgrove appeared in court on Tuesday. This bizarre story looks like the biggest professional setback yet for the 23-year-old Nix, a promising prospect who missed most of 2019 with damage in his right ulnar collateral ligament. Nix, who joined the Padres as a third-round pick in 2015, ranks as their 28th-best farmhand at MLB.com.

Now for some more conventional items from around the league…

  • With the Red Sox set to embark on a payroll-cutting campaign this offseason, center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. could wind up on the outs, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic observes (subscription link). “You always think about it,” Bradley told McCaffrey in regards to a potential trade, adding, “It’s one of those things you just have to wait and see what happens.” Trade rumors centering on Bradley aren’t anything new, but no other club has convinced Boston to move him yet. However, the soon-to-be 30-year-old’s team control is dwindling – he’ll be a free agent after next season – while his salary is rising. Bradley’s projected to earn $11MM in 2020, and that could be too rich for the Red Sox’s blood in the wake of a modest season for JBJ. He totaled just 1.4 fWAR, his lowest since 2014, while hitting .225/.317/.421 with 21 home runs, eight stolen bases across 567 plate appearances. Although Bradley’s offensive output in 2019 wasn’t much different than the production he posted over the prior two seasons, his defensive numbers fell off, as he notched both a negative DRS (minus-1) and UZR (minus-0.7) for the first time since 2013.
  • While Jorge Alfaro will go into next season as the front-runner to start at catcher for the Marlins, they’ll at least “explore” adding depth at the position this winter, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com writes. Alfaro, whom the Marlins acquired from the Phillies as part of last offseason’s J.T. Realmuto blockbuster, batted .262/.312/.425 with 18 homers over 465 plate appearances during his first season in Miami. Those are acceptable offensive numbers from a catcher, though it’s troubling that Alfaro struck out in at least 33 percent of PA for the second year in a row. Defensively, the cannon-armed 26-year-old did throw out 33 percent of would-be base-stealers, but he struggled in the framing and blocking aspects.

 

Latest On Angels’ Search For Manager

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The Angels have interviewed Padres hitting coach Johnny Washington for their open managerial position, according to Scott Miller of Bleacher Report. Washington’s one of four known candidates to interview for the job, joining Joe Maddon, Buck Showalter and John Farrell. It appears Washington, Showalter and Farrell will have to look elsewhere, though, as Miller writes Maddon is “all but officially” locked in as the Angels’ next manager.

Washington’s the sole member of the above quartet who has never managed in the majors. A minor league infielder with the Rangers and Dodgers from 2003-09, Washington has garnered quite a bit of experience as an assistant since his playing career ended. Washington was a coach in the Dodgers’ minor league system from 2009-15 before joining the Padres, with whom he got his first big league job as a first base coach in 2017. He began working with their batters (as an assistant hitting coach) the next season.

While Washington may one day prove to be a quality MLB manager, it’s hard to compete with Maddon right now. To many, the 65-year-old Maddon has been a shoo-in to end up with the Angels since the club fired Brad Ausmus on Sept. 30. The Angels’ high level of interest in Maddon is understandable, as he spent three decades with the organization in a variety of roles (including interim manager) before enjoying an eminently successful run as a full-time skipper from 2006-19. Atop the Rays and Cubs during that span, Maddon combined for 1,225 regular-season wins, eight playoff berths, two pennants and a World Series title.

Latest On Padres’ Managerial Search

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The Padres have made a fair bit of progress in their managerial search, though it remains unclear at this point which direction they’ll go. There’s now added clarity on the handful of serious candidates as well as the interviewing timeline.

It’s now clear that Braves third base coach and former Rangers skipper Ron Washington is a serious possibility. He interviewed today, as Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. It was already known that Brad Ausmus had interviewed as well.

But those aren’t the only candidate to get a sit-down interview. Indeed, Scott Miller of Bleacher Report tweets that quite a few others have already been in to meet with GM A.J. Preller and company.

Rod Barajas and Jayce Tingler were already known to be candidates. They have in fact held interviews, according to Miller. Unlike the two men mentioned already, Barajas and Tingler are each looking for their first opportunity to helm a big-league team.

