Texas Notes: Porter, Boesch, Profar
General manager Jeff Luhnow told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News that he can envision manager Bo Porter leading the Astros for a long time. “He could be one of those guys who is an Astros manager for decades, not just years,” Luhnow said of Porter. “The players knowing that this is the group that’s going to be here — it begins to lay the foundation for stability, which is really what we’re looking for.” The Astros hired the 40-year-old Porter after the 2012 season.
Here are more notes on the Astros and Texas’ other team, the Rangers…
- Earlier today MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reported that the Astros will take a look at Brennan Boesch (Twitter link). The Tigers released the outfielder this morning.
- The Rangers are high on Jurickson Profar, but it's still not clear what his role will be in 2013, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports writes. The Rangers would "not necessarily" need an everyday role for Profar to justify keeping him on the roster in the view of manager Ron Washington. That said, a Triple-A assignment hasn’t been ruled out. Here's a look at service time considerations for top prospects such as Profar.
- George A. King III of the New York Post reported today that the Rangers are watching Joba Chamberlain.
Quick Hits: Giants, Cabrera, Rangers, Rondon, Tigers
Despite reports to the contrary, the Giants never discussed nor offered a deal to Melky Cabrera in the range of $75-85MM prior to the outfielder's 50 game suspension for performance enhancing drugs, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Cabrera was expected to be in line for a major pay day up until that point but a softened market led him to take a two-year, $16MM deal with the Blue Jays over the winter. Here's more from around baseball..
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels told reporters, including Ron Matejko of ESPNDallas.com, not to expect any additions between now and Opening Day. "I would expect the 25 will come out of [the Rangers clubhouse]," said Daniels. "I won't 100 percent rule out an outside acquisition, and we do our due diligence and make our calls, things can come about, but you have to be prepared to go in house."
- Tigers manager Jim Leyland says that it is "possible" that rookie Bruce Rondon will open the season as part of a bullpen by committee, writes MLB.com's Jason Beck. The Tigers have reportedly been looking to acquire a proven closer via trade in recent weeks but using Rondon with other relievers already in-house would be a less-costly middle ground.
- The Pirates released former first-round pick Aaron Poreda, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (on Twitter). Pittsburgh picked up the left-hander in last winter's Rule 5 draft but he made just three Double-A starts for the organization in 2012.
Latest On Nolan Ryan, Rangers
There’s sentiment among the Rangers that Nolan Ryan will remain with the organization, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. While it’s possible Ryan will resign, he wouldn’t do so to join Texas’ other MLB team. Nightengale reports that Ryan wouldn’t join the Astros even if dissatisfaction over his role with the Rangers causes him to step down.
Rangers GM Jon Daniels said he continues talking to Ryan about on-field matters regularly and wouldn’t want the Hall of Famer to leave. “It's a really good group, a really good organization, and Nolan is a big part of that," Daniels said. Daniels, the Rangers’ president of baseball operations, now has full autonomy over the team’s baseball moves.
Ryan has had disagreements with Daniels over staffing and player personnel decisions in the past. Under the team’s new management structure, Ryan can continue to make recommendations to Daniels and others. However, he’s not expected to enjoy a role as a 'figurehead' CEO.
Randy Galloway of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram first reported eight days ago that Ryan could leave the team following the recent front office changes. Rangers co-chairman Bob Simpson said at that time that he wants Ryan to remain with the team long-term.
Quick Hits: Andrus, Braves, Astros
On this date two years ago, Chuck Greenberg resigned as the Rangers' CEO after encountering philosophical differences with others in the team's ownership group. The Rangers' leadership structure is again making headlines, as ownership looks to determine what Nolan Ryan's role will be going forward. Here are some links from around MLB, starting in Texas…
- Dan Szymborski of ESPN Insider explains why the Cardinals are a perfect fit for Elvis Andrus of the Rangers. St. Louis needs a shortstop after losing Rafael Furcal to injury and the Rangers could part with Andrus to create space for Jurickson Profar. The Rangers could look to acquire a pitching prospect such as Trevor Rosenthal, Shelby Miller or Carlos Martinez from the Cardinals' top-ranked farm system.
