NL Notes: Cubs, Epstein, Cardinals, Lindor, Padres
For those looking for an indication of the Cubs‘ offseason spending strategy, this week’s comments from president Theo Epstein provided little satisfaction–even if Epstein has previously shown a willingness to lift the curtain on club plans. “As an organization, we’re not talking about payroll or luxury tax at all,” Epstein is quoted as saying in an article from Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. “I feel like every time we’ve been at all specific, or even allowed people to make inferences from things we’ve said, it just puts us in a hole strategically.”
While North Side fans would likely love for the club to pursue upper-echelon free agents like Gerrit Cole or Anthony Rendon, Bastian calculates that such a development is unlikely given the club’s current payroll commitments. Chicago is accountable for roughly $107MM toward eight contracts next season, before providing for team options on Anthony Rizzo ($16.5MM) and Jose Quintana ($10.5MM). The Cubs opened 2019 with a payroll in excess of $203MM, before finishing with a disappointing 84-78 record and missing the playoffs.
In more news from around the NL…
- After the Dodgers were connected to Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor this week, is it possible the Cardinals could also take a run at Cleveland’s superstar infielder? That’s a question pondered by Mark Saxon in a reader mailbag for The Athletic–with Saxon venturing that such a pursuit could be manageable for St. Louis (link). While it’s important to underline that this is only the speculation of one writer, Saxon draws up a potential trade package headlined by prospect Nolan Gorman and one of Paul DeJong, Tommy Edman, or Kolten Wong. While such a hypothetical package has its merits (and it’s laudable for a writer to go out on a limb regarding trade scenarios), it is worth pointing out that Gorman, at 19, is likely two years away from being considered an MLB-ready contributor. MLBTR readers, of course, took their own crack at projecting Lindor’s future in a recent poll.
- After a 2019 season that saw the Padres use eight different rookie pitchers in their starting rotation, writer AJ Cassavell of MLB.com notes that–strange though it may sound–the club is likely more focused on offense heading into the offseason (link). As Cassavell notes, pitching prospects MacKenzie Gore and Luis Patino promise to aid a 2020 rotation mix that includes Chris Paddack, Garrett Richards, Dinelson Lamet, Joey Lucchesi, Eric Lauer, and Cal Quantrill, whereas the projected lineup of new manager Jayce Tingler provides a few more question marks. The veteran scribe underscores that, by virtue of wRC+, San Diego received worse-than-average production at every position save for shortstop in 2019. Although Cassavell offers second base, catcher, and outfield as areas in need of an upgrade, it might be added that San Diego ran out well-regarded rookies at those spots for much of 2019 in Luis Urias, Francisco Mejia, and Josh Naylor. It stands to reason that the club could simply look for sophomore improvements at those particular positions while moving to offset Eric Hosmer‘s tremendous struggles against left-handed pitching (59 wRC+ against lefties in 2019) by way of a first base platoon addition.
Padres Hire Jayce Tingler As Manager
Oct. 28: The Padres have announced the signing of Tingler to a three-year contract.
“Jayce has extensive experience in virtually every aspect of coaching, player development and baseball operations, and our entire group believes that he’s the right person to lead our talented roster,” general manager A.J. Preller said within today’s press release. “His multi-faceted skill set, combined with his ability to develop talent and help players reach their potential at the Major League level, were key factors in his selection as our manager. We are excited for Jayce to build upon the foundation we’ve laid in San Diego as we set our sights on October baseball.”
Oct. 24: The Padres are set to hire Jayce Tingler away from the Rangers as their new manager, Jeff Passan of ESPN reports (via Twitter). Tingler, 38, is currently the Major League Player Development Field Coordinator on skipper Chris Woodward’s staff.
By all indications, this hiring promises to be a pivotal one. The Padres are, after all, an organization wrapping up a decade largely spent in rebuild, with the recent front office regime led by general manager A.J. Preller struggling to field a competitive roster despite several big-money roster reinforcements and a farm system generally regarded as one of the game’s best.
