NL Central Notes: Beltran, Cubs, O’Neill, Riggleman
The NLCS is a matchup between different organizational strengths and philosophies, says Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: the aggressive spending of the Dodgers versus the eagle-eye drafting and development of the Cardinals. That series kicked off last night in spectacular fashion, with the Cards achieving an extra-inning victory due in large part to the efforts of Carlos Beltran — himself a free agent acquisition, not a homegrown talent. Of course, the club held the Dodgers offense at bay with impressive bullpen efforts from several players that came up through the St. Louis system. Elsewhere in the NL Central:
- Look for the Cubs' managerial search to pick up pace shortly, says Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. With the Chicago brain trust wrapping up a tour of the club's top prospects, they will begin looking more carefully at potential targets like A.J. Hinch, Manny Acta, and Rick Renteria.
- Meanwhile, team chairman Tom Ricketts penned a letter to the team's season ticket holders, as MLB.com's Carrie Muskat reports. Calling last year a "challenging" season and expressing that the decision to can manager Dale Sveum was a hard one, he emphasized that the team's spending on young talent and commitment to player development has created a bright future.
- The Reds, likewise, have a managerial search to conduct, and former Cinci ballplayer Paul O'Neill has thrown his name in the hat, he confirmed yesterday on the Dan Patrick Show. CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman finds him to be an interesting option for the Redlegs.
- Perhaps a likelier candidate is well-travelled former big league skipper Jim Riggleman, with Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com reporting (via Twitter) that many in the industry think that the current Louisville Bats manager could get a call-up. On the other hand, tweets John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer, it could be hard to sell a Riggleman hiring to fans. In twelve years in charge, he has mustered just one 90-win campaign, Fay notes. And, of course, he left his last job with the Nationals in mid-season on controversial terms.
Minor Moves: Victor Marte
Today's minor moves roundup…
- The Cardinals have outrighted right-hander Victor Marte to Triple-A after he cleared waivers, according to MLBDailyDish's Chris Cotillo (Twitter link). Marte was designated for assignment last week after the Cards claimed Joey Butler off waivers from the Rangers. The 32-year-old Marte posted a 4.98 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 43 1/3 relief innings with the Cards from 2012-13. Those numbers are similar to the 4.94 ERA, 9.1 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 he posted in 54 2/3 innings at Triple-A this season.
- Earlier today, the Cubs outrighted six players, including outfielder Darnell McDonald and right-hander Rafael Dolis, who briefly served as the Cubs' closer in 2012.
- With Marte's outright, Henry Blanco of the Mariners and Jeff Baker of the Rangers are the only players currently in DFA limbo, as shown in MLBTR's DFA Tracker.
NL Central Notes: Hurdle, Pirates, Parra, Reds
Veteran Justin Morneau was in Minnesota for his entire career before the summer trade that shipped him to the Pirates, but the adjustment wasn't too difficult for him thanks to a familiar element, writes Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun. “[Manager Clint Hurdle] speaks the same language as Ron Gardenhire,” said Morneau. “He’ll come up and say ‘[I'm] going to give you a blow tomorrow.’ I know I’m getting the day off. Gardenhire used to say it.” Elliott spoke with several Pirates players about their respect for Hurdle and their appreciation for him as a motivator. Here's a look at more from the NL Central..
- Win or lose, Pirates GM Neal Huntington hopes to keep his team together for 2014, writes Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. That means keeping veteran pitcher A.J. Burnett and midseason acquisitions Marlon Byrd and Morneau. Byrd figures to see a significant raise over his $700K salary while Morneau ($15MM) and Burnett ($16.5MM) will obviously earn less in 2014.
- John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer (on Twitter) says that there's a decent chance that the Reds will re-sign reliever Manny Parra. The soon-to-be 31-year-old pitched to a 3.33 ERA with 11.0 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9.
- John Erardi of the Cincinnati Enquirer believes that Mets minor league skipper Wally Backman would be a good fit for the Reds' managerial vacancy.
- The Cardinals' 2009 draft class is a huge reason for their success in 2013, writes MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch. That draft saw St. Louis tap Shelby Miller (first round), Joe Kelly (third), Matt Carpenter (13th), Trevor Rosenthal (21st) and Matt Adams (23rd).
- Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch looks at the host of Pirates first-round picks that didn't work out but notes that the trend began to change with Neil Walker in 2004. Since that time, the Bucs have also selected Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez and Gerrit Cole in the first round.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Free Agent Profile: Edward Mujica
Edward Mujica entered the season as a solid middle reliever/setup man but quickly found himself thrust into the closer's role after Jason Motte went down with Tommy John surgery and Mitchell Boggs collapsed as Motte's successor. Many felt the ninth inning should go to flamethrowing 22-year-old Trevor Rosenthal, but Mujica silenced critics for much of the season by thriving in the role and upping his free agent stock accordingly.
Strengths/Pros
Few things in baseball are more frustrating than watching a relief pitcher come in and issue multiple walks; that's something Mujica's managers, teammates and fans virtually never have to worry about. 
Over the past four seasons, Mujica has allowed 37 walks in 275 2/3 innings (1.21 BB/9), but nine of those were intentional. Mujica will put a batter aboard via an unintentional free pass about once every 10 innings. As such, he has a pristine 1.001 WHIP dating back to 2010. The only "free agent" reliever who really comes close to matching Mujica in control is Mariano Rivera, and he won't be signing anywhere this winter.
Over that same four-year stretch, Mujica has a 47.2 percent ground-ball rate, and opponents are batting just .230 against him. Put simply, Mujica does a better job at keeping hitters off the basepaths than most relievers in the game.
Mujica earned just $3.2MM this season, so a qualifying offer would be a tremendous increase in his salary and is therefore highly unlikely. He won't come tied to draft pick compensation, and at age 29, he's one of the youngest free agent relievers on the market. He's also highly durable, having just one DL stint throughout his big league career; that injury was the result of a broken toe suffered when he was struck by a batted ball.
Weaknesses/Cons
The average big league reliever has averaged about eight strikeouts per nine innings over the past four seasons. Mujica has, in turn, whiffed 7.4 hitters per nine innings over that four-year stretch and has dropped to 6.4 strikeouts per nine frames in 2013 (while the MLB average for relievers has risen to 8.3). His low punchout total is a bit curious given his well above-average swinging strike rate (12.5 percent in 2013 and 11 percent for his career).
Advanced metrics like FIP (3.71), xFIP (3.53) and SIERA (3.25) don't necessarily back up Mujica's 2.78 ERA. His .263 BABIP is unusually low, although it's fair to wonder if it's actually a sustainable mark; he's had a BABIP south of .270 in each of the past four seasons. If that's the case, then it's likely that sabermetric stats undervalue him, as they measure him against the league average rather than his own career norms.
Perhaps the biggest knock on Mujica is his poor finish to the season. He carried a 1.73 ERA into September but crumbled in the season's final month, allowing nine runs on 18 hits and a pair of walks over his final 7 1/3 innings. That prolonged meltdown knocked him out of the team's closer spot will likely be brought up in contract discussions this offseason.
Personal
Mujica and his wife, Erika, reside in Yagua, Venezuela, per the Cardinals's media guide. The couple welcomed their first child, Brianna, into the world in July 2012. Mujica is often described as fun-loving, doing things like making custom t-shirts for his teammates with the Marlins to keep the clubhouse light (per MLB.com's Joe Frisaro).
Market
Many teams will be on the lookout for bullpen help this winter, and Mujica is one of the handful of available relievers that will come with ninth inning experience. While many maintain that ninth inning experience isn't a prerequisite for closers ("closers are made, not born"), Mujica's agent, Wil Polidor of Octagon, can boast that his client racked up 37 saves in his first season as a closer and should be compensated for that big number.
Teams don't pay for saves quite as much as they did a few years ago, but there are still old-school general managers and front offices that want to hand the ball to a guy who's "been there before" in the ninth inning. The Tigers, Rangers, Rays, Yankees, A's and Cubs will all lose their closers to free agency or retirement this winter. Other teams like the Mariners, Brewers, Diamondbacks and Indians have seen great uncertainty in their late-inning situations this season. The Cardinals could also express interest in retaining Mujica, though with Motte on the mend and Rosenthal pitching well of late, he may not have an opportunity to regain the closer role in St. Louis.
Of course, there will also be plenty of teams with closers in place who will look to Mujica as a reliable, durable setup man.
Expected Contract
Mujica is the same age that Brandon League was when he signed his three-year, $22.5MM contract with the Dodgers last offseason. While that's proven to be an overpay, that didn't deter the Reds from giving another under-30 reliever, Jonathan Broxton, a similar three-year, $21MM contract a few months later. Neither of those relievers boasted lofty strikeout rates in their walk seasons, and I imagine that will be Polidor's target for Mujica, while the three-year, $16.5MM deal that Joaquin Benoit signed prior to the 2011 season will be the floor.
