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Managerial Notes: Mariners, Valentine, Porter

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Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik is on the lookout for a new manager and, like many teams, the Mariners are likely to conduct much of their search in the coming month. Here is the latest on the Mariners and other clubs around the league:

  • Former Blue Jays manager John Gibbons confirmed to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times that the Mariners asked permission to interview him for their managerial vacancy. The Toronto Sun first reported the Mariners' interest in Gibbons yesterday.
  • Jon Heyman of SI.com hears that Ted Simmons is high on Seattle's wish list. Simmons has just about everything the Mariners are looking for, including connections with Zduriencik. Interestingly enough, Simmons signed Elmer Dessens and Jose Guillen when he was the Pirates GM in the early 1990s.
  • Joey Cora is another possibility for the Mariners, according to Heyman.
  • Baker hears that Bobby Valentine is still in the mix for the Mariners job.
  • Valentine, Jim Fregosi, Tony Pena and Bo Porter are candidates for the Marlins job according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. 
  • ESPN.com's Buster Olney notes that Porter is a candidate to manage the Pirates (Twitter link).

GM/Manager Notes: Mets, Samuel, Gibbons

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With several GM and manager positions opening up at the end of the season, teams have begun identifying potential candidates.  Let's take a look at who is generating interest..

  • The Marlins will not allow the Mets to interview Jennings, a source tells MLB.com's Anthony Dicomo.
  • Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (via Twitter) hears that Marlins assistant GM Dan Jennings is still in the running for the Mets GM job.  Earlier today it was reported that the Mets had asked for permission to talk to Jennings and fellow Marlins execs Larry Beinfest and Mike Hill but are likely to be denied.  However, Crasnick tweets that Jennings does not need Florida's permission to interview with several clubs and the Mets are on his list.
  • Juan Samuel is getting plenty of attention from teams, writes Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun.  The former O's interim skipper will "likely interview" for the vacancies in Pittsburgh and Seattle.  After Baltimore fired manager Dave Trembley, Samuel led the squad to a 17-34 mark.  Samuel could also interview in Toronto as he is close with several members of the Blue Jays organization, including Cito Gaston.
  • Speaking of the Blue Jays, former Toronto manager John Gibbons could wind up in Seattle.  Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun tweets that the Mariners have asked for and received permission to interview him from the Royals where he is presently the bench coach.  The 48-year-old had an even .500 record with Toronto, leading them to a 305-305 record from 2004 through 2008.

Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Theriot, Padres, Reds, Harper

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Some links on the eve of playoff baseball..

  • The Dodgers have asked Rick Honeycutt to return next season but the pitching coach is weighing his options, tweets Ken Davidoff of Newsday.
  • Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner takes a look at potential second base candidates for the M's in 2011.  Ryan Theriot, who was less-than-stellar for the Cubs and Dodgers this season, is among the players listed.
  • Jerry Hairston Jr. told Jim Bowden of XM Radio (via Twitter) that he wants to return to the Padres in 2011.
  • The Reds could be in position to contend for years to come if they keep their key pieces, writes MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.
  • While the O's projected rotation for 2011 is young, GM Andy MacPhail hasn't ruled out the possibility of bringing a veteran aboard to fill the place of pending free agent Kevin Millwood.
  • The Nats probably won't have Bryce Harper play in the Arizona Fall League this year, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
  • You can expect a busy winter in San Diego, writes Bill Center of the Union-Tribune.
  • Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln and GM Jack Zduriencik sent a letter to fans promising better times ahead.  Larry Stone of The Seattle Times notes that Josh Lueke was omitted from a list of the system's "hard-throwing pitchers".
  • Jim Callis of Baseball America (via Twitter) believes that the Mets should hire Logan White as their next GM.
  • The Pirates have interviewed Eric Wedge for their vacant managerial opening, tweets Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com.
  • Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette gives his thoughts on John Russell's tenure as Pirates skipper.

Odds & Ends: Iwakuma, Ichiro, Red Sox, Barmes

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Links for Sunday evening, with the regular season behind us and the playoff picture defined…

  • Angels GM Tony Reagins tells Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times he's "confident we'll be able to add an important piece."
  • As passed along by NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman on Twitter, Sanspo reports that a posting announcement will come soon regarding Japanese pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma.  The righty, 30 in April, posted a 2.82 ERA, 6.9 K/9, 1.6 BB/9, and 0.49 HR/9 in 201 innings this year for Rakuten. 
  • Ichiro Suzuki's 10-and-5 rights kicked in today after the Mariners' game, tweets Larry Stone of the Seattle Times.
  • In his end-of-the-season press conference, Red Sox GM Theo Epstein indicated fixing the bullpen and retaining important free agents are his offseason priorities (WEEI's Alex Speier reporting).  Epstein fielded all kinds of questions and was noncommittal in most cases, but the transcript is still worth a read.
  • Clint Barmes would like to return to the Rockies if he can't find an everyday role elsewhere, he explained to Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post.  We discussed Barmes' non-tender candidacy in August, and 79% of MLBTR readers predicted he'll be cut loose.
  • The Dodgers officially announced Brad Ausmus' retirement with a press release.  Ausmus revealed his decision to reporters in July.