Andy Green was tabbed as Preller’s choice for the managerial seat in 2016 following Bud Black‘s dismissal midway through an ill-fated 2015 campaign, but Green’s tenure in San Diego produced just a 274-366 record. Recent indications had pointed toward Ron Washington and Tingler — two former Preller associates from his time with the Rangers — being the final two candidates, but it appears that the Padres will go with the younger of those two options.
Indeed, the 38-year-old Tingler becomes the second-youngest manager in the majors, behind only Rocco Baldelli of the Twins. Baldelli’s early success in the managerial seat — as well as the success experienced by young managers like Alex Cora and AJ Hinch — demonstrates that a grey beard is hardly a job requirement when it comes to major league managing, but that certainly doesn’t mean Tingler is a conventional candidate. Tingler is neither a garlanded former big leaguer nor an up-the-ranks minor league manager, but a little-known former minor leaguer with a wide range of on-field and front office experience.
Tingler spent time as a skipper at the Rookie and Dominican Summer League levels before being named as Texas’ minor league field coordinator from 2012-14. He served as a coach on the staff of Jeff Banister in 2015 and 2016 before entering the front office as an assistant GM in 2017. Tingler served as bench coach for interim manager Don Wakamatsu at the end of 2018 and interviewed to be Rangers manager that offseason (he was ultimately passed over in favor of the aforementioned Woodward). More recently, Tingler has been serving as manager of the Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Winter League.
The Padres went 70-92 in their final season under Green’s command in 2019, following an offseason that saw them add third baseman Manny Machado on a club-record 10-year, $300MM deal. As Passan notes in a follow-up tweet, Tingler’s bilingual skills likely were an asset for him throughout the hiring process, as the club has several near- and long-term players for whom Spanish is a first language (link). Adrian Morejon, Michel Baez, Luis Urias, Fernando Tatis Jr., Manuel Margot, Dinelson Lamet, Francisco Mejia, and Luis Patino represent just a small sampling of the numerous young players in the Padres organization hailing from the Carribean, South America or Mexico, as Preller’s Latin American scouting emphasis continues to have a surface-level impact on the San Diego pipeline.
Organizational Notes: Falvey, Red Sox, Washington, Padres, Royals
Some front office and dugout items from around the game…
- Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey turned down a request to interview for the top baseball operations job with the Red Sox, La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. There wasn’t much public news about Boston’s search prior to the hiring of Chaim Bloom as the new CBO earlier this week, though there had been rumors that the Sox might have interest in Massachusetts native Falvey, and Neal indeed writes that Falvey was “high on their list of candidates.” Reports from earlier this month suggested that Falvey and the Twins could be close to a contract extension, in the wake of Minnesota’s 101-win season.
- Braves third base coach Ron Washington was the runner-up in the Padres‘ managerial search and also won’t be taking on a bench coach job with San Diego, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports (subscription required). There had been speculation that Washington could provide a veteran counsel to first-time manager Jayce Tingler, though it appears that Washington will remain in his current job in Atlanta.
- Lin’s piece also details the risk GM A.J. Preller is taking in hiring another first-time skipper in what seems like a must-win year for the Padres. Going into such a pivotal season, however, Preller “preferred to take his chances with a candidate he clearly knows and has long held in high regard.” Lin also notes that Preller originally tried to hire Tingler away from the Rangers when Preller first became San Diego’s general manager back in 2014.
- The general consensus has been that the Royals would wait to hire their new manager until John Sherman officially took ownership of the franchise, though GM Dayton Moore tells Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star that this isn’t the case. “We have been given full autonomy to hire the next manager of the Kansas City Royals when we feel that we are ready and the process is complete. That could be today, tomorrow or sometime prior to the winter meetings,” Moore said, noting that Sherman has already been involved in the search process.” Since Moore described the front office as still being “in the middle of a very thorough process,” however, a new managerial hire doesn’t yet seem near. Royals special advisor and former Cardinals manager Mike Matheny has been widely seen as the favorite for the job, and to date, the only other publicly known candidates are also internal names, though the club has spoken to some external candidates.
