Kevin Towers considered another front office job with the Diamondbacks after being fired as the team’s general manager, but Towers told AZCentral.com’s Zach Buchanan that he chose to leave rather than possibly make things awkward for new GM Dave Stewart and his staff. “It didn’t feel right, and I didn’t want to be that elephant in the room when they’re making roster decisions or maybe letting people go,” Towers said. “‘I know K.T. likes him…’ I didn’t want them to have to worry about that.” Towers said he’s spoken to a few teams and thinks he’ll be in a new job before the year is out, also hinting he likely wouldn’t return to one of his other ex-clubs (the Padres, Yankees and Pirates).
As we enjoy two LCS games today, here’s some news from around baseball…
- With offense dropping around the game and a number of top-tier pitchers available in trades or free agency this offseason and next, this year’s free agent aces may find their markets slightly diminished, ESPN’s Buster Olney writes (ESPN Insider subscription required).
- Also from Olney’s piece, he reports that rival officials feel Nationals right-hander Jordan Zimmermann will test the free agent market when he is eligible after the 2015 season. Zimmermann’s long-term status in Washington will be one of the biggest questions facing the Nats this winter.
- Alex Rodriguez “is the most expensive mystery in baseball history,” Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. The Yankees currently have no idea if A-Rod will be able to handle third base on a regular basis, provide first base depth, hit well enough to earn DH at-bats or be healthy enough to play whatsoever. This makes the team’s winter planning rather difficult, as just releasing Rodriguez would mean the Yankees have no way of recovering any of the $61MM remaining on his contract via insurance payments.
- First baseman Dan Johnson is looking to add to his skillset by learning the knuckleball, Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith writes. “Why not have something else in the bag? Give yourself every chance,” Johnson said. “I’m not 24 anymore. I want to help out as much as possible and still be relevant in this game.” Johnson, best known for his dramatic Game 162 homer for the Rays in 2011, recently elected to become a free agent after the Blue Jays outrighted him off their 40-man roster.
- MLB.com’s Corey Brock profiles Dan Kantrovitz, a St. Louis native who rose from a teenage internship (mostly handling Mark McGwire’s fan mail) with the Cardinals to becoming the club’s scouting director.
- The Astros are next up for Fangraphs’ Kiley McDaniel in his rankings of each team’s top prospects and their overall farm system depth.
Is the Dan Johnson story link working?
Nope, seems to be linking back to another mlbtr page.
As a Red Sox fan the thought of Jordan Zimmermann in a trade scenario sounds better than Hamels or Cuetto; provided he would sign an extension.
I agree with you, if the Red Sox could get Zimmermann to sign an extension after a trade, he is the best pitcher available. However, he probably would have an extremely high asking price after his no-hitter and great postseason performance (thinking the Nats would ask for Bogaerts and Henry Owens at a minimum).
I’d imagine it would take Betts/Bogaerts and owens with another guy like workman, Rubby, or Raunado added in.
That sounds like what the Nats might hope for, but sounds expensive for one year of Zimmermann.
Yeah right, put the triple A arm in the Pen, put Owens in the rotation put Betts at second and trade Desmond for more pieces and roll with Bogaerts at third. All that for one year of Zimmermann. Not to mention their ability to extend guys of their own like Fister, Rendon, Strasburg and Harper.
Well that’s a non starter, especially if it’s only Zimmermann coming back. As vocal as I have been about keeping Betts I can see how that’s who they would want back so they could fill the hole at second. Betts and one of the triple A arms would be fair when you look at what Betts is at this point. A semi established leadoff hitter with three years on the cheap and six years of team control. Remember the Sox have to sign Zimmermann after the trade.
If Zimmerman costs Betts + Owens then he isn’t a better return then Hamels.
Hamels has 4 years left at 22.5 million a year. He will be 31-34 for those 4 years. He has 8 straight season with a WAR between 3.5 and 4.6. He has a career FIP under 3.5 and is an innings eater. Go with the cost certainty and more proven ace if you are giving up two top 25 prospects in baseball IMO.
