Nationals Notes: DeRosa, Burnett
The Nationals finished the regular season at the top of the heap, but last night their impressive season ended at the hands of the Cardinals. There’s always next year for the Nats, though one veteran says that he may decide to call it a career. Here’s the latest out of Washington..
- Mark DeRosa was left pondering his future after last night’s game, writes Amanda Comak of The Washington Times. The 37-year-old believes that he has been hampered by injury in recent years and is capable of doing more, but isn’t sure if another opportunity will come along this winter. Then again, the veteran noted that he wasn’t expecting a phone call last year either before the Nats signed him to a one-year deal in December.
- Reliever Sean Burnett seems likely to turn down his end of the $3.5MM mutual option he has for the 2013 season, but he would ultimately like to return to the Nats, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Burnett will undergo surgery next week to take care of a bone spur issue, according to a person familiar with his injury.
- Earlier today, we learned that Edwin Jackson would like to stay with Washington as he gets ready to hit the open market. Adam LaRoche also reiterated his desire to stay put but disclosed that contract talks have yet to really advance.
Edwin Jackson Would Like To Return To Nationals
The Nationals finished the year with the best record in baseball, but their season came a stunning and abrupt end last night thanks to the Cardinals' ninth inning comeback. Following the game, one of the club's impending free agents told Dan Kolko of MASNSports.com that he would like to return to the team in 2013.
"It's definitely a group of guys that I gel with, and I definitely wouldn't mind coming back," said right-hander Edwin Jackson. "If we work something out and I have a chance to come back and do it all over with these guys again, I'd definitely be happy about it. But as far as right now, deal with it when that time comes … Like I always say going into free agency, you're not really sure (of the team's) plans."
Jackson, 29, left Scott Boras for the Legacy Agency back in July and said he's looking for a multiyear contract this offseason. He joined the Nationals on a one-year, $11MM deal late last winter, then pitched to a 4.03 ERA in 189 2/3 innings across 31 starts. It seems likely that Washington will make him a qualify offer so they can receive draft pick compensation if he signs elsewhere. Here is my recent look at Jackson's free agent stock.
Adam LaRoche also reiterated to Kolko that he would like to remain with the team going forward, and that contract talks have not really progressed yet. GM Mike Rizzo acknowledged the preliminary talks and said he likes the way the first baseman fits in the clubhouse. LaRoche will surely decline his half of his $10MM mutual option after hitting .271/.343/.510 with 33 homers this year.
East Notes: Showalter, Orioles, LaRoche, Yankees
The Orioles' season came to a close tonight as the Yankees took Game 5 behind an impressive complete game outing from C.C. Sabathia. Despite the disappointing exit coupled with heartbreak of Game 3, it was a remarkable season for a team that was never expected to win 93 games and qualify for the postseason. More out of Baltimore and other items from the Eastern divisions..
- Orioles managing partner Peter Angelos said that the club has yet to discuss a contract extension with Buck Showalter, but he sounds ready to have those talks if the manager does, writes Britt Ghiroli of MLB.com. Showalter is under contract with the O's through the 2013 season.
- The Nationals opened talks with Adam LaRoche on a multi-year deal at some point during the season to keep him from free agency, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com. However, nothing is close at this time. LaRoche has a $10MM for 2013 but has made it clear that he would like to stay put in Washington.
- The Yankees are looking for the right investor to buy out some of their partners in the highly-profitable YES Network, according to Richard Sandomir of the New York Times. Current partners like Goldman Sachs and Providence Equity usually sell their investments in companies rather quickly, but have held on because of the station's incredible success.
NL East Notes: Rizzo, Johnson, Braves, Phillies
Jayson Werth's walkoff homer gave the Nationals a 2-1 win over the Cardinals today and extended their NLDS series to a deciding fifth game tomorrow. Gio Gonzalez will start Game Five against Adam Wainwright and the Cards, with the winning team advancing to face the Giants in the NLCS. Here's the latest from Washington and elsewhere in the NL East…
- Nationals GM Mike Rizzo had some choice words for unnamed executives who were said to be rooting against the Nats due to the Stephen Strasburg controversy, reports CBS Sports' Jon Heyman. Rizzo again defended his decision to shut Strasburg down, also noting that the anonymous criticisms were "not how we do things in my neighborhood.''
- Davey Johnson joked that he could "pull a La Russa" and retire if the Nationals win the World Series, reports Heyman, though the manager is expected to return next season and Rizzo wants him back.