It may be that the list doesn’t extend beyond those four names. Miller reports that long-time MLB managers Buck Showalter, Joe Girardi, and Mike Scioscia appear not to be part of the ongoing Padres search. Whether there are more candidates still under consideration beyond those isn’t yet clear.

MLBTR Poll: Most Desirable Managerial Opening?

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The Phillies fired Gabe Kapler on Thursday, leaving them as one of eight major league teams searching for a manager at the moment. Fellow National League clubs in the Padres, Mets, Pirates, Giants and Cubs are in the same position, while the Royals and Angels are seeking new skippers in the AL. The question is: Which team has the most desirable job?

For starters, we can probably rule out the Pirates and Royals. Both teams have been hamstrung by low payrolls, with notoriously penny-pinching ownership holding back Pittsburgh and Kansas City (a team whose ownership is in transition) coming off its second 100-loss season in a row. Neither team looks as if it’ll contend in the immediate future, and the same may apply to the Giants, though they are a club with big-spending capabilities and promising president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi at the helm. On the other hand, the rest of the league’s manager-needy organizations look to have decent odds of pushing for relevance sooner than later.

The Phillies just wrapped up their eighth consecutive non-playoff season, but with 81 wins, they weren’t exactly a basement dweller. Kapler’s successor will be taking over a team with big-time talent on hand (Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto and Aaron Nola, to name a few) and the spending power to amply address its most obvious weaknesses this offseason.

Like the Phillies, the Padres have been suffering for too long. They’re fresh off their 13th straight year without a playoff berth, but they’re another team with front-line talent (Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Chris Paddack). Moreover, the Padres remain loaded on the farm, and owner Ron Fowler has made it clear it’s time to start winning in 2020.

The Mets also have no shortage of top-line players, including ace Jacob deGrom and NL Rookie of the Year favorite Pete Alonso. However, their managerial position is probably the most pressure-packed of all the openings. Previous skipper Mickey Callaway oversaw an 86-win team in 2019, but he dealt with scrutiny from the media, fans and general manager Brodie Van Wagenen from start to finish.

There’s also high expectations in Chicago, where even an exemplary record over five years wasn’t enough to keep Joe Maddon employed. The Cubs and president of baseball ops Theo Epstein gave Maddon the boot even though he helped them break a 108-year World Series drought in 2016 and led them to an overall 471-339 regular-season record with four playoff berths during his reign. But the Cubs, another financially well-off club with enviable high-end talent (Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Hendricks, for example), saw enough of Maddon after a late-season collapse and a non-playoff showing in 2019. Maddon’s replacement will be inheriting an 84-win team that will have playoff expectations for next year.

The Angels, who seem like the favorites to land Maddon next, are another franchise with a sense of urgency to win in 2020. Despite the presence of the game’s best player, center fielder Mike Trout, they haven’t gone to the playoffs since 2014. The Halos haven’t even won a playoff game since October 2009, just a few months after drafting Trout.  With fourth-year general manager Billy Eppler set to enter the last season of his contract in 2020, it’s imperative for him to get this hire right (his previous selection of Brad Ausmus didn’t work out). Otherwise, he and the Angels’ next manager could be out a year from now.

That’s a basic overview of where the sport’s manager-less teams stand heading into the offseason. There are more factors you could consider, of course. Which job looks the most appealing to you?

(Poll link for app users)

Most desirable managerial opening?
Cubs 25.51% (4,655 votes)
Padres 18.95% (3,458 votes)
Phillies 16.62% (3,034 votes)
Angels 13.10% (2,391 votes)
Mets 10.78% (1,967 votes)
Giants 9.20% (1,680 votes)
Royals 3.07% (561 votes)
Pirates 2.77% (505 votes)
Total Votes: 18,251

Padres Interview Brad Ausmus

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The Padres have narrowed their managerial search down to “no more than five men,” Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes. The club interviewed experienced major league manager Brad Ausmus for the role on Wednesday, according to Acee. Jon Heyman of MLB Network previously reported the two sides would likely meet to discuss the job.

