West Notes: Headley, Mariners, McCann, McKinney
The Padres face a decision on Chase Headley this winter, and Yahoo's Tim Brown tweets that their current preference is to hang onto their All-Star third baseman and hope that his big September numbers translate to a big year. Headley slipped to a .250/.347/.400 batting line in 2013 but thrived in the season's final month, slashing .305/.424/.573 with five homers. He's projected to earn $10MM next season, after which he's eligible for free agency. More news from baseball's Western divisions below…
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets out a clarification from an earlier report he made: the Mariners are not in on Mike Napoli this winter. Their priorities this offseason are to sign one ofJacoby Ellsbury or Shin-Soo Choo and add a starting pitcher. However, they are also expected to pursue a right-handed bat of some kind, says Rosenthal.
- Athletics 2013 first-rounder Billy McKinney has left BBI Sports Group and joined the Boras Corporation, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported yesterday (via Twitter). McKinney slashed .326/.387/.437 across two levels in his first pro season, reaching short-season Class A shortly after his 19th birthday.
- The Angels hooked up with the Rays to land Scott Kazmir and nearly landed James Shields in July 2012 and Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com wonders if they can link up again to work out a deal for David Price. To date, there's no indication that the two sides are engaged in serious talks.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Managerial/Coaching Links: Cubs, Tigers, Eckstein
The Cubs will announce their manager tomorrow, according to the MLB Network's Peter Gammons, and the front-runner is still Padres bench coach Rick Renteria. Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times agrees that the hiring will happen soon, adding that no more candidates will interview and Renteria looks to be their man. The Cubs are the last remaining team with a managerial vacancy. Here are some more field-staff-related notes for your Wednesday reading…
- The Tigers announced today that Jeff Jones will return as the club's pitching coach on a two-year deal. Detroit also added Astros first base coach Dave Clark to its staff on a two-year deal. Clark will serve as the team's third base coach and outfield instructor. He served as Houston's third base coach from 2009-12.
- Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times writes that the Angels are expected to add former Nationals hitting coach Rick Eckstein (the brother of David Eckstein) to their coaching staff within the week (the Eckstein note is about halfway down the article). Eckstein will serve as a pregame coach, advance scout and liaison to the minor leagues, according to DiGiovanna.
- The more familiar Eckstein (David) is expected to be involved with the Angels organization again in 2014, DiGiovanna reports in a separate piece. David was a special instructor in 2013 Spring Training and is expected to have an increased role in 2014, though nothing has been finalized at this point.
- Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe tweets that the Mariners were very impressed with Gary DiSarcina when he interviewed for their managerial vacancy, but Lloyd McClendon was always the favorite for the job. DiSarcina has since accepted a job as the Angels' third base coach.
Mariners Hire Lloyd McClendon As Manager
WEDNESDAY: The Mariners have issued a press release to confirm the signing and announce an introductory press conference tomorrow at 1pm PT.
TUESDAY: The Mariners have hired Tigers hitting coach Lloyd McClendon to be their new manager, according to a report from the Puget Sound Business Journal (Twitter link). Jon Heyman of CBS Sports confirms the move (also via Twitter).
McClendon, who turns 55 in January, has five years of Major League managerial experience, having served as the Pirates skipper from 2001-05. McClendon compiled a 336-446 record in that time and has since served as a coach on the Tigers' staff. McClendon served as Jim Leyland's bullpen coach in 2006 and has been Detroit's hitting coach for the past seven seasons.
McClendon played for the Pirates, Reds and Cubs in over parts of eight seasons as a first baseman/outfielder. He hit .244/.325/.381 with 35 home runs in 1,375 Major League plate appearances from 1987-94. McClendon was said to be a finalist for the job along with Athletics bench coach Chip Hale, Dodgers third base coach Tim Wallach and former White Sox/Marlins bench coach Joey Cora.
Rosenthal On Nats, Scherzer, Phillies, Price, Rangers
The Nationals are looking to add an "elite" starting pitcher via trade, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, and they're in luck, as both Max Scherzer and David Price have been rumored to be available this winter. Rosenthal explains his reasons behind believing that Scherzer could be a better fit, highlighted by the fact that Nats GM Mike Rizzo drafte Scherzer in the first round when he was the Diamondbacks' scouting director. Rosenthal's sources maintain that the Tigers aren't shopping Scherzer at this point but rather just listening to offers. Here's more from a jam-packed column from Rosenthal…
- The Phillies have kicked around the idea of trading for Price, but it's unlikely to happen. The Phils would likely have to include top prospect Jesse Biddle in a potential package and perhaps Domonic Brown as well. Also, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. recognizes that his club has multiple needs and that he will need to make multiple additions rather than going "all-in" on one big splash like Price or free agent center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury.
- While many will argue that Tim Lincecum's deal doesn't impact the free agent markte for starting pitchers because it was the Giants paying to keep one of their own, Rosenthal points out that other starters and their agents will argue the direct opposite — "that the Lincecum contract was merely the outgrowth of supply-and-demand economics." In particular, he feels that it hurts the Pirates in their quest to retain A.J. Burnett. Rosenthal wonders how the Bucs can possibly retain Burnett after Lincecum got $17.5MM per year when they didn't even want to offer Burnett a $14.1MM qualifying offer.
