In today’s column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe looked at some potential options Red Sox president Dave Dombrowski can explore to help bolster the team’s bullpen.  Among the many names listed is Craig Kimbrel, who might not be made available.  San Diego didn’t deal Kimbrel at this year’s deadline, but the Padres likely want to reload with major league players, so Cafardo wonders aloud if the closer could be moved if it helps them  at third base, in the outfield, or the rotation. Here’s more from today’s column..
- Will the Reds deal Aroldis Chapman this winter?  If they do, it would require a blockbuster package, as Reds exec Kevin Towers tells Cafardo.  Last month, Cafardo heard that the Reds were asking for an “incredibly unrealistic” return when the D’Backs and other clubs came calling for the closer at the deadline.
- If the Tigers dismiss manager Brad Ausmus, he might not be unemployed for long. Â Cafardo hears whispers in the industry that he would be a strong candidate to replace Padres’ interim skipper Pat Murphy to take the position. Â Ausmus was a special assistant in San Diego before taking the Tigers job, so there’s certainly a familiarity there.
- Speaking of Detroit, Dombrowski has a history with Ausmus, so Cafardo throws out the Red Sox possibility.  A report surfaced last week that the Tigers were planning on firing Ausmus, but GM Al Avila quickly issued a statement declaring that no decision would be made until the season was through.  Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports suspects that Ausmus will be dismissed.
- Former Cubs manager Rick Renteria has had some “indirect feelers” from teams concerning managerial jobs, Cafardo writes. Renteria, of course, was displaced in Chicago last October when the club hired Joe Maddon.  Renteria is well-regarded around the game and the Cubs were effusive with praise for him when they let officially let him go on Halloween of last year.  The Tigers, Marlins, and Padres could all be possibilities for him, Cafardo writes.
- Towers tells Cafardo that he has only heard about possible interest in him “through back channels” and has no idea if he’ll have a GM job next year. “I’m 53 and would love to get back in, but if it doesn’t happen I’m perfectly happy here with Walt [Jocketty]. It’s been fun going through our organization and evaluating our young talent.” Cafardo speculates that Towers, an Oregon native, could be a candidate with the Mariners.
Red Sox don’t need to trade for Kimbrel. There are plenty of solid relief options on the free agent market that would shore up the pen. They would only cost money (likely less than Kimbrel is making) and not prospects. They need two or three very good pitchers. One excellent pitcher doesn’t fix the problem.
Darren O’Day is the answer to every problem
People are definitely going to be surprised at the contract O’Day gets this offseason.
I like Darren O’Day. He would be a start.
Papelbon is the best solution. He could be had for salary relief and a lottery pick prospect.
Right, sorry, dodged that contract/personality once, not willing to take it back.
But there’s only one Craig Kimbrel!
You just gotta hate seeing a rebuilding team getting the phrase “unrealistic package” used toward their trade wants. Such an incredibly dumb move. Its one season of a 1-inning guy – yes he’s the best – but that shouldn’t bring back more than one top 50 prospect and one or two other low level high upside guys.
We heard that about the Phillies while trying to trade Hamels for over a year. In the end, they got a great package.
They didn’t get the package they wanted and Hamels and Chapman are two completely different situations.
They spent a year trying to get guys like seeger or betts. That did not work out.
At this point I think the White Sox should also look at Renteria as an upgrade to Ventura. I would say the Coaching possibilities for the Sox are (in order): Gardenhire, (Dave) Martinez (Bench coach to Maddon), and Renteria.
Baseball has managers.
They are still referred to as coaches. What a nitpick useless comment.
I do not understand the logic of another team immediately hiring Ausmus. How could San Diego or Boston or any other team justify it?
Can you name one thing that Ausmus has done to earn another chance immediately? How does he stand out in an particular way?
He was supposed to be a “players coach”, but the clubhouse appears to be a mess. He was supposed to be a young, sabermetric, ivy league genius, but he played it by the book almost 100% of the time.
He needs to be a bench coach or Minor league manager first.
“Dombrowski’s successes and failures in this area in Detroit were certainly well documented. Todd Jones, Jose Valverde, and Joe Nathan didn’t work out. Joaquin Benoit wasn’t bad.” Not sure where Cafardo got this from.
Jones is the leader in career saves for the Tigers and had many positive moments.
Valverde had a PERFECT season (ZERO blown saves). A very hard thing to do.
Benoit gave up the Big Papi Homerun in the ALCS, so he “wasn’t bad” from a RED SOX perspective.
Cafardo, myopic view as usual.