- Given the unpredictable nature of relief pitching, the Phillies' problematic bullpen could be turned around quickly, writes David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News. With Jonathan Papelbon's salary leaving little room for another pricey relief arm, Murphy suggests the Phils could explore a trade or target such lower-priced relievers as Koji Uehara, Luis Ayala, Jeremy Affeldt or Joel Peralta. Brandon Lyon could also be a Phillies target, as Murphy says the club was interested in the veteran righty three years ago before Lyon signed with Houston.
- Also on the topic of the Phillies' bullpen, Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News thinks a reunion with Ryan Madson would make sense, as Madson could be signed to an inexpensive deal as he looks to rebound and rebuild his value following Tommy John surgery.
- David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution outlines what he would do with the Braves this winter, a list that includes extending Martin Prado and installing him at third base, trading for Josh Willingham or signing a free agent outfielder like Nick Swisher or Cody Ross, picking up Brian McCann's option and letting Michael Bourn in favor of signing a cheaper center field option in Angel Pagan.
Nationals Notes: Strasburg, Rizzo, Jackson
The Nationals are sending Ross Detwiler to the mound in a must-win home game against the Cardinals this afternoon. In the meantime here are some Nationals-related links…
- The decision to shut Stephen Strasburg down appears to have irked people around MLB. Baseball executives are rooting for the Nationals to get eliminated from the playoffs, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. One GM said the Nationals “don’t deserve to win it” and another said "I hope they go down in flames. I hope it takes another 79 years before they get back to the playoffs. That's how strongly I feel about it."
- Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post points out that Washington GM Mike Rizzo has financial incentives to win big now, since a contract extension could be at stake (Twitter link). Though the decision to shut Strasburg down was debatable, it doesn’t seem to have been motivated by self-interest. Rizzo's contract covers 2013 and includes club options for 2014 and 2015, according to Kilgore.
- Edwin Jackson's disappointing Division Series start will likely be the last one he makes with the Nationals, Deron Snyder of the Washington Times writes. “It could be, it could not be,” Jackson said. “That’s definitely not the way I wanted to end it.” The right-hander hits free agency this offseason.
NL East Notes: Martin, Desmond, Strasburg
The Nationals will host Washington's first playoff game in 79 years today when they welcome Chris Carpenter and the Cardinals to Nationals Park. Here are some links from the NL East…
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post suggests the Mets should sign Russell Martin if the Yankees let him leave as a free agent this offseason. The Mets could use catching help and they know Martin can handle New York while offering a combination of defense, power and youth.
- Multiple teams have tried to buy low on Ian Desmond, but GM Mike Rizzo says he “never one time considered trading him at all," according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (quote via Twitter). Kilgore explains that Desmond’s tremendous year can no longer be overlooked now that he’s producing for the Nationals in the postseason.
- If the Nationals get eliminated from the playoffs, questions about Stephen Strasburg’s shutdown will be coming from within the team’s clubhouse and from outside critics, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports.
- In case you missed it, here’s my offseason outlook for the Mets. A top priority for the club is locking up David Wright, and they’d like to reach a deal for $100MM or so — an unrealistic price in my view.
Cafardo On Johnson, Soriano, Hernandez, Hamilton
In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that there are some General Managers who have a few regrets regarding last winter. Red Sox GM Ben Cherington wishes he had done more for the rotation. Angels GM Jerry Dipoto probably would have liked to boost the bullpen more during the team's spending frenzy which netted Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson. Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd was asked to assess his own mistakes and said, “How long is this article? Just kidding. We all have regrets. When you make the amount of decisions we do, you make mistakes. So this year [Jeremy] Guthrie was acquired to give us innings, but Coors [Field] got him and that hurt us. We had such a lack of experience everywhere else. There was no margin for error, and I screwed up.” Here's more from today's column..
- Marlins pitcher Josh Johnson will be trade bait, despite talk to the contrary. Miami could get a ton from teams like the Orioles, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Royals, Rangers, Twins, and Dodgers. On the whole, the Marlins look like they're ready to clean house again.
- Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano would make a lot of sense for the Rays as a DH, especially since the Cubs would pick up the bulk of his final two years under contract. Soriano could also help the Blue Jays, Orioles, or Indians.
- Indians GM Chris Antonetti says that he expects Shin-Shoo Choo to be back with Cleveland next season as he enters his walk year, but he will also listen to offers for the 30-year-old. Choo could make sense for Boston as they face a similar situation with Jacoby Ellsbury. Cafardo suggests a deal involving a pitcher like Justin Masterson.