I don’t care if the Yankees would lose $61M, I have friend who are Yankee fans and don’t care if they lose $61M, we all know they could afford it and release A-Rod. Many people I know think they should cut him just for PR and the fact that this cheater should never play in the MLB again. Please cut him Brian Cashman and give his money to some other free agent who would give you the same low level production as this guy.
They can’t give his money to another free agent. He is already a sunk cost. At this point there is no reason to not to see what he has left.
This isn’t the NFL, A-Rod is guaranteed that money. The Yankees are looking at this from a business perspective, if he plays and gets injured the Yankees might be able to recap some of the money from insurance depending on his injury. If they just release him, they lose all $61 mil.
This isn’t the NFL or NBA where you can just release or amnesty a player and not worry about paying or the salary counting on the payroll. All the contracts are guaranteed, so Arod might as well stick with the Yankees and hope he could add some value instead of paying for him to produce somewhere else.
Yes A-Rod has been a PR disaster but there a lot of “cheaters” in MLB. Nelson Cruz & Melky Cabrera are also “cheaters” but they will make a lot of money as free agents this winter. In the case of Cruz, he led the AL in HRs and will get MVP votes.
A-Rod has served his punishment. His legacy is forever tarnished. He should play in 2015.
How is Arod “the most expensive mystery in baseball history,” when tomas has never played in the majors and is 23 years old who might get 100 mil
Also what about Josh Hamilton and Price Fielder?
Hamilton:2015: $35 million, 2016: $32 million, 2017: $32 million
Fielder:2015: $24 million, 2016: $24 million, 2017: $24 million, 2018: $24 million, 2019: $24 million, 2020: $24 million,
Next year Fielder will play first and ocassionally DH. Hamilton will mostly play in left but will occasionally sub in center or DH. As for Tomas, he may be an unknown quantity but whatever team gets him knows he’ll be starting in the outfield, whichever position he’s best suited for which I forget.
Saying ARod is the most expensive mystery is slightly poetic license but it’s also true. There are several players out there with contracts that their team would rather not have, but at least their team knows where to play them. But Arod isn’t hasn’t been healthy enough to play third full time for a while, he’s never played first, and after a year off may not be good enough to full time DH. Thus, he’s an expensive mystery.
Idk, I can’t say he is the most expensive mystery when he only has a couple years left on his contract. I think Arod’s contract gets all the attention because, he is Arod lol but also he is at the end of it and people are now noticing how terrible these 10 years contracts are. Many superstars now are only in the first or second year of them:
Pujols already on the decline:2015: $24 million, 2016: $25 million, 2017: $26 million, 2018: $27 million, 2019: $28 million, 2020: $29 million, 2021: $30 million.
Fielder already on the decline and serious neck surgery:2015: $24 million, 2016: $24 million, 2017: $24 million, 2018: $24 million, 2019: $24 million, 2020: $24 million,
Cabrera signed for 10 years and $292 million (more then Arod), How long is Cabrera going to be an elite player?
Votto 2015: $14 million, 2016: $20 million, 2017: $22 million, 2018: $25 million, 2019: $25 million, 2020: $25 million, 2021: $25 million, 2022: $25 million, 2023: $25 million. Votto can’t play DH, so how is he going to look in the 2023 season?
Because Tomas is another Cuban player who is completely unproved. A-Rod is old, lacks a position anymore, may not be able to hit, hasn’t played in over a year.. Oh and he still have a gigantic contract. Whatever Tomas gets, is based on his potential, and he has at least some projectability.
You just said he’s completely unproved, and many prospects who play against tougher competition then Tomas are not getting 100 mil and have “potential”.
Teams have the option of not paying him that much. There is nothing forcing them to. The Yankees are forced to pay the remainder of A-Rod’s contract, regardless of how useless he is.
I would like to see the Brewers go after Zimmerman. He still lives in WI in the offseason, and they will have Gallardo, Lohse, and Aramis Ramirez money coming off the books