All you’re demonstrating is that, what, three seasons in Dombrowski’s 14 in Detroit had an effective closer? But don’t take my ‘myopic’ viewpoint, let the numbers demonstrate how BAD Dombrowski is at building a bullpen…
In Detroit, his bullpens were literally the worst (30/30) in the league over 14 years:
fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=rel&…
With the Marlins (93-01), his bullpen ranked 27th out of 30:
fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=rel&…
With the Expos (88-91), his bullpen ranked 23rd out of 26th:
fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=rel&…
Boston is going to quickly learn that Dombrowski neither values or knows how to assemble an effective group of relievers, because, specifically, bullpen assembly deviates from the path of exactly why Dombrowski is good in other areas. More clearly, you can’t BUY a bullpen, they must be developed from within, which are all part of his biggest weakness. This is not a myth.
I am not arguing that DD knows bullpens. He doesn’t.
My main point?
1. Cafardo picked 2 negative examples, who happened to be the two BEST Detroit Closers over the last 15 years.
2. He also picked 1 positive example. The guy who was responsible for the worst Tigers moment in the last 50+ years (when factoring in the importance of the game)… a moment that was certainly very positive for his beloved Red Sox.
The list of other horrible pickups is very long. But that would require going beyond the names that East Coast writers have memorized.
As for your “must be developed within” argument…
Koji was the reason the Red Sox won the 2013 World Series. He was Boston’s FOURTH CHOICE at closer. It was pure luck, nothing more. Tigers had no luck. Red Sox had all of the luck in 2013. Period.
I thought that was Jose Veras that gave up the grand slam to Big Papi.
Anyways, bullpen might not be Dombrowski’s strong suit, but I am certain he can build a good one with the finances and farm system the Red Sox have.
Also, a better rotation will help the bullpen stay fresh and not overused.
There was not a lack of finances in Detroit, which only a couple years ago had the best rotation in the AL. DD’s bullpen still cost them. It just didn’t get the opportunity to pitch as many innings as this year. Still, that’s my only complaint on his time in Detroit. Hopefully, whoever becomes the GM will know relief pitching better than he does.
I didn’t like trading for Kimbrel in the first place, but with all that they gave up (and took on) he isn’t going to come cheap. The Padres don’t need help at 3rd base or in the outfield, but they do need rotation help.
Just because Preller overpaid for players does not mean others will do the same to get those players. Preller asked too much for his players at the deadline so no one traded with him. A few weeks ago the Mets had a trade for a LOOGY with Preller – Rzepczynski – but Preller wanted more…..so the Mets turned around and picked up a right-handed relief pitcher instead. True to form, Preller had overpaid by giving up a controlled, cheap Abraham Almonte for Rzepczynski about 6 weeks earleir, and Almote has been playing a fine CF for the Indians.
Preller is in dire need of adult supervision.
Almonte might have control left, but at the time of the trade, that was the only thing positive that could be said. Rzepczynski is one of the rarest of breeds, an effective left handed reliever. Other than defensively, everything Almonte is doing is a pleasant surprise. The fact that the Mets showed interest shows Rzep still had value. The player the Mets acquired instead had NO Cost to acquire. That might have had something to do with it.
1. Rzepczynski can only pitch to LH batters. He cannot be trusted anymore against a RH batter.
2. The Mets needed a LOOGY and were willing to trade for Rzepczynski’s true value. Preller wanted more, so they went for a redundant RH.
3. If Rzepczynski is such a rare breed, how come no other team stepped forward to acquire his services? They couldn’t beat what the Indians paid, or meet what Preller was requesting?
My point was and is – Preller values players differently then FO people in the business. A good GM is one that finds undervalued players. He overvalues players he acquires, and expects to find GM’s that will do the same when he has players up for trade. I’ll also add that shortly after the deadline, one GM said it was impossible to deal with Preller, because “he doesn’t seem to know what he wants”. That surely seemed the case both at the deadline and after. Who acquires a LOOGY that does his job, then tries to trade him 6 weeks later? A LOOGY is a LOOGY is a LOOGY. You find one, you keep him for a while, otherwise, why bother to acquire one?
Rzepczynski actually hasn’t done his job for the Padres. It seems like every time he is brought in to face a lefty hitter, said lefty hitter gets on base.
Marc has been terrible for the Padres.
I’m not saying others will overpay for our players. What I’m saying is if they don’t, Preller won’t trade said players. He wouldn’t even trade Benoit or Kennedy because “He didn’t get a good enough offer.” However, Benoit’s club option for next year is worth $6.5m and Kennedy is a free agent after this year and probably isn’t worth a QO. But since he didn’t trade them he basically HAS to give Kennedy a QO and exercise Benoit’s option for 2016. The guy clearly has no idea what he’s doing.