Heyman On Riggleman, Hardy, Melvin
Much to everyone’s surprise, Nationals manager Jim Riggleman stepped down yesterday. Baseball writers, including MLBTR’s Howard Megdal, have been buzzing about the move since. Jon Heyman of SI.com now weighs in on the decision before providing other notes from around the league…
- Riggleman had considered resigning a few times before actually doing so yesterday, according to Heyman. In the past, agent Burton Rocks advised Riggleman to wait it out, but the skipper’s patience evidently wore thin this week despite his club’s hot streak.
- Nationals GM Mike Rizzo wants a veteran manager, according to Heyman. Rizzo will consider Davey Johnson, the 68-year-old former manager who is currently one of Rizzo’s advisors.
- The Orioles are considering an extension for J.J. Hardy and would like to limit the deal to two or three years. Hardy, 28, is hitting .304/.366/.532 in his contract year.
- Though teams have to conduct thorough searches for every managerial opening, interim boss Bob Melvin will remain Oakland’s permanent manager “barring something unforeseen,” according to Heyman.
When Winning Managers Go, Are They Hired Again?
Washington's 1-0 victory yesterday did more than just accentuate the shock resulting from Jim Riggleman's decision to resign. It meant that the Nationals were making a managerial change despite a winning record, 38-37. Though not a change of their own volition, it still represents a relative rarity in-season.
Riggleman is the 41st manager to be replaced in-season since the start of the 2001 campaign, and of the previous 40, just four had winning records at the time of the change. For fun, we'll include Jimy Williams as well, whose 2004 Astros were 44-44 when Houston replaced him with Phil Garner.
Considering that Riggleman left over the issue of his 2012 option, it is fair to think he wanted to keep on managing. Does leaving with a winning record augur good future employment prospects for Riggleman? Not necessarily.
The two most recent managers to leave while winning were Mike Hargrove, who resigned as Seattle manager with his 2007 Mariners at 45-33, and Ned Yost, fired with his 2008 Brewers at 83-67. Hargrove's not an ideal comparison, since he decided he didn't want to manage anymore. But Yost landed on his feet, taking over as manager of the Kansas City Royals in May 2010. And unlike Yost, who got his walking papers after getting swept in a four-game set, Riggleman certainly had his team playing well.
The other three managers to lose managerial positions with a .500 record or better are Larry Bowa, Jimy Williams and Jimy Williams. Let's start with the latter two, since it's the same guy. Williams actually knows what it is like to lose a managerial job in-season three times. The first came in 1989 with the Blue Jays, when his team's record then was just 12-24. But in 2001, with his Boston Red Sox at 65-53, Williams got the ax. It certainly didn't help Boston any; the Red Sox stumbled to a 17-26 finish.
Williams then landed a job managing Houston in 2002, leading the Astros to a pair of second-place finishes. But in 2004, with Houstonn at 44-44, Williams got fired again. This time, Houston flourished, making the playoffs under Garner. But this was the last managerial go-around for Williams. He served as Charlie Manuel's bench coach from 2006-2008 in Philadelphia, resigning after the Phillies won the World Series. The multiple stops make Williams a pretty decent comparison for Riggleman.
As for Larry Bowa, he was technically an in-season firing, but at 85-75, his season was essentially over. Bowa's Phillies won at least 80 games in each of the four seasons he was in charge, well over a decade after his failed tenure running the Padres. Bowa never managed again, topping out as a third base coach for Joe Torre with the Dodgers.
What could make for an interesting test regarding Riggleman is how his now-former team fares without him. Charlie Manuel, Bowa's successor, led the Phillies to a ton of postseason success, which reflects poorly on Bowa, player personnel differences aside. In the case of Williams, when his successor in Boston, Joe Kerrigan, faltered, Williams got another managing job. When his successor in Houston, Garner, led the Astros to the playoffs, he didn't.
In other words, it would probably be best for Jim Riggleman to see Washington fade, Marlins-in-June-style, over the remainder of the season. But given the acrimony surrounding his departure, I have a feeling Riggleman wasn't going to root for the Nats anyway.
Quick Hits: Nationals, Padres, Drew, Quade
Some notes from around the majors….