Back in May, I looked at Mujica's free agent stock and noted that a strong season in the ninth inning couls land him a deal similar to Broxton's. Despite his slide at the end of the season, I believe that a three-year, $21MM deal remains a reasonable expectation given his youth, durability, elite command and strong track record.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NL Central Notes: Reds, Cubs, Beltran, Pirates
Reds assistant director of media relations Jamie Ramsey provided fans with a feel-good story today, as longtime Reds staffer Chris Herrell returned to work after undergoing a bone marrow transplant 10 months ago to treat a rare form of blood cancer. The Reds' front office welcomed Herrell back with a surprise celebration this morning, writes Ramsey. Best wishes to Chris, his family and friends as he continues his recovery! Here's more out of the NL Central…
- Sources confirmed to David Kaplan of CSNChicago.com that former Indians and Nationals manager Manny Acta is in Chicago today to meet with Cubs president Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer. “The Cubs have a fairly long list of potential candidates and they have to handle it that way if the Girardi thing doesn’t happen,” said one scout. Other candidates include A.J. Hinch and Rick Renteria.
- Cardinals outfielder Carlos Beltran will be in high demand this winter, writes Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd). Olney feels that the Mets, Rangers, Yankees, Orioles, Phillies, and Reds could all be players for Beltran. At 36, Beltran may prefer to go to an American League club and DH.
- Pirates GM Neal Huntington deserves praise for his aggressive approach on the trade market, writes Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Miklasz notes that, in comparison, Cardinals GM John Mozeliak chose to stand pat, and it could be a difference-maker now that the two are squaring off in the NLDS. He adds that there's no way, however, that Mozeliak could have foreseen Allen Craig's injury, which forced Matt Adams into a starting role and depleted the team's bench depth.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Cafardo On Arroyo, Kendrick, Braun, Cano
Timing is everything in baseball and Joe Girardi is hitting the open market at the perfect time, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes. The Cubs always saw landing Girardi as a longshot, but they'll give it another go this winter. From the Yankees perspective, they'd be foolish not to lock Girardi up with a lucrative new deal, in Cafardo's opinion. Few managers, he argues, could have survived the injuries that the Yankees were dealing with and kept them in the playoff chase in September. If Girardi bails for Chicago or elsewhere, Cafardo suggests Don Mattingly as a candidate. Of course, the Dodgers would have to fire him or work out a trade for that to happen. Here's more from today's column..
- Bronson Arroyo says he wants a three-year deal and he feels his time in Cincinnati is likely over. “I have no preference on where I want to pitch but I’ll certainly consider the team, their chances of winning, and all of that,” he said. “I feel I can pitch effectively at 37, 38, and 39 years old. I’ve never missed a start. Never been injured. I’m not a max-effort guy out there, so there’s no big-time wear and tear on me. I loved Cincinnati but I don’t think they’re in position to give me what I want.” Cafardo suggests the Blue Jays, Orioles, Brewers, Cubs, Giants, Pirates, Cardinals, and Dodgers as possibilities.
- It's looking increasingly likely that Angels second baseman Howie Kendrick will be traded for pitching or prospects. The Royals need second base help and would have interest. The Orioles may also be interested if they cut ties with Brian Roberts this winter. The O's haven't decided what to do with Roberts just yet but they wouldn't go beyond a one-year deal to keep him.
- It has been suggested that the Brewers could trade Ryan Braun, but finding someone willing to take on his baggage and lucrative deal could be tricky. “I don’t think he’s going anywhere. Someone would have to take a big chance and nobody’s doing that on PED guys, especially for that length of contract,” said one exec.
- Bench coach Tony Pena is not likely to replace Girardi as manager if he goes elsewhere. “I don’t think anyone in our front office is even thinking about that,” said one Yankees official.
- Many believe that the Dodgers won't be serious players for Robinson Cano, but things can change with an early exit from the playoffs.
Cardinals Designate Victor Marte For Assignment
The Cardinals have designated right-hander Victor Marte for assignment, Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish reports. Marte was moved to create 40-man roster space for Joey Butler, who the Cards claimed off waivers from the Rangers earlier today.
Marte, 32, pitched just three innings for St. Louis this season and has a 4.98 ERA, 2.24 K/BB and 7.9 K/9 over 43 1/3 relief innings in 2012-13. Marte is one of three players currently in DFA limbo, along with the Padres' Chris Robinson and the Indians' Clay Rapada. You can keep track of all players designated for assignment on MLBTR's DFA Tracker.