- Atlanta GM Frank Wren told James Wagner of the Washington Post that most of the Braves' offseason moves revolved around their own needs, rather than the Nationals' roster. Wren explained that he wanted to add right-handed balance to a lineup that had become too left-handed. "I can’t say that anything we did this offseason was reactionary,” he said.
- FanGraphs' David Laurila spoke with Sig Mejdal, the Astros' director of decision sciences, about his role in Houston and the place of analytics in baseball.
AL Notes: Ryan, Porcello, Happ, Indians
Rangers CEO Nolan Ryan had dinner with principal owners Ray Davis and Bob Simpson Friday night to discuss his future role with the franchise. Simpson called the meeting "productive" while Ryan remained silent until today when he released a statement through the team. "Over the last week, Ray Davis, Bob Simpson, and I have been in discussion and met in-person. The conversations have been productive, and we have discussed my role as CEO of the organization. We agreed these discussions will continue as we go forward. I am very proud of what the Rangers have accomplished over the last several years, and I believe our preparations for upcoming season are what is important." Sources have told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Ryan could leave after he fulfills his two remaining team obligations: in San Antonio for the Rangers' two exhibition games there March 29-30 and in Houston during the Rangers' season-opening series against the Astros. In other news and notes from the American League:
- Rick Porcello became the first Tiger pitcher to pitch five innings this spring, allowing no runs on three hits while striking out four. George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press tweets Porcello was happy to discuss his outing, but refused to comment on the many trade rumors surrounding him.
- J.A. Happ, also a subject of trade rumors, is frustrated by his role with the Blue Jays and sees himself as a Major League starting pitcher, according to MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm (Twitter links). Happ, as quoted by Chisholm on Twitter, realizes he is auditioning for other teams, "I know there are other people in the stands as well so I'm trying to just keep my routine and we'll see what happens."
- Indians manager Terry Francona has named Zach McAllister as the team's fourth starter, the Associated Press reports (via the Boston Herald). If the Indians choose to start Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer, and Corey Kluber in the minors, the leading veteran candidates for the final spot are Scott Kazmir and Daisuke Matsuzaka, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer who would put his money on Kazmir.
Quick Hits: Zduriencik, Red Sox, Dodgers
Jack Zduriencik is still the right person to serve as the Mariners' GM, Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times contends. Brewer points to a strong farm system (which includes the likes of Taijuan Walker, Mike Zunino, Danny Hultzen and James Paxton) as evidence that Zduriencik's plan is working. The Mariners have only had one winning season since Zduriencik was hired, however. "I can't say that I'm happy, can't say that I'm satisfied at all," Zduriencik said. "Because, at the end, it's about the finished product at the big-league level and all of these kids becoming what you want them to become." The M's finished 75-87 in 2012. Here are more notes from around the majors.
- The Red Sox clubhouse feels "eleventy-billion times better" than it did in 2012, writes John Tomase of the Boston Herald. The team's decision to replace Bobby Valentine with John Farrell is part of that, Tomase argues, but so is the fact that new additions Ryan Dempster, Shane Victorino, Mike Napoli, Joel Hanrahan, David Ross, Jonny Gomes and Stephen Drew weren't around during the Red Sox's ugly 2012 season.
- Napoli will be an impact hitter for the Red Sox in 2013 because he will no longer catch, Michael Silverman argues, also in the Boston Herald. "Now there’s more of a flow to everything," Napoli says. "It’s a tough position — catching and good-hitting catchers are tough to find. It’s just a grind — a grind that I do miss, but I don’t miss." Napoli caught in 72 games for the Rangers last year, but the Red Sox signed him to an incentive-laden one-year deal for 2013 with the plan that he would play first base, where, Silverman writes, he has looked "nimble and sure-handed" this spring.
- The Dodgers "do not appear close" to trading one of their starting pitchers, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. Since the Dodgers cannot ship Aaron Harang, Chris Capuano or Ted Lilly to the minors without those players' consent, teams may simply wait for the Dodgers, who don't have roster space for all their starting pitching, to become more desperate. The Orioles, Brewers and Pirates "have expressed interest" in the Dodgers' surplus arms, Shaikin notes, but the Rangers are not a likely trade partner.
West Notes: Rangers, Ryan, Giants, Cabrera
Here's a look at some items out of the AL and NL West..