- ESPN's Buster Olney is "85-95%" confident that Davey Johnson will be the next Nationals manager. Johnson is currently an advisor with the Nats and hasn't managed since 2000. SI.com's Jon Heyman says Johnson is "in the mix" and might take the job if offered but "he loves [Jim] Riggleman and is sensitive to [the] situation" concerning Riggleman's abrupt departure. (All Twitter links)
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports also chimes in on the Nationals' managerial situation, noting that while Riggleman was wrong to leave the team, it was also unfair of Nationals management to leave Riggleman as a lame duck without a guaranteed 2012 contract. Rosenthal also reports that GM Mike Rizzo rarely communicated with Riggleman and has a similar lack of regular contact with his scouting department.
- “Given the division, if we were to get real hot over the next two weeks, a final decision might be delayed a week or two,” a Padres executive tells Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune about when the Friars will start looking to trade players. “But the day is coming.” Center figures Heath Bell, Ryan Ludwick and Chad Qualls are all sure bets to be dealt. Jason Bartlett and Orlando Hudson may stay put, however, since San Diego has no Major League-ready middle infield replacements in the farm system. Such a young player could possibly come back in any deal for one of those two veterans, but if you're a team with a good young middle infielder, you'd probably want to keep that player rather than move him for a Hudson or a Bartlett.
- Jed Hoyer says "nothing is imminent" and "the only thing that’s true [about various Padres rumors] is that people call us," reports Marty Caswell of XX1090 Radio in San Diego. (Twitter link)
- With David Wright cleared to resume baseball activities, ESPN New York's Rob Parker hopes the Mets won't abandon a much-needed rebuilding plan in pursuit of a longshot chance at the postseason.
- ESPN Boston's Jeremy Lundblad looks at J.D. Drew's struggles this season. With Drew and Mike Cameron providing a negative WAR, Lundblad argues the Red Sox will need to look for right field help, whether it's via trade or an internal option like Josh Reddick or Ryan Kalish.
- The Cubs will have to go on a tear in the second half of the season in order to save Mike Quade's job, writes Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. Even this might not be enough, since if GM Jim Hendry goes, so will Quade.
- In an appearance on Jim Rome's radio show on Wednesday (via Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post), Todd Helton said he thinks the Rockies need another quality starter to be World Series contenders. Colorado GM Dan O'Dowd recently stated his team might be in the market for pitching.
Nationals Name John McLaren As Interim Manager
The Nationals have named bench coach John McLaren as their interim manager, reports Ben Goessling of MASNsports.com (via Twitter). McLaren is just a temporary hire, however, as CSNWashington's Mark Zuckerman reports the Nats are still looking for an interim manager to run the club for the remainder of the season as Washington tries to adjust after Jim Riggleman's sudden resignation.
McLaren holds a 68-88 record as a Major League manager, running the Mariners from July 2007 to June 2008 in the wake of another abrupt managerial resignation (Mike Hargrove). Ironically, McLaren's replacement in Seattle was none other than Riggleman, who was then serving as McLaren's bench coach.
Washington is expected to have a new manager in place by as soon as Monday, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Third-base coach Bo Porter and Triple-A manager Randy Knorr are candidates and Ladson points out that Bobby Valentine was a finalist for the Nationals' job before the 2010 season. McLaren, as Zuckerman noted, isn't being considered as a manager beyond this weekend's series with the White Sox.
Reaction To Jim Riggleman’s Resignation
Just minutes after Laynce Nix's walkoff sacrifice fly gave the Nationals a 1-0 win over the Mariners this afternoon, Jim Riggleman announced he was stepping down as Washington's manager. Some of the early reaction and analysis of this sudden news…
- According to a statement released by Nats GM Mike Rizzo, he "talked to Jim before the season and have emphasized since that no decision would be made on his extension until after the end of the season. I am surprised and disappointed, personally, and am even more disappointed for our players and fans. I was always taught that one of the cardinal rules of baseball was that no individual can put his interests before those of the team."