Cardinals Claim Joey Butler
The Cardinals have claimed outfielder Joey Butler off waivers from the Rangers, the team announced on Twitter. Texas designated Butler for assignment earlier in the week when reinstating Nelson Cruz from the restricted list at the completion of his 50-game suspension.
The 27-year-old Butler made his big league debut for the Rangers this season, collecting 15 plate appearances and recording four hits. Drafted by the Rangers out of the Universtiy of New Orleans in the 15th round back in 2008, Butler is a career .300/.392/.468 hitter in 1,563 Triple-A plate appearances. He should serve as a nice depth piece for the Cardinals, though with Matt Holliday, Jon Jay and Oscar Taveras looking like the future starting outfield going forward, Butler is unlikely to be afforded the chance to see if his stellar Triple-A production can translate to the Majors in an everyday role.
Quick Hits: Pence, Westbrook, Abreu, Astros
While it’s not a mistake on the level of the Barry Zito contract, the Giants could come to regret the Hunter Pence deal, writes Dave Cameron of Fangraphs. The $90MM contract won’t stop them from winning if they can surround him with quality players on undervalue contracts, but that’s obviously easier said than done. Here’s more from around baseball..
- Jake Westbrook can read the writing on the wall and knows that his time with the Cardinals is likely over, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Between his struggles and the Cards’ wealth of young pitching, Westbrook isn’t expected to be placed on the postseason roster. Westbrook isn’t certain if he will pitch in 2014 and plans to discuss with his family in the offseason.
- Ben Badler of Baseball America spoke with international sources to identify five teams that could sign Jose Dariel Abreu. The White Sox, Nationals, Pirates, Red Sox, and Rangers look like the frontrunners for the Cuban standout with Texas possibly having the inside track on everyone.
- Prior to a charity event earlier today, Astros owner Jim Crane said that he plans to spend money in 2014 to help turn the club around, writes Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle. “Now we have a nucleus to draw from. And so we got that established. I think in the off-season you’ll see Jeff [Luhnow], and he’s already said it, we’re going to fill some of those holes. As the kids come up through the system we can get competitive very quick. We lost a lot of one-run games. It’s pretty obvious where our needs are, and we’ll work on those in the offseason and start loosening the purse book,” Crane said.
- Cubs president Theo Epstein says he will look first and foremost at candidates with managerial experience, tweets Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter) notes that the Dodgers hold an option on manager Don Mattingly for 2014. The option is worth $1.4MM, sources tell Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi.
Baez, Taveras, Sano Change Agencies
4:29pm: Cubs top prospect Javier Baez has also changed agencies and is now represented by KPS Sports, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter). MLBTR's Tim Dierkes tweeted last week that Baez had joined a small, lesser-known agency without a great deal of experience. He appears to be the most noteworthy player signed with KPS. Baez was formerly represented by B.B. Abbott of Jet Sports Management.
On their midseason Top 50 lists, Baez ranked as the game's No. 9 prospect according to MLB.com, No. 10 according to BA and No. 27 according to Keith Law. The 20-year-old shortstop batted .282/.341/.578 with a highly impressive 37 homers between High-A Daytona and Double-A Tennessee this season.
8:31am: Miguel Sano and Oscar Taveras are consensus top five prospects in the game, and each has recently changed representation. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that Sano's agent, Rob Plummer, has been hired by SFX after parting ways with the Beverly Hills Sports Council, and Sano has stuck with his longtime agent. Taveras, meanwhile, is back with former agent Melvin Roman of MDR Sports Management (Twitter links).
Taveras has now changed agencies a remarkable four times since January and, strangely, is back with Roman for the third time in 2013 alone. Taveras left MDR for Plummer back in January but switched back less than a month later. He remained with MDR through mid-August when he joined Greg Genske's Legacy Agency. The Cardinals outfielder ranked second on the Midseason Top 50 Prospect lists of Baseball America, ESPN's Keith Law (Insider subscription req'd) and MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo despite an injury-shortened season. The 21-year-old Taveras hit a solid .306/.361/.462 with five homers in 46 games for Triple-A Memphis but missed most of the season due to ankle surgery.
The 20-year-old Sano mashed his way to a No. 3 ranking on the Midseason Top 50 Prospect lists of Baseball America and MLB.com and a No. 4 ranking on the same list from Law. The powerful Twins prospect batted .280/.382/.610 with a combined 35 homers between High-A Fort Myers and Double-A New Britain.
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