MLBTR has been keeping track of all the rumors and candidates tied to the Diamondbacks’ GM search, and it appears as if Dave Stewart is now “the favorite” to be the team’s next general manager, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets. Stewart will formally interview for the job this week. Here’s some more news from around baseball…
- Aaron Hill tells FOX Sports’ Jack Magruder that he wants to remain with the Diamondbacks next season. Hill has lost September playing time to some of the D’Backs’ young infielders and was shopped before the July trade deadline. It’s no surprise that Arizona might be looking to the future given that Hill has struggled this season, he’ll be 33 next Opening Day and the second baseman is still owed $24MM through the 2016 season.
- While the Braves are still on the fringes of the NL wild card race, it looks like this could be a lost season for Atlanta. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman looks at how the team was hurt by some front office and player (namely, Tim Hudson) losses and Bowman wonders if the Braves could shake up the coaching staff or even consider replacing GM Frank Wren.
- The Rangers have used 27 different position players this season, and MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan looks at how each of them could fit into the 2015 team as Texas looks to rebound from this injury-riddled campaign. Sullivan’s comments include his opinion that the Rangers will pick up Alex Rios’ contract option for 2015 and that the catching situation “may be the most intriguing decision” of the offseason as the team will have to decide if Robinson Chirinos will be the regular catcher.
Hill and Goldy are best friends. You might as well keep him around to keep Goldy happy. Even if he is a $12 million dollar backup. Man what a terrible contract.
So I guess Stewart is interested? I remember reading he was deciding if he’d be interested in the job. Reminds me of the Ents in LOTR.
Keep Wren, dump some of the coaching staff, trade Gattis for a good starter. Figure out your outfield situation, as well as 3rd base.
It’s hard to watch them play..if you want to call it that.
Nah, get rid of Wren too. It’s a poorly ran franchise from top to bottom right now.
Poorly run??? The player development is still one of the tops in the game. The scouting has taken a hit with some departures, but that’s to be expected, especially when we don’t have as many top picks as most teams, as we finish the year in a respectable, but not contending, position in the standings. Now, if you’re speaking about the on-the-field team, sure, the team has no discipline, fervor, fight, and many of the skills (Bonifacio/Upton’s speed) is never put to use. Fredi has got to go. I’d say the only one you need to keep around is Roger McDowell and Eddie Perez, everyone else let go. Even Pendleton. Wren is not the problem. Sure, his not signing Hudson backfired, but who could have anticipated TJ surgeries from 2 in the rotation and a key part of the bullpen (Venters)? He handled it admirably by signing Santana/Harang, that have really made an impact while Minor has struggled much of the year. The only consistency has been from Teheran/Wood. They are unwatchable right now and it’d be more interesting for an ATL sports fan to watch a Hawks press conference then tune in to see the Braves in another 6-hit shutout. Never seen such predictability from a team.
I’m not sure what your point is. You started off by seemingly vehemently disagreeing with me, then stated a bunch of stuff supporting my point. Perez and McDowell are bright spots, but with Fredi’s head scratching managing style and all of the boneheaded stuff Wren has done over the years, I’d say good riddance if both of them got the hook.
Wren has made his share of mistakes, sure. But what GM hasn’t? Point is, Wren has done more good than harm. Yes, he’s on the hook for some big salaries, but he’s also been able to lessen the impact by retaining home-grown players and turning reclamation projects into impact players (Harang, Gattis, Ben Sheets, O’Flaherty, etc.). His ability to lessen the impact of would-be problems that affected the culture (i.e. Yunel Escobar) demonstrated the importance he places on team culture and professional maturity. More times than not he wins whatever trade he’s involved in, which means he knows his players better than you. All of this is essential in being able to run a winning franchise in a mid-market.
Sheets pitched 9 games of good baseball for us…I would hardly consider O’Flaherty a “reclamation project” unless you count a train wreck of a 6 inning sample size the year before the Braves got him… And what culture is that that they got rid of Yunel for disturbing…Losing?
Tim Kirkijan keeps saying Fredi Gonzalez’s job is safe for 1 more year, but I don’t see how after this second half implosion. This team has quit on the season and they have been beyond painful to watch even for the most diehard fan since mid August. Roger McDowell is the only one on the coaching staff whose job should be safe this offseason. I think at worst, Fredi, Greg Walker, and Scott Fletcher all lose their jobs.
Not making multiple changes to the coaching staff will only further the belief in the Braves fan base that this franchise only wants to be a profitable business and cares very little about winning. The Braves are starting to exhibit traits we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from the Hawks for years: ownership only cares about how they can pad their own pockets, are very reluctant to open their wallet, and big name free agents don’t want anything to do with them.