It’s been a whirlwind couple weeks for the 50-year-old Ausmus, whom the Angels fired Sept. 30 after just one season in the position. The Angels mustered a horrid 72-90 record under Ausmus in 2019, though it would be unfair to place all the blame on him after the team dealt with so much adversity that was out of his control. Injuries to key players weighed the Angels down throughout the season, but there was no worse blow than the death of one of their top starters, Tyler Skaggs, on July 1.

Before Ausmus’ lone year running the Angels’ dugout and clubhouse, he managed the Tigers to a 314-332 record with one playoff berth from 2014-17. Ausmus is also well-known for a long run as a major league catcher from 1993-2010, during which he played his first three-plus seasons with the Padres. He now has a home in San Diego, Acee notes.

Along with Ausmus, Rangers player development field coordinator Jayce Tingler and former Rangers manager/current Braves third base coach Ron Washington are reportedly among the Padres’ candidates. But it’s not clear whether they’ve interviewed anyone other than Ausmus yet.

Latest On Padres’ Manager Search

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While there hasn’t been any word about the Padres conducting formal interviews for their vacant managerial position, the belief is they’re looking at four to five candidates for the job, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Rangers player development field coordinator Jayce Tingler is among those in the mix, per Acee.

The Padres are reportedly “expected” to select an experienced manager to replace Andy Green (they’ve been connected to ex-MLB skippers Ron Washington, Joe Maddon, Ron Washington, Brad Ausmus and Buck Showalter). However, having a built-in rapport with general manager A.J. Preller, who’s leading the search, could prove to be of greater importance. Washington, the Braves’ third base coach, managed the Rangers when Preller was in their front office from 2007-14. According to Acee, Preller developed a deep respect for Washington during that period, in which the Rangers made three trips to the playoffs and won a pair of American League championships.

Preller also knows Tingler from Texas, as the latter has worked in various coaching and front office positions with the organization dating back to 2007. The 38-year-old Tingler has no experience as a major league skipper, though the Rangers did consider hiring him last offseason before choosing Chris Woodward. Tingler’s currently managing in the Dominican Winter League.

Buck Showalter Not Being Considered For Padres’ Manager

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6:40pm: Despite his connection to Machado, Showalter is not currently in the mix to become the next manager, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes.

1:05pm: Padres star third baseman Manny Machado is “letting it be known he would like [the] Padres to at least take a look at” his former skipper Buck Showalter, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney writes on Twitter. Showalter managed Machado for seven seasons in Baltimore.

It’s somewhat unusual to hear of a player suggesting a possible managerial hire. But Machado inked a $300MM deal to join the San Diego organization last winter, so he and the club are joined at the hip for ten seasons (barring intervening developments). That whopping contract perhaps gives him an unusual level of standing in the Padres franchise. And there’s no hint here that he’s demanding Showalter be the chosen candidate.

Showalter would certainly suit the Padres’ desire for an experienced helmsman. The 63-year-old is a grizzled veteran of twenty MLB seasons as a manager. A notably old-school presence around the diamond, Showalter has certainly still had success in the modern game. His O’s teams outperformed expectations and had a notable run of success from 2012 through 2016. After sitting out a year, Showalter is obviously itching to get back at it, as he has previously expressed interest in interviewing for the Mets opening.

At this point, it isn’t known whether Showalter is a realistic candidate for the Padres — or even whether they’ll seriously consider him at all. But it stands to reason the club would at least take a look, particularly now that its highest-paid player has made his preference known.

Padres Have Performed Due Diligence On Ron Washington

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As the Padres continue compiling managerial candidates, they’ve taken a look at a battle-tested former skipper. The club has at least performed due diligence on former Rangers manager and current Braves coach Ron Washington, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter).

Washington was among the many names floated when the team decided to part ways with Andy Green. But it wasn’t clear then how serious the interest was. It’s still not entirely clear, but nevertheless remains notable that the Friars are looking closely at Washington. With experience said to be a key factor for the San Diego organization, the ongoing connection makes sense.

As Heyman notes, Preller has worked previously with Washington when both were with the Rangers organization. Washington resigned at the end of the 2014 season but joined the Athletics early in the next year as an infield coach and eventual third base coach. He went on to join the Braves as their third base coach in advance of the 2017 campaign and has remained in that role since.

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