2020 Managerial Search Tracker
Eight teams were looking for new skippers in October, and loads of potential candidates have been either rumored or directly connected to these job openings. We’ll do our best to keep things straight in this post….
Angels
Hired
- Joe Maddon: former Cubs/Rays manager, former Angels bench coach/interim manager
Also Interviewed
- John Farrell: former Red Sox/Blue Jays manager
- Buck Showalter: former Orioles, Yankees, Rangers and Diamondbacks manager
- Johnny Washington: Padres hitting coach
Reportedly Received Consideration
- Joe Espada: Astros bench coach
- Joe Girardi: Hired by Phillies
- Eric Chavez: Angels special assistant
Cubs
Hired
- David Ross: former Cubs/Red Sox catcher, current ESPN analyst
Also Interviewed
- Joe Espada: Astros bench coach
- Joe Girardi: Hired by Phillies
- Gabe Kapler: former Phillies manager, former Dodgers director of player development
- Mark Loretta: Cubs bench coach
- Will Venable: Cubs first base coach
Giants
Hired
- Gabe Kapler: former Phillies manager, former Dodgers director of player development
Also Interviewed
- Joe Espada: Astros bench coach
- Gabe Kapler: former Phillies manager, former Dodgers director of player development
- Pedro Grifol: Royals quality control and catching coach
- Mark Kotsay: Athletics quality control coach, former Padres hitting coach & baseball operations special assistant
- Hensley Meulens: Giants bench coach
- Matt Quatraro: Rays bench coach, former minor-league manager
- Will Venable: Cubs first base coach
- Ron Wotus: Giants third base coach
Reportedly Received Consideration
- Raul Ibanez: Dodgers special assistant
- Mike Matheny: former Cardinals manager
Mets
Interviewing Twice
- Carlos Beltran: Special assistant to Yankees GM, former MLB outfielder
- Tim Bogar: Nationals first base coach
- Eduardo Perez: ESPN analyst, former Astros bench coach, former Puerto Rican Winter League Manager of the Year
- Derek Shelton: Twins bench coach, former Rays hitting coach
- Luis Rojas: Mets quality control coach
- Pat Murphy: Brewers bench coach
Interviewed Once
- Joe Girardi: Hired by Phillies
- Skip Schumaker: Padres first base coach, former Padres baseball ops/player development assistant, former MLB utilityman
- Mike Bell: Diamondbacks director of player development
Reportedly Under Consideration
- Buck Showalter: former Orioles/Yankees manager
- Mike Matheny: former Cardinals manager
Padres
Hired
- Jayce Tingler: Rangers player development field coordinator
Also Interviewed
- Ron Washington: Braves third base coach, former Rangers manager
- Brad Ausmus: former Angels/Tigers manager
- Rod Barajas: Padres interim manager, former bench coach
- Bob Henley: Nationals third base coach
- Mark Loretta: Cubs bench coach
Reportedly Received Consideration
- Joe Maddon: Hired by Angels
- Mike Matheny: Former Cardinals manager
Pirates — Search “paused” while team searches for new GM
Interviewing
- Ryan Christenson: Athletics bench coach, former minor-league manager
- Derek Shelton: Twins bench coach, former minor-league manager
- Stubby Clapp: Cardinals first base coach, former minor-league manager
- Matt Quatraro: Rays bench coach, former minor-league manager
- George Lombard: Dodgers first base coach, former minor-league manager
Reportedly Under Consideration
- Jeff Banister: Pirates special assistant; former Rangers manager, Pirates bench coach
- Mike Bell: Diamondbacks director of player development
- Mark Kotsay: Athletics quality control coach, former Padres hitting coach & baseball operations special assistant
- Joe Espada: Astros bench coach
Phillies
Hired
- Joe Girardi: former Yankees/Marlins manager
Also Interviewed
- Buck Showalter: former Orioles, Yankees, Rangers and Diamondbacks manager
- Dusty Baker: Special advisor to Giants; former Nationals/Reds/Cubs manager
Royals
Interviewing
- Vance Wilson: Royals bullpen coach
Reportedly Under Consideration
- Pedro Grifol: Royals quality control and catching coach
- Mike Matheny: Royals special advisor
Dale Sveum:Royals bench coach
Quick Hits: Angels, Mallee, Padres, Cubs, Ross
Hours after bringing Mickey Callaway into the fold as the club’s new pitching coach, it appears the Angels are interested in adding veteran hitting coach John Mallee to their staff, according to a tweet from Bruce Levine of WSCR-AM (link). Mallee was most recently a hitting coach with the Phillies before a team-wide slump saw him replaced by Charlie Manuel in mid-August of the 2019 season. Previously, the 50-year-old has worked as an MLB hitting coach with the Marlins, Astros, and Cubs, helping Joe Maddon‘s Chicago outfit to their World Series title in 2016.