- Rizzo also said that Riggleman wanted his 2012 option picked up by the end of Washington's game this afternoon or else he'd resign, and Rizzo "was not willing to make judgments of that magnitude in the course of a nine inning game." Riggleman tells MASNsports' Ben Goessling (Twitter link) that he didn't issue an ultimatum but “I wanted a conversation about it. I didn’t say, 'Pick up my option or else.' I said I think it’s worthy of a conversation."
- Goessling also has reaction from Ryan Zimmerman, Jayson Werth and other Nats players about the surprising news.
- SI's Jon Heyman (Twitter link) thinks the blame lies with the Nationals since it "makes no sense" that the club wouldn't at least pick up Riggleman's 2012 option to keep their manager from being perceived as a lame duck.
- Riggleman's split with the Nats confirms the belief that he was a "place-holder" manager for the team, says CBSSports.com's Scott Miller. "The thinking always was that Riggleman would only bring the Nationals to a certain point, and that when they were ready to win, someone else would be handed the keys to the car," Miller writes.
- Though obviously issues between he and the team had been lingering for a while, Riggleman's stance was seen as overly-aggressive by some pundits. Newsday's Ken Davidoff (via Twitter) thinks even if Riggleman felt he wouldn't be back in Washington in 2012, he could've at least finished the season to better market himself for another team. "I think he overplayed his hand here," Davidoff tweeted. "Keep winning & the option would've taken care of itself."
- A non-Nationals team official tells ESPN's Buster Olney (Twitter link) that he "wouldn't hire [Riggleman] for Double-A or Triple-A job. You can't walk away… when you're under contract."
- Yahoo's Jeff Passan's tweeted response was more blunt: "I hope Jim Riggleman has a good 401(k), because no way he's ever managing another Major League team after this napalming."
- Writing for ESPN.com, Jim Bowden lists several names the Nationals could consider as their new manager, including in-house candidates John McLaren, Bob Boone and Bo Porter. Randy Knorr, manager at Triple-A Syracuse, is a potential "long term solution," though Knorr hadn't been contacted about the job as of this evening, reports The Washington Post's Adam Kilgore (Twitter link).
- Davey Johnson is a senior advisor for the Nationals but Heyman (via Twitter) doesn't know if the former World Series-winning manager would take the job even if asked.
Jim Riggleman Resigns
In a surprising move, Nationals manager Jim Riggleman has resigned, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson (Twitter link). Riggleman stepped down after his club beat the Mariners this afternoon and improved to 38-37 thanks to an impressive stretch over the course of which they've won 11 of 12 games.
The manager, who was in the final year of his contract, told GM Mike Rizzo that he would resign if his contract situation wasn't resolved, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (Twitter link). Riggleman's agent, Burton Rocks, told Jon Heyman of SI.com that "they should have picked up the option" and that "it wore on Jim." Riggleman will manage again, according to his agent (Twitter link).
Rizzo had discussed picking up Riggleman's 2012 option, but felt the time wasn't right, according to Ben Goessling of MASNsports.com (Twitter links). The GM called Riggleman's decision "very disappointing to the players, fanbase, city and [himself]."
It's the second time this week that an NL East manager has resigned; Edwin Rodriguez of the Marlins stepped down over the weekend.
NL East Notes: Harper, Zimmerman, Reyes, Phillies
The Nationals announced that Bryce Harper, last year's first overall pick, and right-hander Brad Peacock will represent Washington at the All-Star Futures Game (Twitter link). Here are some more notes from the NL East…
- Ryan Zimmerman tells Tim Kurkjian of ESPN The Magazine that he still hopes to play his entire career for the Nationals. "I think it would be really cool to play 15 or 20 years in the same place and say that I was there when things were not so great," Zimmerman said. As Kurkjian shows, the Nationals have turned into a respectable team after struggling for years.
- Mets shortstop Jose Reyes told Aaron Taube of MLB.com that he isn't concerned about the fact that the Yankees aren't expecting to acquire him. "I don't worry about that. I play for the New York Mets," Reyes said.
- Phillies manager Charlie Manuel would like to see his team add a right-handed hitter with some pop, according to David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News. Manuel’s wish may come true, as the Phillies are looking for just that and have checked in on the likes of Ryan Ludwick, Josh Willingham and Michael Cuddyer.
