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MLBTR Originals

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A look back at the original reporting and analysis found on MLBTR this past week:

West Notes: Mattingly, Angels, Padres

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At one point, the Dodgers might have been two days away from firing manager Don Mattingly, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times writes. That was on June 21, when the Dodgers were 30-42 following their second straight loss to the Padres. Shaikin cites a source saying that if the Dodgers had lost the last two games of that four-game series, they would have dismissed Mattingly. Since then, the Dodgers have got 46-11, and Mattingly appears to be a contender for the NL Manager of the Year award. Here are more notes from out west.

  • For the Angels, one of the few bright sides of an awful season is that they now have the opportunity to see which of their zero-to-three players can help in the near future, MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez writes. Gonzalez notes that, with several big contracts (Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson) consuming much of their payroll, it's particularly important that the Angels get value out of cost-controlled players. The Angels will look to players like Grant Green, Chris Nelson and Cory Rasmus (all of whom were acquired this year) to see if they might be able to contribute.
  • Padres pitcher Andrew Cashner and Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo have become friends since being traded for each other in early 2012, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Rizzo says he's rooting for a win-win deal. "I hope [Cashner] has a great career; I hope I have a great career as well," Rizzo says. "There’s no winning or losing this trade. … I hope we both have Hall of Fame careers and everyone’s a winner.”

Week In Review: 8/18/13 – 8/24/13

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Here's a look back at this week at MLTBR:

AL West Notes: Rangers, Reddick, Kendrys Morales

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On this date 17 years ago, A's outfielder Brian Lesher became the first Belgian to play in a MLB game contributing a RBI single off Andy Pettitte (who went on to win a career-high 21 games and finished second to Toronto's Pat Hentgen in the AL Cy Young voting that year) as Oakland beat the Yankees 6-4. Lesher would go on to play parts of five seasons with the A's, Mariners, and Blue Jays posting a slash line of .224/.275/.380 with nine home runs and 38 RBI's in 288 plate appearances (108 games). To this day, Lesher is the only Belgian ever to appear in a MLB contest. In other news and notes from the AL West: 

  • Rangers Assistant GM Thad Levine told Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette of MLB Network Radio (via Bowden on Twitter), if the club is going to make a trade before August 31st (players acquired after this date are ineligible for the post-season), it will be for a starting pitcher.
  • Levine adds (again from a Bowden tweet) the Rangers have been searching the waiver wire actively, but most of the quality players are being claimed before them.
  • A's outfielder Josh Reddick left today's game against the Orioles with discomfort in his right wrist and he thinks it's 50-50 as to whether he lands on the disabled list, reports the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser. John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group tweets Daric Barton was pulled from Triple-A Sacramento's game after one at-bat and may join the A's to replace Reddick. Slusser isn't surprised Barton would get the call over outfielders Michael Taylor and Michael Choice because Barton was slated to join the team when rosters expand September 1st and he plays first base very well allowing Brandon Moss to move to the outfield (all Twitter links). The A's 40-man roster currently sits at 39, so Barton could be added without a corresponding move.  
  • A reunion between Kendrys Morales and the Angels would not be shocking, if the pending free agent doesn't re-sign with the Mariners, tweets the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo. The Mariners acquired Morales, hitting .283/.339/.450 with 17 home runs in 522 plate appearances this year, from the Angels last December for left-hander Jason Vargas. 
  • Earlier today, Angels manager Mike Scioscia denied reports he has philosophical differences with GM Jerry Dipoto.

AL East Notes: Orioles, Rays, Soriano, Red Sox

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Here's a look at the AL East as the Rays and Red Sox jostle for control of the division..

  • Orioles Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette told reporters, including CSNBaltimore's Rich Dubroff, "We’ve pursued some hitters, but we haven’t been able to find the right fit." Duquette added he's looking at options to improve the bullpen, but those may come from Triple-A.
  • The Rays were able to acquire outfielder David DeJesus and his approximately $2.4MM salary committment because they are "under budget," a Major League source told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (Twitter link).
  • Rays executive VP Andrew Friedman made moves this summer with depth in mind, writes Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune.  “We talked about it in July, our biggest focus was on augmenting our depth,” Friedman said before Friday’s win. “Essentially right now we have a 37-game season and we’re doing everything we can to put together the most talented team we can going down the stretch. The fact that we play 37 games in 38 days also factored in, something where us having as much depth as we could was important. In our minds this is arguably the deepest roster we’ve had.”  The Rays added reliever Jesse Crain in late July, signed designated hitter Delmon Young to a minor league deal on Thursday, and traded for outfielder David DeJesus on Friday. 
  • The Yankees' acquisition of Alfonso Soriano represents the sixth time in 19 years the club landed an established slugger during the season who had at least the following season left on his contract.  Joel Sherman of the New York Post runs down the previous five occurences and ranks them by success.  He concludes that those acquisitions - Ruben Sierra, Cecil Fielder, David Justice, Raul Mondesi, and Bobby Abreu - helped the Yanks in the season they were acquired but most of them were problematic beyond that.
  • A year after shocking the baseball world, Red Sox GM Ben Cherington has no regrets about his megatrade with L.A., writes Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.