- The Rangers are once again pondering their infield logjam and whether or not to trade one of Elvis Andrus or Ian Kinsler. Kinsler could also be moved to first, though it may be less appealing that moving Kinsler and his salary ($57MM through 2017). Kinsler's contract makes him the easier of the two to trade. Figuring out the middle infield and securing some salary relief could be the key to the Rangers' offseason, he adds.
- The Mariners consider right-handed pop their biggest need, and Rosenthal wonders if they'll take a second run at Mike Napoli, who they tried to land last offseason.
West Notes: Mariners, Astros, Padres
Tigers hitting coach Lloyd McClendon, Athletics bench coach Chip Hale, former White Sox and Marlins bench coach Joey Cora and Dodgers third base coach Tim Wallach appear to be the finalists for the Mariners' open manager position, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal writes. The team is currently deciding whether to give Padres bench coach Rick Renteria a second interview, since Renteria's recent hip surgery would cause logistical difficulties for the Mariners. Former Mariners catcher Dave Valle is also still a possibility. Here are more notes from the West divisions.
- MLB.com's Brian McTaggart has a long list of potential free agent targets for the Astros, who plan on raising their payroll signficantly, maybe to the $60MM range, this offseason. To name just a couple players from each category, the list includes outfielders (Marlon Byrd, Nate McLouth), relievers (Jose Veras, Francisco Rodriguez) and starters (James McDonald, Roy Halladay). McTaggart notes that the Astros won't want to commit to long contracts, and the fact that they lost 111 games last year may diminish interest from marquee free agents.
- Brad Ausmus' departure to become manager of the Tigers will leave a hole in the Padres' front office, the San Diego Union-Tribune's Bill Center writes. "Brad spent some time with me on Major League issues and personnel issues," says GM Josh Byrnes. "He was on the field for spring training and assisted in player development decisions during the season. He was a valuable sounding board when we talked about teaching philosophies or various topics behind the scenes." The Padres could also lose Renteria this offseason, should he win a managerial job with the Mariners or Cubs.
Mariners Make Qualifying Offer To Kendrys Morales
The Mariners have officially extended a qualifying offer to switch-hitting DH/first baseman Kendrys Morales, the team announced on Twitter.
The decision to extend a qualifying offer to Morales was met with surprise when it was first reported last month, but the report that Morales would decline the offer was questioned even more. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes predicted that Morales would end up back with the Mariners on a two-year, $28MM contract in his free agent profile of the Cuban-born slugger last month.
Morales, 30, batted .277/.336/.449 with 23 homers for the Mariners this season — numbers that were a near-mirror image of his .273/.320/.467 batting line and 22 homers for the Angels in 2012.
Should Morales reject the $14.1MM offer and sign elsewhere, the Mariners would receive a compensatory draft pick at the end of the first round. However, as a good but not elite bat who is primarily limited to designated hitter, I feel that the qualifying offer is particularly damaging to Morales. He and agent Scott Boras have a week to make an official decision on the offer.
Managerial Notes: Ausmus, Cubs, Lovullo, Mariners
The Tigers officially announced Brad Ausmus as the 37th manager in franchise history during a press conference today. Ausmus, who agreed to a three-year contract with a club option for 2017, confirmed Gene Lamont will return as bench coach and would have been his first choice even if he wasn't already on staff. Lamont, who signed a two-year deal to stay in Detroit, has ties to Ausmus as he coached him during his playing days with the Astros. Tigers President/CEO/GM Dave Dombrowski downplayed Ausmus' lack of managerial experience saying he "was born to manage" and cited Joe Torre and Dusty Baker as examples of skippers who succeeded without previous managerial experience. Dombrowski also acknowledged he wanted to interview former Reds shortstop Barry Larkin, but the Michigan alum declined. In other news on the managerial search front:
- The Cubs had been vetting Ausmus for weeks but decided they needed an experienced teacher, tweets David Kaplan of WGN Radio and CSNChicago.com.
- In a second tweet, Kaplan reports Padres bench Rick Renteria is the front runner but the team is considering interviewing Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo.
- The Cubs will indeed interview Lovullo, most likely early this week, tweets FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.
- No team, including the Cubs, has formally requested permission from the Red Sox to interview Lovullo or any coach on their Major League staff for a managerial position, a source tells Rob Bradford of WEEI.com (via Twitter).
- The Mariners are beginning the second round of interviews this weekend with former Mariner Joey Cora one of the finalists, according to MLB.com's Greg Johns. Tigers hitting coach Lloyd McClendon will also be one of those second interviews, a source told Johns in a second report. A's bench coach Chip Hale will receive a second interview, as well, and the Mariners hope to have a new manager in place by the end of the week, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Besides Cora, McClendon, and Hale, five others are known to have interviewed with GM Jack Zduriencik: Ausmus, Renteria, Giants bench coach Ron Wotus, Dodgers third base coach Tim Wallach, and ex-Mariner catcher and current broadcaster Dave Valle.
