Although the Orioles need multiple starting pitchers, they’re unlikely to re-sign Jeremy Hellickson, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com relays. Hellickson, whom the O’s acquired from Philadelphia in July, told Kubatko and other reporters that he has “loved” his time in Baltimore. The 30-year-old hasn’t looked like part of the solution since the trade, though, having pitched to an ugly 6.97 ERA with just 31 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings (10 starts). And manager Buck Showalter seems prepared to lose Hellickson, saying: “I’m sure he’s got some things planned for next year as a free agent. I know what he was like in Tampa. Nobody’s the same three or four years later. Everybody changes somewhat. I’m not going to get into some of the challenges that I think he’s faced here and this season. Hopefully, he’ll get them behind him and be a good pitcher for somebody next year.”
More from Baltimore and two other East Coast cities:
- The Mets are “nearly certain” to pick up infielder Asdrubal Cabrera’s option for 2018, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com writes. Whether to bring back Cabrera amounts to a $6.5MM decision for the Mets, who must choose between exercising the $8.5MM option or buying him out for $2MM. Cabrera, 32 in November, has posted solid production during his two years as a Met, including his respectable .273/.346/.422 batting line in 530 plate appearances this season. He has also played upward of 30 games this year at second base, shortstop (a position that now belongs to Amed Rosario) and third base.
- Phillies manager Pete Mackanin continues to lobby for the team’s front office to acquire starting pitching in the offseason. “I think it would behoove us to get a bona fide starting pitcher,” Mackanin said Wednesday, adding that “I think we need a stabilizer at the top” (via Todd Zolecki of MLB.com). The Phillies aren’t close enough to contention to vie for the absolute best soon-to-be free agent starters – Yu Darvish and Jake Arrieta – notes Zolecki, who suggests that second-tier hurlers such as Alex Cobb, Lance Lynn and Jhoulys Chacin are more realistic possibilities.
- Adding a left-handed bat will be an offseason priority for the Orioles, especially with outfielder Seth Smith likely to depart via free agency, according to Kubatko. Smith and Chris Davis have been the only lefty-swinging regulars this year for a Baltimore team that has managed a middling .260/.313/.436 line against right-handed pitchers.
- Former Mets utilityman Joe McEwing has emerged as a potential successor to soon-to-be-ousted manager Terry Collins, per Mike Puma of the New York Post. McEwing, who played with the Mets from 2000-04, has been a coach in the White Sox’s organization since 2008. He served as their third base coach from 2012-16 before earning a promotion to bench coach prior to this season.
Joe McWho?
Uhh, Super Joe McEwing, cmon man!
The Randy Johnson killer… Super Joe
hahaha
Google, man.
Phillies should get Tyler Chatwood, trade for a salary dump SP and make next year their final development year. Spend big in 2018-2019, then play the hand you built
With such a low payroll (I believe Jason Martinez said last week that they only $7 million committed for next year with very few arbitration guys), do they go out and add a top of the line pitcher this off-season and then add a top hitter next off-season?
And where are the Orioles supposed to plug in a LH hitter into their lineup? The outfield is pretty set with RH hitters (Mancini, Jones, and presumably Hays), three fourths of the infield hit from the right side (Machado, Beckham, and Schoop). Davis is a lefty but has turned into the worst guess hitter in baseball. If Sisco earns the starting catcher job, that’s another lefty. Is the team actually going to bench a guy earning $11M just because he’s another RH bat? Unless they can move him (and they would have to eat money to do so, against team’s style), there isn’t space for another LH hitter.
Well, Trumbo sucks, so regardless of handedness, they should get someone to replace him. A LHH outfielder could push Mancini to DH, and potentially push Jones into a corner. As I said yesterday, I think Baltimore should rebuild, but if they plan to contend, then Jarrod Dyson makes some sense I think
Or maybe a Brad Brach for Albert Almora trade, idk
Cubs say no to that.
Theyd decline but I don’t particularly like almora. He’s a no bat CF who plays great D. Jones doesn’t want to move over and almora will be a negative with the stick .