- Rangers co-chairman Bob Simpson met with CEO Nolan Ryan in an attempt to smooth things out and sounded upbeat about the talk, writes Randy Galloway of the Star-Telegram. “Its been positive. We are working through it, and so far the results are positive. I wouldn’t say it’s been resolved, but hopefully we can get there," said Simpson. One member of the team’s ownership group told Galloway that prior to this, Ryan had had no contact with either Simpson or co-owner Ray Davis in almost a week, despite attempts by both to reach him.
- The Giants were involved in talks with Melky Cabrera about a lucrative contract extension just prior to his suspension for PEDs last season, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com. General Manager Brian Sabean and Cabrera's reps at ACES were discussing an extension worth something in range of $75-$85MM.
- A veteran of 24 MLB seasons, Omar Vizquel is now serving as a spring training coach with the Angels and the 45-year-old has his eye on eventually landing a managerial job, writes Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com.
Texas Notes: Ryan, Daniels, Lohse, Astros, Crane
Here's the latest news from both the Rangers and Astros, including how the future of the Lone Star State's greatest pitcher (Nolan Ryan) impacts both Texas clubs…
- Jon Daniels said the Rangers never offered him Ryan's CEO job, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. Before being promoted to the position of president of baseball operations, Daniels said the Rangers offered him a few other titles, and "all of those discussions involved me reporting directly to Nolan." There has been speculation that Ryan could leave the Rangers given the increased influence of Daniels and Rick George, the newly-promoted president of business operations.
- Hiring Ryan and giving him a significant role would greatly benefit the Astros both on and off the field, MLB.com's Richard Justice opines.
- Kyle Lohse is "slightly better than just a guy" in the Rangers' view, writes Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPN Dallas, which is partly why the team isn't interested in the veteran right-hander.
- Astros owner Jim Crane tells reporters (including MLB.com's Brian McTaggart) that the team's ongoing negotiations over a new TV contract are crucial to the team's financial well-being and its rebuilding process. "This is a long-term deal, and it will really affect the ability to finance the team and the payroll," Crane said. "We have to have a deal that's market with the Rangers and Angels and we should be able to get that….We want to have our payroll where the Rangers' is so we can compete with everybody."
- Also from McTaggart, the Astros have done well to rebuild their farm system though it may take a few years for their current batch of top prospects to make an impact on the Major League level.
Rangers Agree To Sign Derek Lowe
8:39pm: Lowe will earn $1.25MM if he makes the big league roster, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter). He can also earn an additional $1.7MM in performance bonuses, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets.
6:26pm: The Rangers have agreed to terms with Derek Lowe on a minor league deal, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter). The right-hander is represented by Scott Boras, as shown in MLBTR's Agency Database. While Lowe is not guaranteed anything, he will almost certainly make the team, according to Grant.
Lowe, 39, spent 2012 with the Indians and Yankees, making 21 starts in Cleveland and 17 appearances out of the pen for New York. While the veteran has stated his preference for being in the rotation in the past, the Rangers plan to use him as a reliever. In total, Lowe posted a 5.11 ERA with 3.5 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 across 142 2/3 innings of work.
The 6'6" hurler had interest from other clubs this offseason and received a minor league offer from the Rockies more than a month ago.
Rangers Won’t Sign Kyle Lohse
Earlier this week, it was reported that the Rangers were keeping in contact with agent Scott Boras regarding Kyle Lohse. However, a club source says tells T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com that Texas won’t be the team to take the top remaining free agent off of the market.
“We are not going to sign Kyle Lohse. I can’t be clearer than that,” said the source.
Some wondered if the Rangers might ramp up their pursuit of Lohse in the wake of Martin Perez‘s injury, given that the fractured ulna will keep him from throwing for about a month. However, it looks like Jon Daniels & Co. will instead look to get by with what they already have in-house.
Even though Lohse has sat on the shelf for much longer than anyone anticipated, Boras is reportedly seeking a three-year deal with a “big” annual salary. It’s still not clear which teams could be in on the 34-year-old as the Yankees and Indians are also not interested in signing him. Recently, Tim Dierkes predicted that Lohse would eventually settle for a one- or two-year deal.
Texas added a pitcher earlier today in Derek Lowe but the veteran will reportedly be used as a reliever if he makes the team.