Edward Creech contributed to this post.

Angels Likely To Replace Jerry Dipoto Or Mike Scioscia

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SUNDAY, 11:25am: Scioscia told reporters that there isn't a rift between him and Dipoto, according to the Associated Press.  "There's no philosophical differences," Scioscia said. "Jerry and I are certainly, as far as our baseball philopsophies, in line."

Scioscia went on to say that the only decision he's publicly had a problem with was the firing of hitting coach Mickey Hatcher last year.  Beyond that, Scioscia said the only other differences he's had with Dipoto have to do with disagreements in player evaluations, a normal occurence between a manager and GM.

FRIDAY, 5:18pm: The Angels are likely to replace either GM Jerry Dipoto or manager Mike Scioscia before the 2014 season, FOX Sports' Jon Morosi reports (in a series of tweets). Morosi explains that there are "philosophical differences" between DiPoto and Scioscia that make continuing on with both of them "not tenable."

Relations between Dipoto and Scioscia have been strained since, at least, early in the 2012 season, as Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times noted in May of that year. The two disagreed over the firing of hitting coach Mickey Hatcher, and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wrote in late 2012 that Scioscia also disliked assistant GM Scott Servais, and was "resistant" to using Dipoto's staff's statistical data.

Scioscia is signed to a ten-year contract that continues through 2018, with salaries of $6MM annually from 2016 through 2018. So if the Angels were to fire Scioscia, they would have to eat the remainder of that contract. Dipoto, meanwhile, is only signed through 2014. Scioscia's contract is mostly a sunk cost, of course, and hiring a new manager wouldn't require the Angels to pay nearly as much. There's also the possibility that Scioscia could end up with another team, thus limiting the Angels' obligation somewhat. Still, as Morosi notes, Scioscia's contract could be a factor.

Another factor potentially in Scioscia's favor is that he is not directly responsible for many of the Angels' most troublesome decisions in the past two years, including the big-ticket signings of Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton and the trade of Jean Segura and two other players for 13 starts by Zack Greinke. Scioscia also is not responsible for the Angels' farm system, which currently rates as one of the worst in baseball (although Dipoto, who has only been on the job since October 2011, bears limited responsibility for that as well).

MLBTR Regular Features

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If you're a regular MLBTR reader, you'll be familiar with our chats, Week In Review posts and Baseball Blogs Weigh In feature. Here's some more detail on when you'll see our weekly features and exactly what to expect from them:

  • MLBTR Chats - Join Tim Dierkes every Tuesday at 2pm CDT to chat about the latest trades, signings and rumblings around the Major Leagues.
  • Baseball Blogs Weigh In - Every Friday, I feature some of the best writing from baseball blogs around the web. Whether it's opinion, stats or something else entirely, you can connect to the best of the blogosphere once a week on MLBTR. If you want to submit a post of yours, you can reach me at zachbbwi@gmail.com.
  • Week In Review - It's remarkable how much happens in seven days. Every Sunday night, MLBTR summarizes the week's biggest stories in our Week In Review posts.
  • MLBTR Originals - Edward Creech gathers all our original analysis and reporting in one place every Sunday night.

Cafardo On Kuroda, Zduriencik, Choo, Arroyo

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The waiver trade deadline is one week away, meaning that teams have to work fast if they want to make an out-of-house upgrade for their playoff roster.  Will there be a flurry of moves to close out August?  “I doubt it,” one National League General Manager told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. “There’s a lot more blocking going on this year.”  Here's more from today's column..