- With the hiring of a new manager cleared from his offseason checklist, Padres GM AJ Preller now must turn to an even more urgent matter–the acquisition of more winning players to the team’s big league roster. As Kevin Acee notes in his piece for the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Padres still have a long way to go if they want to truly compete with teams like the Dodgers and Nationals. Interestingly, even one of Preller’s own players understands that his team, as currently constructed, might not stack up as a 2020 contender. “We’re not close yet,” one Padre told Acee. Readers should check out Acee’s article for his own assessment of where San Diego stands, though it is worth noting that the Padres could theoretically stand to improve in a few areas simply by shifting playing time allotments. San Diego’s tepid offense could be improved via a more full time-share for catcher Francisco Mejia, for one; Mejia’s rookie output (96 wRC+ in 244 PA) was much more encouraging than what the club has received from Austin Hedges in recent years (62 career wRC+), even if the value of Hedges’ sterling defense can’t be discounted.
- One of the chief challenges faced by new Cubs skipper David Ross will be, in the opinion of Steve Greenberg of The Chicago Sun-Times, how the former catcher handles tough decisions regarding some of his old teammates and good friends (link). Namely, Greenberg identifies Jon Lester and Jason Heyward as two players with whom Ross has a particularly deep relationship, as the new manager was the former’s personal catcher in Chicago and the latter’s mentor dating back to his time in Atlanta. Ross will be faced with being in the unique position of having to take the ball from Lester if–as he did at certain points in 2019–the pitcher struggles late in ballgames. Heyward’s own tendency to enter long Chicago slumps–to say nothing of his big contract–could also force Ross to endure some tough conversations in 2020.
Latest On Padres’ Manager Search
18:45 pm: San Diego Union-Tribune scribe Kevin Acee cautions that Loretta’s late entry into the interview pool was mostly the result of previous scheduling issues, and the club’s sit-down with the former second baseman is not expected to lead to his hiring (link). Although the club met with Loretta on Saturday, GM AJ Preller traveled to the Dominican Republic on Monday and met with Jayce Tingler, whom Acee still characterizes as the favorite for the job. According to Acee, Preller has been described as consistently “pushing” Tingler, a position somewhat at odds with San Diego players and ownership figures who would prefer a more experienced candidate.
10:16 am: In a bit of a surprise, the Padres “very recently” interviewed Cubs bench coach Mark Loretta for their managerial vacancy, reports MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter). The Friars were believed to be down to Braves third base coach Ron Washington and Rangers Field Coordinator Jayce Tingler, but Loretta could perhaps have cracked the door open for a change in direction.
Washington and Tingler remain the favorites, Heyman notes, so perhaps this is simple due diligence on San Diego’s part. That said, Loretta worked in San Diego’s front office for almost a decade before taking over as Chicago’s bench coach this season, so he no doubt has strong ties to many people who will ultimately make the final decision.