Field Staff Notes: Nationals, D-Backs, Ausmus, Mariners, Rangers
New Nationals manager Matt Williams says that the club has "some things we can refine" but is not in need of fixing, he said upon his introduction today. Mark Zuckerman of CSNWashington has a fine breakdown of the proceedings, including Williams' stated emphasis on improving the club's defense and increasing its aggressiveness on the basepaths.
- Washington will maintain its existing coaching staff under Williams, with two exceptions, Zuckerman further notes. Bullpen coach Jim Lett will be replaced with Matt LeCroy, and Mark Weidemeier — who, like Williams, comes via the Dbacks — will be added to the staff as a defensive guru of sorts.
- Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks have announced their staff, according to a team press release. Replacing Williams as the third base coach is Glenn Sherlock. The club also promoted Turner Ward to Hitting Coach and added first base coach Dave McKay, who had most recently served in that capacity for the Cubs.
- Even as they watched the experienced McKay leave town, the Cubs welcomed Brad Ausmus to Chicago today to interview for their managerial opening, tweets Bruce Levine. The longtime big league catcher has received plenty of attention this offseason, and now joins a list of six candidates to have had their moment to impress the Cubs' brass, as CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman explains.
- The Mariners are also interested in Ausmus's services, according to a report from Shannon Drayer of ESPN Radio Seattle. Drayer indicates that Ausmus has had an interview already.
- Former Mariner Joey Cora is also a possibility to take the helm in Seattle, says Drayer. He has already given one interview and could be in town right now for a second.
- As the club works to fill its skipper role, it has already quietly jettisoned bench coach Robby Thompson and third base coach Jeff Datz, reports Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. The former was shown the door last week, while the latter was told he could stay on as a scout but wouldn't keep his uniform for next season. The remainder of the 2013 staff is still in limbo.
- The Rangers have brought back Bobby Jones to serve in a coaching capacity that remains to be decided, tweets Anthony Andro of FOX Sports Southwest. Jones has bounced between the bigs and various minor league managing roles in the Texas organization.
Mariners Decline Options For Joe Saunders, Franklin Gutierrez
The Mariners have issued a press release to announce that they have declined their half of Joe Saunders' $8.3MM mutual option and also declined Franklin Gutierrez's $7.5MM club option. Saunders will receive a $900K buyout, while Gutierrez will receive a $500K buyout.
Saunders' option was originally for $7.5MM with a $500K buyout as well, but he boosted those numbers by reaching incentives for starts made and innings pitched. After signing a one-year deal with that option last winter, Saunders posted a 5.26 ERA with 5.3 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 183 innings. Opponents batted .311/.365/.507 against Saunders and swatted 25 homers in 820 plate appearances.
Gutierrez, 31 in February, signed a four-year, $20.5MM extension with the Mariners after an outstanding 2009 season in which he batted .283/.339/.425 with 18 homers, 16 stolen bases and the best center field defense in the game (all totaling a stellar six wins above replacement). Unfortunately for both Gutierrez and the Mariners, he's had six separate DL stints over the life of that contract, dealing with hamstring, pectoral and oblique issues as well as a serious concussion.
Gutierrez can't be counted on to stay healthy, but as a low-risk option for a team in need of outfield help this winter, he would represent a high-upside gamble.
AL West Notes: Mariners, Angels, Astros
The Mariners interviewed Dave Valle for their managerial opening this week, Ted Keith of SI.com reports. Valle played in ten seasons for the Mariners, primarily at catcher, but has no prior coaching experience. As Keith notes, teams appear to value prior managing experience, at least, less than they once did, with Mike Matheny, Robin Ventura, Bryan Price, Don Mattingly and John Farrell all winning jobs without prior managing experience in the Majors or the minors. Valle has recently worked in broadcasting. Here's more on the AL West.
- The Angels aren't likely to extend a qualifying offer to free agent Jason Vargas, but they might sign him to a multiyear deal anyway, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. Vargas would likely decline the Angels' qualifying offer, DiGiovanna says, but the Angels don't want to offer one because the $14.1MM commitment if Vargas were to accept would move them close to the $189MM luxury tax threshold.
- The Angels' luxury-tax issues will likely mean they'll attempt to upgrade their rotation primarily through trades, explains Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com. If they bring Vargas back, it would appear to be for less on a yearly basis than the $14.1MM qualifying offer. In the meantime, they'll hope to acquire young pitching by dealing players like Mark Trumbo, Howie Kendrick, Erick Aybar or Peter Bourjos. Doing so might also help them shed salary.
- The Astros' payroll could rise to $50MM or $60MM next year, writes MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. That doesn't sound like much, but it's a huge increase over the team's $13MM 2013 payroll. "If you add three or four key positions and bring in a couple of guys [from the Minor Leagues] that are ready, this team is pretty competitive pretty quickly with the starting pitching we've got," says owner Jim Crane. "We're deep in pitching." McTaggart writes that the Astros will look for bullpen help, but they could also in a power hitter (perhaps a corner outfielder) and a starting pitcher.