- Teams have offered the moon for Felix Hernandez in the past but there’s no chance that Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik is going to trade him now. King Felix is under contract through 2014 and the M's have the money to keep him beyond that. For his part, Hernandez is well-paid and loves playing in Seattle.
- Josh Hamilton says that he won't take a discount to stay with the Rangers, but that's where he's likely to land as it's hard to read the market for him. The Tigers, Nationals, Pirates, Phillies, Angels, Mariners, Blue Jays, and Orioles shouldn't be ruled out. The Yankees and Red Sox also can't be crossed off the list but neither market is a strong fit for Hamilton.
- Jake Peavy would appear to be a target for the Red Sox once his $22MM option is declined by the White Sox. The 31-year-old could also end up staying put in Chicago or returning to the NL.
- Former catcher Brad Ausmus, currently serving as a special assistant to the GM in San Diego, said that he would have interest in the Red Sox managerial vacancy. As of Friday, however, he has yet to be contacted. Ausmus turned down a chance to be interviewed for the Astros job earlier this fall.
- The Red Sox are pursuing John Farrell, but Ryne Sandberg could be on their list, even though he was just named as the Phillies' third base coach and is likely being groomed for Charlie Manuel's job. Cherington tried to get Sandberg to take Boston's Triple- A job a couple of years ago.
- While some have accused Bobby Valentine of ignoring advanced scouting reporters, Cafardo says that he saw the manager reading them every time he visited his office.
NL East Notes: Marlins, Phillies, Sandberg, Nats
A look at items out of the National League East..
- Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria is getting pressure from his top executives to fire Ozzie Guillen because they believe he has brought an unprofessional culture to the club, two people who have spoken with the front office told Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post.
- The Phillies announced that Ryne Sandberg will join the team’s big league coaching staff as its new third base coach and infield instructor. The Hall of Famer had been managing in the Phillies’ minor league system and is considered by many a likely candidate to replace manager Charlie Manuel eventually.
- Manuel isn’t seeking a contract extension right now, but he stopped short of saying 2013 will be his final season, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports (via Twitter). Manuel’s contract with the Phillies expires after next year.
- Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. “made no promises” to Sandberg, Gelb tweets. The 53-year-old will be permitted to interview for managerial jobs elsewhere if teams express interest.
- Rick Maese of The Washington Post looks at the unique relationship between agent Scott Boras and the Nationals front office. Despite Boras' incredible success as an agent, he said that he has no aspirations of building a team from the other side.
Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.
NL East Links: Guillen, Phillies, Lerner, Mets
As Adam Greenberg enjoys his second career Major League at-bat, here's the latest from the NL East…
- Ozzie Guillen hasn't been told anything about his status with the Marlins' and while he has spoken to owner Jeffrey Loria over the last few days, Guillen's job status hasn't been discussed, writes Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. Spencer speculates that Loria won't make a "formal announcement" if he decides to retain Guillen as manager.
- The Phillies may be more cautious with how they spend this winter, as GM Ruben Amaro hinted to reporters (including MLB.com's Todd Zolecki). "There are some guys who have some track records, but what guarantee do we have that some of the guys that we may sign for a significant amount of money are any better than the players we have in this clubhouse?" Amaro said. The general manager also complimented his scouts and said no changes will be made to the scouting department in the offseason.
- The Nationals' division title is the culmination of owner Ted Lerner's vision, writes Stephen Whyno of the Washington Times.
- Earlier today, ESPN New York's Adam Rubin reported on several of the Mets' offseason plans.
Quick Hits: Oliver, Nationals, Yankees
The Tigers have a magic number of one tonight, which means a win over the Royals or a White Sox loss would be enough to send Detroit to the postseason for the second consecutive year. Here are today's links as we await a full slate of games Monday night…
- Agents Jeff Frye and Mike McCann have joined together, MLBTR has learned. Frye McCann Sports represents MLB players such as Mark Lowe, Darren Oliver, Shawn Kelley, Michael Saunders, Adam Moore and Stephen Pryor. Check out MLBTR’s Agency Database for details on all player representatives, including Frye, the eight-year MLB veteran, and McCann.
- Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post profiles Nationals GM Mike Rizzo, detailing the journey he took from area scout to general manager. Years of scouting enable Rizzo to make determinations about players that inform his moves. “I like to call it knowledge more so than gut,” Rizzo said. I recommend reading the entire piece for an up-close look at the person who leads Washington’s baseball operations department.
- Derek Lowe and Eduardo Nunez helped the Yankees win a crucial game against the Blue Jays yesterday, but it wasn't long ago that Lowe was unemployed and Nunez was a minor leaguer, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes.