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Odds & Ends: Mets, McCourts, Cardinals

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A few more links to peruse, including some fascinating news out of Queens and L.A….

  • Sources have informed SI.com's Jon Heyman that the re-signing of longtime Mets scout Sandy Johnson is an indication of the "diminishing faith" in general manager Omar Minaya.  Johnson was apparently talked into returning because of the stability he brings to the front office.  He had been considering retirement.
  • According to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, Frank McCourt revealed in his divorce filing Wednesday that he fired his wife, Jamie, as Dodgers CEO because she had an affair with her personal driver and "undermined the chain of command by not reporting directly to him." This is only going to get uglier and could hurt the stability of the organization as we near the offseason.
  • SB Nation's Viva El Birdos is hosting an ongoing discussion on some of the Cardinals' potential offseason trade chips.  Skip Schumaker, Ryan Ludwick and Mitchell Boggs are among the names being thrown around.

Odds & Ends: DeRosa, Mateo, Mets, Cubs

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A few links to click through before the Phillies and Yankees do battle in Game 1 of the World Series…

Aroldis Chapman Review

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With all the information swirling around about free agent lefty Aroldis Chapman, I thought a summary would be helpful.  Chapman has been declared a free agent and can sign at any time, though a deal is unlikely before the conclusion of the World Series.  One GM told Yahoo's Tim Brown in July, "I'm sure all 30 teams will be interested to some degree."  Nonetheless, let's look at specific suitors.

  • Red Sox:  They've been a top suitor from the start.  Kiley McDaniel of Baseball Prospectus says Chapman was scheduled to throw a bullpen at Fenway today but it was cancelled due to inclement weather.  ESPN's Peter Gammons believes Boston's signing of former Chapman teammate Jose Iglesias may impact the pitcher's decision.
  • Yankees: They've also been a top suitor from the start.  ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. said Chapman met with GM Brian Cashman and other Yanks officials at the October 25th playoff game and "had good conversations."  Several reporters see Chapman as another Yankees-Red Sox battle. 
  • Mariners: Add them to the list – our source says they'd like to meet with Chapman in the next week.
  • Cardinals: A scheduled October 26th meeting was cancelled due to the Tony La Russa announcement.  The meeting is expected to be rescheduled.
  • Orioles: They've maintained interest and are pushing for a meeting soon.  In September, president Andy MacPhail admitted interest to MASN's Roch Kubatko, but added, "If some of the big boys are going to go after him, like the Red Sox did with Dice-K, that's not a risk that I would be willing to take."
  • Mets: They met with Chapman on October 23rd.  The New York Post's Bart Hubbuch said the Mets were out after being told Chapman wants up to $60MM to sign.  I'm not so sure the Mets and Chapman actually discussed dollar figures.
  • Tigers: They've confirmed interest.
  • Angels:  Scouting director Eddie Bane admitted interest in July, but noted that Chapman's breaking pitches are not yet effective in talking to Mark Saxon of the OC Register.  Bane more recently told Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times that he'd need to see Chapman throw against live hitters before investing.  Chapman has mentioned L.A. as a place he'd like to visit.
  • White Sox:  Our source said they've expressed interest.
  • Cubs: Our source said they've expressed interest.
  • Athletics:  Named by Arangure Jr. as one of the teams "paying varying degrees of attention to Chapman."  Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle confirmed Oakland's interest but says they haven't met with him.
  • Giants:  Named by Arangure Jr. as one of the teams "paying varying degrees of attention to Chapman."
  • Dodgers: They aren't likely to be serious suitors, according to one of Arangure Jr.'s sources.
  • Blue Jays:  We named the Jays as an interested club, but GM Alex Anthopoulos told reporters that signing Chapman is "not realistic."
  • Astros: Owner Drayton McLane seemingly considers Chapman too pricey, based on his comments to Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle.

La Russa Signs Extension With Cardinals

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MONDAY, 11:36am: At a press conference today, La Russa confirmed he's returning on a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2011.  He also confirmed the hiring of McGwire as the Cards' hitting coach.  Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has quotes from La Russa.

SUNDAY, 8:07pm: Buster Olney of ESPN reports that La Russa, like Braves skipper Bobby Cox, may only manage for one more year.  Olney writes that La Russa's new deal is for one year, plus a mutual option for 2011, giving either party the ability to cut ties after this year.

5:33pm: Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post Dispatch reports that the Cardinals will announce that La Russa will return next season at a press conference Monday morning.

3:13pm: According to an ESPN report, while Olney's sources say a deal is in place, La Russa himself has not yet confirmed:

"We're getting closer," La Russa, who has managed the team for 14 years, said earlier Sunday. "But nothing has been decided. I can't tell you anything yet."

Both chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. and general manager John Mozeliak would like La Russa to return. His current two-year, $8.5MM contract expires at the end of the month.

2:35pm: ESPN's Buster Olney has informed MLBTR, via email, that Tony La Russa has signed a new multi-year contract to return as the Cardinals manager. La Russa's coaching staff will look different though, as the Cards have fired hitting coach Hal McRae. The leading candidate to replace him? According to Olney, it's former Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire.

Odds & Ends: Astros, Giants, Nationals

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Let's take a look at some early evening links:

  • After striking out on Manny Acta, the Astros must continue their search for a skipper.  MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports that the search is now focused on three candidates: former Astros manager Phil Garner, BoSox bench coach Brad Mills and interim manager Dave Clark.  One source told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that Mills would get the nod and that it would be a "surprise" if Garner were brought back.  Another source said that Clark remains a possibility.  Houston would like to reach a decision before the start of the World Series (Wednesday), but may even expand their search beyond these three choices.
  • Matt Holliday and Jason Bay are both too pricey for the Giants, writes Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle.  Holliday is represented by Scott Boras, who compared him to Mark Teixeira in hopes of fetching a deal similar to the eight-year, $180MM contract the first baseman received from the Yankees.
  • Johnny Holliday of MASN Sports writes that the Nationals will announce the identity of their manager for 2010 "any day now."  Interim skipper Jim Riggleman remains a candidate.
  • Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan is likely to return in 2010, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  Duncan has said that his decision will be dependent on the return of Tony La Russa, who has reportedly agreed to an extension.

Cards Hire McGwire As Hitting Coach

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Pat Lackey informs us that a Cardinals source confirmed to Fanhouse's Ed Price that Mark McGwire has been hired to replace Hal McRae as the St. Louis hitting coach.

McGwire, 46, played in St. Louis for four and a half seasons, hitting 220 home runs during his tenure, including setting a then-single season record with 70 home runs. For his career, McGwire totaled a .263/.394/.588 line, clubbing 583 home runs over 16 seasons with the Athletics and Cardinals.

As Lackey points out, McGwire's hiring could indicate the return of Tony La Russa. We've heard reports so far today that La Russa has signed a multi-year extension, but there has yet to be an official announcement regarding his contract status.

Strong Interest In Aroldis Chapman

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SUNDAY, 12:35pm: As suggested by Lennon earlier, Chapman's price tag is too high for the Mets. Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post reports (via Twitter) that the Mets were told Chapman wants up to $60MM to sign.

SATURDAY, 7:23pm: John Stockstill – the Orioles' director of international scouting – has confirmed that the club will meet with Chapman and his agent next week in New York, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN.com.  In a piece yesterday, Kubatko wrote that he doesn't think Baltimore will end up signing the 21-year-old.

SATURDAY, 2:38pm: Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports the A's have also had interest in Chapman since he became a free agent.  However, they were not among the teams that met the hard-throwing left-hander in New York this week.

FRIDAY, 1:59pm: Lennon says (via Twitter) that the Mets won't bid $40-60MM for Chapman.

FRIDAY, 1:19pm: Add the Blue Jays to the mix of teams interested in Chapman, according to our source.  Also, the Orioles have maintained interest and want to meet.

THURSDAY, 2:39pm: MLBTR has learned that the Cubs and White Sox have expressed interest in free agenty lefty Aroldis Chapman.  The Cardinals have been more aggressive than those clubs, and plan to meet with Chapman next week.  The Yankees and Red Sox, of course, have also been among the aggressive suitors.  A meeting with the Mets will come later this week, according to Newsday's David Lennon.

The Chapman tour began yesterday in New York, as the 21-year-old's agency decided not to make MLB clubs come to Andorra.  ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. believes Chapman will command a contract in the $40-60MM range.

Odds & Ends: La Russa, Indians, Arguelles

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A few links to start your Sunday….

  • Tony La Russa didn't officially say he'll be back in St. Louis in 2010, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. But it sounds like he's leaning towards returning, and that an announcement could be made within a couple days.
  • Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes that Bobby Valentine would be the best choice as an "impact" manager for the Tribe. He thinks that Manny Acta is the favorite though.
  • The Plain Dealer's Bud Shaw also gives his two cents on the Indians' managerial hunt, opining that Valentine's "outside-the-box interview strategy figures to backfire."
  • At least four teams are very interested in Cuban lefty Noel Arguelles, according to Kiley McDaniel of Baseball Prospectus (via Twitter). In the same tweet, McDaniel mentions that Wagner Mateo still looks headed to the San Francisco Giants.
  • Michael Baron of MetsBlog agrees with MLB.com's Marty Noble when he says the New York Mets have to address their need for a catcher.

Odds & Ends: Drew, Molina, Cards, Chapman

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Another round of links before the weekend…

  • WEEI.com's Alex Speier suggests J.D. Drew has been worth slightly more than the $42MM the Red Sox have paid him since 2007 because of his on-base skills and strong defense. Drew's no RBI machine, but GM Theo Epstein likes his hitting approach as-is. Considering the massive deals handed out to Vernon Wells, Alfonso Soriano and others after 2006, Drew's contract seems reasonable.
  • Jack Moore of FanGraphs expects Bengie Molina to draw interest this offseason and predicts that the catcher will be worth $4MM or more next year.
  • Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch says the Cardinals are in position to bring back their entire bullpen in 2010. The Cards expect Ryan Franklin to close once again next season. 
  • ESPN.com's Jorge Arangure Jr. reports (via Twitter) that Aroldis Chapman will meet with the Cardinals Monday before going to Boston Wednesday to meet with the Red Sox.
  • Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos tells MLB.com's Jordan Bastian that the Jays are talking to other teams about possible trades.

Olney On La Russa, Mulder, Hudson

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ESPN.com's Buster Olney breaks down last night's ALCS contest in detail before turning to some rumors. Here they are:

  • Olney can see Tony La Russa returning to manage the Cardinals for a final season in 2010.
  • Could Mark Mulder end up in Milwaukee? His former pitching coach, Rick Peterson, has joined the Brewers, who are looking for starting pitching. Brewers manager Ken Macha managed the A's when Mulder was in his prime. As Olney points out, Mulder won't be expensive.
  • The Braves are determining the trade market for Kenshin Kawakami and Derek Lowe. They're more likely to bring Tim Hudson back if they anticipate a trade market for Kawakami or Lowe.
  • Talks with Hudson should accelerate in the next week or so.
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