NL East Notes: Reyes, Werth, McKeon
The Phillies and Braves began the day ranked first and second in MLB in run prevention. The Phillies (240 runs allowed as of this morning) have Cliff Lee on the hill tonight and the Braves (252 runs allowed) surrendered just a single run against the Blue Jays this afternoon. Here's the latest on the other NL East clubs:
- As Joel Sherman of the New York Post explains, Mets GM Sandy Alderson has clearly become more enamored with Jose Reyes as the season has gone on and the shortstop has showed off his defense and athleticism.
- Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that agent Scott Boras did not solicit him before Werth left the Beverly Hills Sports Council for Boras late last season. "In no way was I being harassed or bothered or anything other than what I wanted," Werth said, in response to Jayson Stark’s recent ESPN article.
- Click here to see how Werth is faring relative to other new members of baseball's $100MM club and click here to check out our Agency Database.
- Managers around the league, including Terry Francona of the Red Sox and Mike Scioscia of the Angels, tell Joe Frisaro of MLB.com that they're impressed with Marlins skipper Jack McKeon, who is managing at the age of 80.
Checking In On The Newest $100MM Players
Every year a few select players join baseball’s exclusive $100MM club with free agent deals and mega-extensions. Last offseason was no different – we saw six players sign nine figure deals. The contracts were all for five years or more, so it’s far too early to call them successes or failures. But as the season approaches its halfway point, let’s check in on baseball’s newest $100MM players:
- Troy Tulowitzki, ten-year, $157.75MM extension – Tulo has slowed down after a scorching start, but he's still having an excellent season. His .274/.339/.491 line and 13 homers look especially good when you consider that he's a good defensive shortstop.
- Adrian Gonzalez, seven-year, $154MM extension – Red Sox fans dreamed of a season like this when Theo Epstein acquired Gonzalez from the Padres in December. The first baseman is a leading MVP candidate with a .350/.403/.603 line and 15 home runs.
- Carl Crawford, seven-year, $142MM contract – Crawford was heating up before he hit the disabled list, but his numbers are poor overall. He has a .243/.275/.384 batting line, just 8 stolen bases and his lowest walk rate (3.2%) since 2002, his rookie season.
- Jayson Werth, seven-year, $126MM contract – Werth is hitting just .233/.334/.409, though he has 10 home runs. Nationals fans may be consoled by the fact that Werth erupted in the second half last year and has traditionally produced better after the All-Star break.
- Cliff Lee, five-year, $120MM contract – The prize of the offseason free agent market, Lee has a 3.12 ERA with 9.6 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 104 innings. The lefty is in the midst of another fantastic season and this time he doesn't have to worry about being traded.
- Ryan Braun, five-year, $105MM extension – Braun is having a monster year. He has a .310/.397/.555 line with 15 homers and a career-best 12.1% walk rate for the first-place Brewers.
It's fair to expect Werth and Crawford to turn their seasons around and produce as they did before signing nine figure free agent contracts. The other four additions to the $100MM club are justifying the deals, at least to the extent that it's possible in less than three months.
Stark On B.J. Upton, Boras, Dodgers
The latest from ESPN's Jayson Stark…
- The Rays are not likely to trade B.J. Upton this summer, though the Nationals have been monitoring the center fielder just in case. Though the Rays feel they have a long-term need for catching, they're not enticed by the Nats' dangling of Jesus Flores and Ivan Rodriguez.
- Scott Boras is the biggest culprit in trying to steal clients, says one agent. However, the practice is legal if Boras reports all contact made with others' clients to the Players Association. Last year Boras' free agent group looked weak before he snagged Jayson Werth and Rafael Soriano a few months before the offseason began. This time, Boras won't be swiping Jose Reyes from Peter Greenberg, but he does have Prince Fielder, Carlos Beltran, Ryan Madson, and anyone else he manages to bring aboard.
- Realignment is unlikely to happen for 2012, since the schedule needs to be finalized by September. Stark also explains that realignment may depend on the decision to expand the postseason.
- The Dodgers are telling teams they're weeks away from deciding whether to be deadline sellers. If they do sell, it won't be because of money issues. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports agrees, saying MLB-appointed monitor Tom Schieffer would intercede if the team tries to make a move that's not in its best long-term interests.