Loretta is more well-known for his 15-year MLB playing career. He logged over 1,000 innings at each infield position in a career that took him to five different organizations, including a three-year run in San Diego, where he was most productive. Loretta has no managerial experience and is relatively new to the coaching ranks, but his combination of playing and front office experience makes him a natural candidate for interviews. Loretta was previously in the running for the Cubs’ managerial job, which went to his former teammate David Ross.
You can keep tabs on all the managerial rumors around the league here.
NL Notes: Urias, Rockies, Wieters, Marlins
We’ve already seen a pair of headline-grabbing moves by National League clubs this morning. We’ll round up some smaller reports from the Senior Circuit.
- The Padres aren’t prepared to hand the second base job to Luis Urías without competition, reports A.J. Cassavell of MLB.com as part of a reader mailbag. While the organization remains bullish on the 22-year-old long-term, the Pads must find alternative options in case his early-career woes persist, Cassavell opines. Despite elite minor-league numbers, Urías has gotten off to a rocky start as a big leaguer, slashing just .221/.318/.331 (79 wRC+) in his first 302 MLB plate appearances. Interestingly, Cassavell expects the Padres to at least gauge rival teams’ interest in Urías- which would surely be robust- this offseason, if for no other reason than to “learn what (he would) be worth.”
- The Rockies are likely to non-tender pitchers Chad Bettis and Tyler Anderson, observes the Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders in a broader look at the upcoming offseason. Both Bettis and Anderson were useful back-end starters for Colorado not too long ago, although injuries and/or underperformance made this outcome inevitable for each. Bettis slogged to a 6.08 ERA in 39 appearances (36 in relief) this season. Anderson, meanwhile, was limited to five starts before suffering a season-ending knee injury, and Saunders reiterates that he’s not expected to be fully recovered by next spring. Jettisoning Bettis (projected $3.8MM salary) and Anderson (projected $2.625MM salary) will save payroll-tight Colorado around $6-7MM.
- The Cardinals are likely to pursue another one-year deal with catcher Matt Wieters, opines Anne Rogers of MLB.com as part of a mailbag. The 33-year-old signed with St. Louis for $1.5MM last offseason and figures to command a similar salary this go-round, Rogers adds. Wieters again ranked among the worst defensive catchers in baseball this season, but he offers respectable power for a catcher (.214/.268/.435 in 183 PA in 2019). The Cardinals also value Wieters’ veteran presence and switch-hitting bat off the bench, Rogers adds.
- The Marlins are set to hire Wellington Cepeda as bullpen coach, reports Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. Cepeda, 42, managed the Diamondbacks’ rookie-level Arizona League affiliate in 2019, his first season as a minor-league skipper. Cepeda has a background as a minor-league pitching coach, Frisaro adds. He’ll work with pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre, Jr., who is returning for a second season. Cepeda will have his work cut out for him, as Miami’s young bullpen was among MLB’s worst in 2019.
Pitchers Recently Electing Free Agency
Since the conclusion of the regular season, a number of players have elected free agency. That right accrues to certain players who are outrighted off of a 40-man roster during or after the season — namely, those that have at least three years of MLB service and/or have previously been outrighted. Such players that accepted outright assignments during the season have the right to elect free agency instead at season’s end, provided they aren’t added back to the 40-man in the meantime.
