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Mariners Rumors

Scott Servais A “Strong Front-Runner” For Mariners Manager

By Jeff Todd | October 22, 2015 at 4:33pm CDT

Just-hired Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto decided largely to start from scratch in constructing his team’s field staff, parting ways with incumbent skipper Lloyd McClendon and many of his coaches. Now, the club is joining the managerial market as it looks to develop a group of uniformed personnel that meshes well with the new front office.

We’ll keep track of the latest in this post:

  • Servais is now the “strong front-runner” for the Mariners’ managerial opening, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times adds (also via Twitter) that Servais, like Dipoto, butted heads with manager Mike Scioscia at times and wasn’t expected to remain with the Angels.

Earlier Updates

  • Angels assistant GM/director of player development Scott Servais, who has been rumored to be a candidate to join the club’s front office, is “gaining traction” as a managerial candidate, reports Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. Servais, of course, worked with Dipoto in the Angels’ front office but is said to have a desire to become a manager as well and has been linked to the Padres’ vacancy, too.
  • One source told Dutton that Dipoto is interviewing five candidates. If that’s the case, he notes, the list of candidates would seem to be Servais, Bogar, Varitek, Montoyo and Nevin.
  • Jon Heyman of CBS Sports hears that the Mariners have interviewed former big league catcher Jason Varitek for the position. Previous reports have indicated that it isn’t clear if Varitek would be interested in leaving his Boston-area home (and, more specifically, leaving his young children), so it’s not known if he will give the position serious consideration. Varitek doesn’t have managerial experience, though former major leaguers Brad Ausmus, Mike Matheny and Paul Molitor were all recently hired without prior experience.
  • Rays coach Charlie Montoyo interviewed today for the job, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reports on Twitter. He served as the club’s third base coach this year after an eight-year run as the manager for the Triple-A Durham Bulls.
  • USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports that the Mariners will interview Diamondbacks Triple-A manager and longtime Major Leaguer Phil Nevin (Twitter link). Nevin has been mentioned increasingly as a future Major League manager and has drawn interest from every club with a managerial vacancy this offseason.
  • Angels special assistant Tim Bogar, who was once the interim skipper for the Rangers, has been mentioned as a possible front-runner from the job. He and Dipoto are not only former teammates, but worked together recently in Los Angeles.
  • The club is also expected to show interest in a variety of other candidates. Among those mentioned thus far as at-least-hypothetical possibilities are Alex and Joey Cora, Padres bench coach Dave Roberts, Rays third base coach Charlie Montoya, former Pads manager Bud Black, long-time Mariners Raul Ibanez and Dan Wilson, and a host of others.
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Coaching Notes: Rockies, Mariners, Tigers, Marlins

By Jeff Todd and charliewilmoth | October 20, 2015 at 9:07pm CDT

Here’s the latest on coaching changes throughout MLB:

  • The Rockies will bring back their entire coaching staff under manager Walt Weiss, Nick Groke of the Denver Post writes. That includes hitting coach Blake Doyle, bench coach Tom Runnells, pitching coach Steve Foster, and bullpen coach Darren Holmes.
  • The Rockies will, however, lose mental skills coach Andy McKay to the Mariners, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reports. McKay will reportedly take over for Chris Gwynn as the organization’s farm director. Along with Gwynn, a number of minor-league coaches have also departed, signaling that new GM Jerry Dipoto is changing the way the Mariners develop prospects.
  • Tigers pitching coach Jeff Jones has announced his retirement, James Schmehl of MLive.com notes. The team had previously announced that its entire coaching staff would be back next season, so the moves comes as a bit of a surprise, although perhaps not a huge one — Jones considered retiring after Jim Leyland’s departure in late 2013. In a statement, Jones said he wanted to spend more time with his family.
  • Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux’s contract expires at the end of the month, Evan Grant of DallasNews.com writes. The team has invited Maddux to return next season, but it’s unclear whether he will. One would think he would attract plenty of attention if he were to become available — Maddux’s tenure in Texas has been successful, and he’s highly respected throughout the game.
  • The Diamondbacks are interviewing pitching coach candidates, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic writes. Bullpen coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. was expected to be in the mix, but he wants to be closer to his father (who lives in Washington State) as he deals with cancer. The Diamondbacks now believe Stottlemyre is likely to take a position with the Mariners, who have requested permission to interview him. The Diamondbacks say they could consider up to six internal candidates and have requested permission to speak with others outside the organization.
  • Former Cubs manager Rick Renteria has spoken with the Marlins about their managerial job, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes (scroll down). The other known interviewees for the position include Larry Bowa, Manny Acta, Bo Porter, Phil Nevin and Alex Cora.
  • Orioles first base coach Wayne Kirby will be back, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets. Baltimore is working to retain all of its staff and has nearly done so.

Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.

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Mariners Claim Cody Martin From A’s, Release Logan Kensing

By Steve Adams | October 19, 2015 at 2:49pm CDT

The Mariners announced today that they’ve claimed right-hander Cody Martin off waivers from the A’s (Twitter link). To make room on the roster, right-hander Logan Kensing has been released.

The 26-year-old Martin began the year with the Braves and posted a 5.40 ERA in 21 1/3 innings there before being traded to Oakland in exchange for an international bonus slot in early July. Martin was hit hard in green and gold, though, yielding 14 runs across nine innings in four appearances (two starts). He does have a much better Triple-A track record, where he’s worked to a 4.02 ERA overall in parts of three seasons. Martin had a 2.88 ERA with the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate before struggling upon a move to the Pacific Coast League. He makes for a Major League ready depth piece for a Mariners team that could lose Hisashi Iwakuma to free agency and has seen both James Paxton and Taijuan Walker struggle with injuries.

The veteran Kensing, 33, has seen just 16 Major League innings since 2009 — 15 1/3 of which came with the Mariners this season. He allowed a 5.87 ERA in his return to the Majors. Kensing was up and down with the Marlins from 2004-09 posting a similar 5.81 ERA in 161 innings.

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Non-Tender Candidate: Logan Morrison

By | October 17, 2015 at 10:10pm CDT

The Mariners enter the offseason with two first basemen projected to earn a combined $13.2MM – Mark Trumbo and Logan Morrison. Ten days ago, it was reported that the club may wish to winnow down to just one. Both Trumbo and Morrison can fake it in the outfield, but new GM Jerry Dipoto prefers athletic outfielders. In other words, there may not be a place for both guys.

Trumbo has battled injury over the last couple seasons and will earn about $9.1MM in his final spin through arbitration. Still, it seems unlikely that the team would non-tender him. He hit .263/.316/.419 with 13 home runs in 361 plate appearances after the M’s acquired him mid-season. While a non-tender would be shocking, a trade can almost be expected. After all, Dipoto already dealt Trumbo once while with the Angels.

As for Morrison, there are two considerations that could decide his future with the Mariners – does Seattle keep Trumbo, and do they think Morrison warrants a role. He didn’t do much for his stock this by hitting .225/.302/.383 last season. Over the last four seasons, he’s totaled negative 0.1 WAR according to FanGraphs. However, his best season was in 2014 (1.1 WAR). Management could hope last year’s success was a better representation of his talent.

His poor numbers are partially due to mismanagement. Against right-handed pitching, he slashed .241/.323/.444 (112 wRC+) with all 17 of his home runs. Fellow southpaws owned him yet he was allowed to hit 155 times against same-handed pitching.

As a point of comparison, Brewers slugger Adam Lind only had 112 plate appearances against lefties even though he had 61 more plate appearances than Morrison on the season. Lind had a much larger role with his club than Morrison so there’s really no reason for Morrison to see more lefties.

It’s worth pointing out that Morrison did have reverse platoon splits in 2014, but those depended upon a .389 BABIP. The reverse splits were also responsible for his career best performance last season. Research has shown that reverse splits are almost always illusory and do not correlate to future production. With this information in hand, it’s tempting to conclude that his 2014 campaign was an outlier.

Based on FanGraphs’ WAR model, his $4.1MM arbitration projection would equate to a little over half a win on the free agent market. In other words, he’s expected to be paid like a bench player. If he’s used correctly by his next manager, he could easily earn his keep. The bigger problem is constructing a division-winning roster around him if he’s used as a starter. If Morrison isn’t starting, it’s not a stretch to suggest that the roster spot would be better filled by somebody like Jesus Montero. That would also free up about $3.5MM for other purposes like shoring up the bullpen.

The deadline to tender a contract in early December could work in Morrison’s favor. If the club hopes to sign Chris Davis, they probably won’t yet know where they stand. Similarly, Korean star Byung-ho Park may not even be posted by that time. The other “big” names on the free agent market include Mike Napoli, Kelly Johnson, Steve Pearce, Chris Parmelee, and Justin Morneau (if his $9MM mutual option is declined). Of course, Morrison’s likeliest rival is Trumbo. And the club may ultimately choose to keep both players or discard Morrison regardless of the alternatives.

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AL West Notes: Angels, Mariners, A’s, Rasmus

By Steve Adams | October 15, 2015 at 8:10am CDT

The Angels announced last night that they’ve fired pitching coach Mike Butcher and hitting coach Don Baylor. Via MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez (links to Twitter), new GM Billy Eppler had this to say of Butcher: “I got to know Mike once I took this spot here. We had a very good and constructive conversation. He’s articulate, he’s got passion, he’s got presence, he’s got vision. Ultimately, we arrived at the conclusion that we would mutually part ways after our discussions.” Eppler offered a similar take on Baylor, explaining to the media: “It was an organizational decision that, through discussions, we felt like it was the proper course of action for what we wanted to do. I’ve spoken with Don at length, and I’ve asked him to stay on in an advisory role within our baseball operations group and our efforts moving forward.” Despite the fact that Butcher is parting ways with the organization, he offered nothing but praise for Eppler when speaking to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. Butcher said he likes Eppler and considers him a leader with a plan.

A bit more on the Angels and the rest of their division…

  • Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times tweets that Dave Hansen is a strong candidate to become the Angels’ new hitting coach. Bud Black is a candidate to become the club’s pitching coach if he doesn’t land a managerial job elsewhere, DiGiovanna adds. Hansen is currently the team’s assistant hitting coach — a role he’s filled over the past two seasons. Black, of course, managed the Padres from 2007-15 and was on Scioscia’s coaching staff from 2000-06 prior to that.
  • There’s been some turnover in the Mariners’ front office since Jerry Dipoto took over as general manager, but as MLB.com’s Greg Johns writes, Dipoto isn’t cleaning house. The Mariners will retain assistant GM Jeff Kingston, amateur scouting director Tom McNamara and pro scouting director Tom Allison. Special assistants Roger Hansen and Ken Madeja will be retained, too, as will international operations director Tim Kissner.
  • Athletics GM David Forst told SportsTalk Live host Jim Kozimor that the team had some chemistry issues early this year (CSN Bay Area’s Joe Stiglich has multiple highlights from the interview). “We brought in a bunch of new guys, no doubt, and I thought (manager) Bob (Melvin) did a fantastic job during the spring of preparing these guys and getting them together as a group,” said Forst. “What we couldn’t plan for was getting off to the start we did, and anytime you don’t play well, particularly early in the season in April, guys are going to start questioning their role, what other guys are doing, and over the course of the season, it snowballed a little bit.” Forst also addressed the difficulty of making the trades of Josh Donaldson and Yoenis Cespedes over the past 15 months. He also hinted that there could be more tough decisions this winter: “…at the time we made those, and when we make deals this offseason, we feel like it’s in the best interests of the club.”
  • Sticking with the A’s, John Hickey of the Oakland Tribune reports that the team has fired first base coach Tye Waller. A member of the team’s coaching staff since 2007, Waller was the longest-tenured member of the Oakland coaching staff. MLB.com’s Jane Lee reports that the A’s are expected to retain the rest of their coaching staff for the 2016 season.
  • Billy Witz of the New York Times profiles Astros outfielder Colby Rasmus, who enjoyed a monstrous postseason performance and will soon return to the free agenct market. Witz notes that Rasmus, whom he describes as a “free spirit,” struggled to adapt to life in a veteran-filled Cardinals clubhouse as a rookie and had difficulty adjusting to the culture in Toronto. The Georgia-born Rasmus, though, has thrived in a return to the South and in a lower-key Astros clubhouse. “I’d say this has been the best place for me,” said Rasmus. “The environment’s been good — a lot of young guys with a lot of life to them, and not a lot of big egos in the room. I just like to play baseball. I don’t like having too many people put their pressure down on me. I just like to play. That’s helped me.” Witz notes that Houston GM Jeff Luhnow drafted Rasmus when he was the scouting director in St. Louis. Luhnow explained that he always thought Rasmus would be able to thrive in the right environment,
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AL West Notes: Cano, Paxton, Freese, A’s Bullpen

By Steve Adams | October 13, 2015 at 7:55pm CDT

The Mariners announced today that second baseman Robinson Cano underwent core muscle surgery to repair a sports hernia. He’s expected to require about six weeks to recover, though as MLB.com’s Greg Johns writes, he won’t play any winter ball this year to rehab. Dr. William Meyers repaired a pair of core muscle injuries, Johns writes, one on each side of Cano’s body. Seattle’s $240MM second baseman struggled greatly in the season’s first half but hit .331/.387/.540 with 15 homers after the All-Star break.

More from the AL West…

  • Left-hander James Paxton, who opened the season as the Mariners’ No. 2 starter but spent more than three months on the DL with a tendon injury in his finger, is hoping to make seven or eight starts in the Arizona Fall League, writes Johns in a second column. Paxton also plans on heading to winter ball in Puerto Rico to make up for some of the lost innings in 2015. The southpaw spoke to Johns about the importance of finding a way to stay healthy, though he did feel there’s a bit of randomness to his finger issue, as opposed to a 2014 lat injury that was more preventable. Paxton also spoke about how he personally felt the team’s acquisition of J.A. Happ last offseason helped him grow, as Happ served as a veteran left-handed mentor to help him through some difficult times this season.
  • The Angels are facing a decision with free-agent third baseman David Freese, writes MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez, who adds that the team is expected to give strong consideration to re-signing Freese. The 32-year-old Freese would like to return to the Angels as well, Gonzalez writes, though he noted that “a lot of things have to happen on both sides” for a reunion to work. Freese could price himself out of the Halos’ comfort zone, Gonzalez notes, in part due to a weak free agent market at his position. While Freese is more or less an average third baseman, that’s enough to make him among the most desirable hot corner possibilities on the open market this winter.
  • The Athletics need to embark on an Astros-esque overhaul of their bullpen this winter, writes Jeremy F. Koo of SB Nation’s Athletics Nation. The Astros had a dreadful relief situation in 2014, but as Koo notes, only six of the 20 relievers that appeared for Houston last year returned in 2015, and only three saw more than 20 innings of work. Oakland needs to sign at least one reliever this winter, and as Koo points out, an offseason in which Billy Beane doesn’t add at least one or two relief options via trade is unfathomable. In particular, Koo points out, the A’s need to focus on right-handed relief options. Sean Doolittle and Drew Pomeranz will return as lefties in 2016, and out-of-options Sean Nolin gives another lefty option if he doesn’t make the rotation. But, as far as right-handers go, only Fernando Rodriguez had a strong season. If Jesse Chavez is slotted into a long relief/spot start role, the team will need to add at least two, possibly three right-handed options.
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East Notes: Braves, Phillies, Red Sox, Yankees

By Jeff Todd | October 13, 2015 at 1:31pm CDT

As the Braves remake their player personnel asset base, the team continues to make changes in other areas. Atlanta recently announced the hiring of Ted Simmons, Matt Kinzer, and Leon Wurth as MLB scouts. Simmons, an outstanding catcher in his playing days, recently served as a special assistant to the GM with the Mariners. Kinzer was an important Marlins scout, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today notes on Twitter, while Wurth recently finished a 13-year run with the Brewers. Also joining the Braves is former Fangraphs prospect analyst Kiley McDaniel, who’ll become the team’s assistant director of baseball operations.