  • The Yankees increased Hiroki Kuroda’s salary from $10MM in 2011 to $15MM in 2012 and Cafardo wonders aloud if they'll have to tack on another $5MM to keep him in 2014.  One Yankees official said they need to do whatever they can to make that happen, as the right-hander, even at 39, would still be the best starting pitcher on the open market.  Kuroda has pondered retirement but a sizable deal like that could keep him in place.
  • Baseball people would be surprised if the Mariners replace Jack Zduriencik with one year remaining on his contract.  The feeling is the M's have some good young talent on the way and if Zduriencik can retain Kendrys Morales, Raul Ibanez, and Mike Morse, he has a chance to really make some progress.  Zduriencik raised some eyebrows when he held on to that trio this summer, but he believes he can re-sign a couple or all three.
  • It doesn’t appear that the Reds will have the finances to sign Shin-Soo Choo for the long term and the Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Cubs, and Red Sox could all have interest.  Industry sources told Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com last week that the Cubs are expected to make a run at Choo.  The outfielder ranks No. 5 on Tim Dierkes' 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings.
  • Speaking of the Reds, Bronson Arroyo probably won't be back with the club and a National League team like the Cardinals, Mets, or Braves would probably suit him.  Cafardo also notes that Cubs president Theo Epstein has an affinity for Arroyo.
  • Agent Scott Boras would like to see clients Stephen Drew and Jacoby Ellsbury re-sign with the Red Sox long term.  Naturally, he expects a vibrant market for both players.
  • A.J. Burnett could be a candidate to stay in with the Pirates, even though he's hinted about retirement.  If he goes elsewhere, it's hard to see him getting a long-term deal, but the Blue Jays could try to bring him back for the short term.  

AL Notes: Angels, Orioles, Mariners, Yost

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In a long article outlining the Angels' troubles under Arte Moreno, CBS Sports' Scott Miller reports that the Halos owner was the driving force behind the club's ill-fated trade for Vernon Wells before the 2011 season. Moreno threatened to fire former GM Tony Reagins if he failed to complete the deal within 24 hours, Miller says.  Here's more out of the American League..

  • The Orioles continue to scour the waiver wire in hopes of acquiring another bat, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets. The club believes a deal is possible ahead of Aug. 31, but nothing's cooking at the present, Kubatko says.
  • Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik's job seems to be more secure as the club begins a "management shakeup," Yahoo! Sports' Jeff Passan tweets. Special assistant Tony Blengino has been fired, according to Passan.
  • Meanwhile, the club continues to remain silent on Zduriencik's future, FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi says. Neither President Chuck Armstrong or chairman Howard Lincoln have publicly stated that Zduriencik will return next season. 
  • Bill Madden of the New York Daily News runs through lame duck managers around the majors, calling the Yankees' Joe Girardi a manager of the year candidate and urging the Mets to bring back Terry Collins.  However, Ned Yost of the Royals and Eric Wedge of the Mariners are in line to be let go, while the Tigers' Jim Leyland should be on the hot seat, Madden says.
  • Erik Bedard confesses he was surprised after being informed he will shift into a relief role for the Astros, a move manager Bo Porter says will allow the club to get a look at a young pitcher. "They said they looked at my last two years and my innings total was around where I'm at right now, and they said if I keep pitching I'll be about 40 over, and I said, 'Yeah, that's the point,' Bedard is quoted as saying in an article by Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Bedard, who signed a one-year, $1.15MM minor league deal with the Astros in the offseason, cleared waivers earlier ths month and is eligible to be traded.
  • Orioles pitching prospect Kevin Gausman could join the major league club prior to roster expansion in September, and would likely slot into the bullpen, Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com says. Gausman was ranked the No. 26 prospect in baseball after the 2012 season by Baseball America, but posted an unsightly 6.21 ERA in 33 1/3 innings after being called up earlier this season.

NL West Notes: Dodgers, Fife, Federowicz, Kennedy

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Yesterday, Alex Speier of WEEI.com gave us a fascinating look at last August's blockbuster trade between the Red Sox and the Dodgers.  It turns out that one of the biggest deals in recent memory came together rather quickly and Boston could have gone down a number of other paths that would have altered the future of both franchises.  One year later, both teams are pretty happy with the way things turned out.  Here's the latest out of the NL West, including more on the Dodgers..

  • The Dodgers took a significant gamble in the Boston blockbuster and it has paid off, writes Bill Dwyre of the Los Angeles Times.  While GM Ned Colletti & Co. knew that they would have lots of money to work with thanks to the new ownership group, they weren't expecting anything on this scale.  “They were pushing to go,” Colletti said. “I had my staff with me, standing there, right in the back of this booth. They looked at me, kind of stunned, and said, ‘Can we really do this?’”
  • Aside from Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford, a pair of former Red Sox farmhands are also thriving in L.A., notes Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal.  Pitcher Stephen Fife and catcher Tim Federowicz came over to the Dodgers as a part of the three-team 2011 Erik Bedard deal.
  • Flyball pitcher Ian Kennedy is enthusiastic about playing within the confines of Petco Park with the Padres, writes Dennis Lin of U-T San Diego.

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