Odds & Ends: Marlins, Orioles, Matsuzaka, Mariners

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A few links to check out as the Padres live to fight another day…

  • The Marlins told interim manager Edwin Rodriguez that he will be evaluated after the season and there is no managerial commitment for 2011 yet, according to Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post (Twitter links).
  • Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun says that the Orioles brain trust and new manager Buck Showalter have already had "extensive conversations" about the direction they want to go this offseason.
  • ESPNBoston.com's Gordon Edes hears that Daisuke Matsuzaka would be willing to waive his no trade clause if it sent him to the West Coast. John Hickey of AOL Fanhouse says the Mariners might be willing to discuss a trade with the Sox, as long as the price is low (both Twitter links).
  • The Phillies have asked their entire coaching staff to return for the 2011 season, writes MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. It's no sure thing they'll all return though; GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said he's had at least one inquiry on a coach for a managerial opening.
  • Josh Byrnes told Ken Rosenthal (Twitter links)that he'd be interested in returning to a GM role if the situation was right. Rosenthal didn't ask him about the Mets, as Omar Minaya is technically still their GM.
  • Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun writes that Jeremy Guthrie has graduated to being a "go-to starter" and shouldn't be traded by the Orioles.
  • Dejan Kovacevic of The Pittsburgh-Post Gazette says that Pirates team president Frank Coonelly and owner Bob Nutting will soon decide the fate of GM Neal Huntington and other baseball personnel, and that Huntington will have input into the future of manager John Russell if he's retained. Both are under contract through next season, but Huntington's job appears to be safer. The GM was non-committal when discussing Russell during an interview Thursday night. 
  • Adrian Beltre has put himself into a real nice position heading into free agency, writes Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe. The third baseman said that he "will give everyone a chance" when it comes to listening to contract offers, but ultimately he will do what's best for him and his family. 
  • Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told ESPN's Buster Olney (Insider req'd) that he is not looking to trade Matt Kemp, but he will certainly listen to any offers that come his way. "But there's not going to be any shopping on our part," said Colletti. He expressed a similar sentiment about the team's other "core younger guys."
  • Even though he is on his way out as Blue Jays manager, Cito Gaston told MLB.com's Jordan Bastian that he feels the team will need some veteran relievers next season. Jason Frasor, Scott Downs, and Kevin Gregg could all depart via free agency this winter.

Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Cubs, Valentine, Dunn

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Ken Rosenthal's weekly Full Count video is up over at FOX Sports; here are your highlights:

  • The Cubs would be taking a risk if they choose to wait for the Yankees' season to end to interview Joe Girardi for their managerial opening. Given that six to ten managerial openings may arise, other candidates such as Eric Wedge and Bob Melvin (who's interviewing today), as well as their internal candidates (Mike Quade and Ryne Sandberg) could find work elsewhere.
  • Boston pitching coach John Farrell's contractual clause that prevents him from interviewing for managerial openings expires this offseason. Rosenthal says he's likely to interview with at least one club. He turned down a chance to interview with the Mariners years ago, but may be a fit once again.
  • Seattle, meanwhile, is also looking at Ted Simmons, Joey Cora, and others. They ultimately may prefer someone with more experience than Farrell.
  • Unsurprisingly, the Mets will hire a new GM before a new manager. Bobby Valentine could indeed return, but everyone involved would need to determine exactly what his responsibilities would be. Wally Backman could also be a candidate to manage the Mets, but his managerial experience comes in A-ball. If hired, the team would need to put a strong coaching staff in place around him.
  • Valentine is still a candidate for the Marlins' managerial opening, as is interim manager Edwin Rodriguez, Jim Fregosi, Tim Wallach, Bo Porter, and Simmons. 
  • There's still a chance that the Nationals could sign Adam Dunn to an extension, and the two sides will speak at least once more before the slugger hits the open market. At this point Dunn would require a deal at market value to return, which Rosenthal suggests could be four years, $60MM. As bad as his defense is, several metrics rate him better than Ryan Howard and Miguel Cabrera with the glove.

Odds & Ends: Darvish, Feliciano, D’Backs, Blue Jays

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As the Padres face a big uphill battle in San Francisco this weekend, we look at some news items….

Arbitration Eligibles: Seattle Mariners

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The Mariners are next in our arbitration eligibles series.

Vargas, Aardsma, and League are locks to be tendered contracts for 2011.  Aardsma's second-consecutive 30-save season should result in a nice raise, and the Mariners might feel compelled to trade him.

Kotchman will be cut, as will Lopez after his option is declined.  Langerhans also figures to be non-tendered, but like last year he could be re-signed to a minor league deal.

First timers Wilson and Rowland-Smith have statistics ugly enough to keep their arbitration rewards low.  Wilson might be retained for his defensive skills, Rowland-Smith for his previous promise.  White might still be in jeopardy.

Odds & Ends: Papelbon, Yankees, Pujols, Webb

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Links for Monday, as Roy Halladay attempts to lead the Phillies to another division title…

Odds & Ends: Pirates, Marlins, Rangers

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Six years ago today, the Rockies signed righty Jhoulys Chacin as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela.  This year as a rookie, Chacin has a 3.26 ERA in 132.3 innings.  Links for Monday…

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