We already rounded up the position players. Now, here are the pitchers that have recently taken to the open market, along with their now-former teams (via the International League and PCL transactions pages):
- Austin Adams, RHP, Tigers
- Michael Blazek, RHP, Nationals
- David Carpenter, RHP, Rangers
- Rookie Davis, RHP, Pirates
- Odrisamer Despaigne, RHP, White Sox
- Ryan Feierabend, LHP, Blue Jays
- Brian Flynn, LHP, Royals
- Ryan Garton, RHP, Mariners
- Sean Gilmartin, LHP, Orioles
- Matt Grace, LHP, Nationals
- Deolis Guerra, RHP, Brewers (since re-signed)
- David Hale, RHP, Yankees
- Kazuhisa Makita, RHP, Padres
- Justin Miller, RHP, Nationals
- Juan Minaya, RHP, White Sox
- Bryan Mitchell, RHP, Padres
- Hector Noesi, RHP, Marlins
- Tim Peterson, RHP, Mets
- Brooks Pounders, RHP, Mets
- JC Ramirez, RHP, Angels
- Erasmo Ramirez, RHP, Red Sox
- Zac Rosscup, LHP, Cardinals
- Chris Rusin, LHP, ROckies
- Fernando Salas, RHP, Phillies
- Brian Schlitter, RHP, Athletics
- Chasen Shreve, LHP, Cardinals
- Aaron Slegers, RHP, Rays
- Josh Smith, RHP, Red Sox
- Dan Straily, RHP, Phillies
- Pat Venditte, SHP, Giants
- Dan Winkler, RHP, Giants
- Mike Wright, RHP, Mariners
Padres Managerial Search Down To Ron Washington or Jayce Tingler
Braves third base coach Ron Washington and Rangers Major League development coordinator Jayce Tingler are indeed the final two candidates to fill the Padres managerial vacancy, per MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell.
Washington and Tingler have been the rumored final candidates for a couple of days now, but Cassavell has added a note of finality to the search that could reach a conclusion shortly. The common bond here between Tingler and Washington is their relationship to Padres GM AJ Preller. Both connect to Preller’s time as an assistant general manager with the Texas Rangers.
There remains an outside possibility that a third candidate could enter the fray, but the odds are in favor of either Washington or Tingler becoming the next manager of the Padres. The Padres appear hopeful that one might even serve on the coaching staff for the other, and though a “team of rivals” managerial team makes sense on paper, at least one team official thinks this possibility is unlikely.
The crux of the difference between these two candidates appears to be a question of experience versus ideology. Tingler is a well-regarded, forward-thinking contemporary of Preller’s, whose front office background and comfort with analytics make him a good fit from a synergy standpoint. His coaching experience, however, is limited.
Washington has a suspect history with analytics, but he is a two-time pennant-winning manager and one of the most highly-regarded infield coaches in the league. If Preller and the Padres value a weathered hand to steer the ship, as has been rumored, then Washington fits the bill.
Mets Interview Skip Schumaker
The Mets have interviewed Padres first base coach and former big league utility man Skip Schumaker for their managerial vacancy, Dennis Lin of The Athletic tweets. The interview took place yesterday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post adds.
Like the vast majority of the Mets’ candidates to this point, the 39-year-old Schumaker (40 in February) lacks any managerial experience. But since hanging up his spikes after the 2015 campaign, he’s worked in the Padres organization in a variety of capacities. Schumaker first joined the front office as a special assistant to the baseball operations and player development departments. He worked with the Padres’ minor league affiliates in that capacity and has since taken on a prominent role on the Major League coaching staff, beginning in 2018.
General manager Brodie Van Wagenen is surely somewhat familiar with Schumaker; while Van Wagenen didn’t represent him directly during his playing career, Schumaker was a client of Van Wagenen’s now-former agency, CAA Baseball (where he was represented by agent Nez Balelo). He joins a growing list of interviewees that includes Joe Girardi — the only candidate with Major League managerial experience — as well as D-backs director of player development Mike Bell, former big league outfielder Carlos Beltran, former Astros bench coach Eduardo Perez (currently of ESPN fame), Twins bench coach Derek Shelton and current Mets quality control coach Luis Rojas.
Notably, that list doesn’t represent the entirety of the Mets’ search, per Andy Martino of SNY (Twitter link). Additional candidates could yet receive interviews as the team continues its quest to replace the recently fired Mickey Callaway. You can keep up to date with the Mets’ managerial search as well as the six other active searches throughout the league by bookmarking MLBTR’s 2020 Managerial Tracker.