Here are more notes from the eastern divisions:

  • The Phillies are working hard as they approach a key draft for the organization, MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki writes. Philly holds the top pick in next year’s draft, and amateur scouting director Johnny Almaraz is continuing to canvas the crop of talent that will be making the leap to the professional ranks. Almaraz says that the team will be patient and allow players to develop before reaching a final decision. He added that the Phils will also look to be “creative” to take full advantage of their draft position and overall pool money.
  • The Red Sox announced a series of front office promotions today in the scouting arena. Most notably, perhaps, was the bump up of Eddie Romero to VP of international scouting. The team says that the 35-year-old Puerto Rican native has been with the Boston organization since 2006. Romero most recently played an important role in the team’s efforts to sign highly-regarded Cuban prospect Yoan Moncada. And as Ben Badler of Baseball America notes on Twitter, Romero has had a hand in adding several other key prospects as well.
  • While signing a second baseman is an obvious route for the Yankees to take in bolstering their chances in 2016, Chad Jennings of the Lohud Yankees Blog writes that it isn’t quite that simple. If the organization’s recent history is an indication, says Jennings, an in-house route could be more likely than a new signing, and the recently-acquired Dustin Ackley could pair with homegrown Rob Refsnyder, with Jose Pirela also on hand. “I think we have at least some comfort knowing that I have Ref [and] I maybe have Ackley if we get a better feel for what he can provide on the defensive standpoint,” explained GM Brian Cashman. “We have Pirela who had a hell of a year at Triple-A (but) has not really shown that yet at the Major League level. I think we have some candidates here that as we move forward, we can say we have something, unless something presents themselves as being better.”
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Managerial Notes: Nevin, Cora, Mariners, Marlins, Mattingly

By Jeff Todd | October 13, 2015 at 12:16pm CDT

There were a host of updates this morning on all four managerial openings around the league. Here’s the latest:

  • Long-time big leaguer Phil Nevin, who most recently has served as the manager of the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate, has drawn broad interest, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports on Twitter. Nevin has already interviewed with the Marlins and Nationals, as expected, and will also sit down with the Padres and Mariners. Nevin, 44, spent the most memorable stretch of his 12-year big league career in San Diego, where he racked up a .288/.359/.503 slash in over 3,000 plate appearances.
  • The Padres will also interview long-time big leaguer Alex Cora, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Cora, who currently works as an analyst, has often been mentioned as a managerial candidate and served as a skipper in his native Puerto Rico. The 39-year-old spent parts of fourteen seasons in the majors, the last of those with the Nationals in 2011.
  • The Marlins and Nationals will also interview Cora, according to a tweet from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Like Nevin, it seems, he’ll be given a look by all the teams currently seeking new field leadership.
  • Indeed, Cora is also expected to receive interest from the Mariners, according to ESPN.com’s Jim Bowden (Insider link). Other names that could be weighed in Seattle include Padres bench coach Dave Roberts, Rays third base coach Charlie Montoya, Angels special assistant Tim Bogar, and former big league skipper Bud Black, per the report. We’ve heard Bogar mentioned previously as a possible favorite, with a variety of other names that could be considered.
  • The Nationals will not only take a look at Nevin and Cora, but will also interview Black this week, Nightengale tweets, which was widely expected. Washington also has interest in Giants bench coach Ron Wotus, James Wagner of the Washington Post reports.
  • Bowden says to look for the Marlins to interview an “eclectic” mix of possibilities for their managerial vacancy — a description which could, it seems, be applied to many of the other openings. The club is giving indications that it will wait to make a decision until the Dodgers decide whether to retain Don Mattingly, as he’d be considered a strong candidate in Miami.
  • You can keep track of all the latest developments for three of the above teams’ managerial situations at the following links: Marlins, Nationals, Padres. (We’ll start one for the Mariners in short order.)
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AL Notes: Mariners, Rondon, Orioles, Hazen

By Jeff Todd | October 13, 2015 at 8:26am CDT

New Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto says that he believes the organization can win by building around its core, as MLB.com’s Greg Johns reports. “Whether it be through the primary market of free-agent and trade acquisition or the secondary market of waivers, smaller trade [and] Minor League deals, you can come up with a very creative roster balance that will allow this team to contend now,” Dipoto said. “I believe that the quality of the core group screams for it. You’ve got too many good players to believe that you’re far away from winning.” Adding depth and athleticism while improving the pen are some of Dipoto’s priorities heading into the winter.

Here are some more notes out of the American League:

  • The Tigers haven’t given up on powerful 24-year-old Bruce Rondon despite the fact that he hasn’t yet evolved into a reliable MLB presence, James Schmehl of MLive.com writes. We’ve heard this news item before, of course, but Schmehl provides a host of quotes from Detroit GM Al Avila which are interesting not only in regard to Rondon, but more generally. “I’ve had many conversations with him. He’s trying to figure it out,” Avila said. “You have to understand that we all come from different backgrounds, and we all have different experiences, and everybody learns at a different pace.” The veteran baseball man continued: “If he returns a mature young man, he’s got all the ability in the world. The ability’s there. It’s a matter of all the other intangibles that every other player at some point goes through. Some easier than others.”
  • The Orioles’ relief corps could be in for a makeover this winter, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Righty Dylan Bundy is perhaps the most intriguing possible addition. His progression is still hardly a sure thing, but the early returns are promising. The two surest things, suggests Kubatko, are closer Zach Britton and righty Brad Brach. Youngster Mychal Givens also seems likely to earn a spot. Otherwise, there are plenty of options but little in the way of certainty. At a minimum, says Kubatko, the club will be in the market for a lefty reliever.
  • Just-promoted Red Sox GM Mike Hazen is humble and hard-working, the Boston Herald’s Jason Mastrodonato writes. And those attributes may just be the key to his success. The piece offers an interesting look at the 39-year-old executive and is well worth a read.
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AL West Notes: Chance, Gattis, Castro, Mariners

By Mark Polishuk | October 11, 2015 at 6:53pm CDT

Former Cy Young Award winner Dean Chance passed away today at age 74.  Chance began his career as a member of the inaugural Angels team in 1961 and went on to pitch six of his 11 Major League seasons with the Halos.  Chance is best remembered for his outstanding 1964 season that saw him win the Cy Young (just one was awarded for all of baseball) after posting a league-leading 1.65 ERA, 278 1/3 innings and 11 shutouts.  The right-hander also pitched for the Twins, Indians, Mets and Tigers in his career, notably winning 20 games and throwing a no-hitter for Minnesota in 1967.  Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register has a more thorough account of Chance’s career and personal life, and all of us at MLBTR pass on our condolences to Chance’s loved ones.

Some news from around the AL West…

  • Could Evan Gattis be a non-tender candidate?  ESPN’s Keith Law (Twitter link), believes it could happen since the Astros have prospect A.J. Reed and others who could replace Gattis’ production at a fraction of his next salary.  MLBTR projects Gattis will earn $3.4MM in 2016 in his first year of arbitration eligibility.  While the slugger posted 27 homers and 88 RBI over 604 plate appearances, he only slashed .246/.285/.463 and his lack of defensive value as a near full-time DH put Gattis at or near replacement-level value (0.5 rWAR, 0.0 fWAR).  This means Gattis might not even have much trade value around the league, Law opines in response to a sub-tweeted question asking if Houston would look to deal Gattis rather than just not tender him a deal.  I’m not sure I agree with Law about Gattis’ trade value; right-handed power is a valuable enough commodity that I’m sure the Astros could interest at least a few teams if Gattis was shopped.
  • While Jason Castro is no longer much of a threat at the plate, his defensive ability and relationship with the pitchers makes him a valued member of the Astros roster, Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle writes.  Castro is Houston’s longest-tenured player and is projected to earn $4.6MM in his final year of arbitration this winter.  He tells Drellich that he is just focusing on the present rather than consider his future with the Astros, as he will be a free agent after the 2016 season.
  • The Mariners are replacing at least 10 minor league coaches and staff members, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reports.  The list includes two Triple-A coaches (pitching coach Jaime Navarro and hitting coach Cory Snyder) and one Mariners insider called the firings “an absolute bloodletting.”  Changes were expected under new GM Jerry Dipoto, especially since Seattle’s lackluster player development in recent years was a key reason his predecessor Jack Zduriencik was fired in the first place.
  • Tim Bogar has been cited as the favorite to be the next Mariners manager, and the Seattle Times’ Larry Stone provides some background on the former player, coach and minor league manager and his ties to Dipoto.  Bogar had been working as an Angels special assistant, and Stone notes that Bogar was considered to be Dipoto’s choice to replace Mike Scioscia had a change at manager been needed (possibly if Scioscia had opted out of his contract).
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