O’s should flip Trumbo to the Jays for Kendry Morales. Morales can DH while Trumbo can DH and platoon with Smoak at first..
Look up “lateral move”
That’s what I’m saying. There’s no way to balance out the lineup right now. I think hays should be in the minors and ideally we could dump trumbo. Hays isn’t ready for the big leagues yet, he needs to learn some patience at the plate. He’s really young we don’t need to rush him up and play him full time. If trumbo can be dumped for an overpaid pitcher maybe we can add another outfielder and DH Mancini/Davis.
If it doesn’t make sense to sign Darvish or Arrieta to a deal because their best year will be a season the Phillies won’t contend why does it make sense to sign Lynn, Cobb, or Chacin? Wouldn’t their best year come in a season the Phillies won’t contend? These guys will get 3-4 years. Using this theory no team should sign a player to a multi-year deal if they don’t know they’ll win. Of course the 2014 Cubs stunk and signed John Lester to a big deal.
it’d be even worse if they signed a player to a 1 year deal. If they do that the player’s best year, his only year, would be in a year they won’t contend.
The argument can’t be about wasting money. The Phillies spent $30 million this year on Hellickson and Buchholz and still had a low payroll. They could pay Darvish whatever he’ll get and still have a low payroll.
Phils remind me of the Yankees back in early 1990’s. Yanks signed Jimmy Key to anchor a young pitching staff. It worked well for key as he got a nice contract and a WS ring while the Yankees got a top starter to anchor and mentor a young staff.
The issue is the Phillies dont have multiple arms who could become legit SP other than BOTR guys. Whoever u sign needs to be the guy that helps you win
Agreed. Not sure that the phils necessarily need more hitting at all. Go get pitching. Wouldn’t mind adding Lynn AND one of the aces.
There are areas they could use help in. None of their catchers are that good defensively, so signing or trading for a plus defender to pair with one of the three makes sense. A veteran hitter would be nice to add more predictability to a young lineup. They could look at a 3B like Moustakas or Frazier or see if they could get Stanton in a trade. Sure, Williams and Altherr look good right now but some players who look good initially don’t pan out.
Oh yeah, the Phillies have eight guys like Harper and Trout in their lineup. When you load the 30 MLB teams for runs scored you don’t scroll at all before you see the Phillies.
Just an awesome lineup. 1927 Yankees good.
I think Phillies should target a small market team like Tampa, Toronto, San Diego, Oakland, Colorado, etc. and try to trade for a young pitcher with control but whose salary might be starting to creep up. Not sure who specifically might be available (Chris Archer? Marcus Stroman? Aaron Sanchez?). But could dangle a package of Cesar, Cozens, and choice of Eflin, Pivetta, Lively, Thompson in exchange for a young pitcher. Cesar has value as a starting 2b (could argue one of top 10-12 in league). Cozens give you a potential Mark Reynolds type player (high home runs but high K’s and low BA), and Eflin, Pivetta, Lively, and Thompson are a BOTR arm at the very least with potential to be more at a low salary and years of control. Those kind of guys have decent value. Plus a good pitching coach might be able to extract more out of them.
Hernandez is arbitration eligible, so any club that’s trying to save money in a trade won’t trade for him. He has quite a bit of value but probably isn’t that desirable to a non-contender who is also looking to save money.
The rest of the players you’re trying to trade range from no value to little value. If a team needs back end of the rotation help they might trade for one or might want one as the third or fourth player in a deal.
If you want to acquire Chris Archer or Marcus Stroman you have to trade players teams really want. Any conversation will start with a team asking for Sixto Sanchez, Scott Kingery, or J.P. Crawford headlining a deal and then asking for another player like Jorge Alfaro or Nick Williams as the second guy.
Trade Cesar Hernandez for prospects. A-ball guys with ceiling.
“If it doesn’t make sense to sign Darvish or Arrieta to a deal because their best year will be a season the Phillies won’t contend why does it make sense to sign Lynn, Cobb, or Chacin?”
ROFLOL!
Dude, you must have a three digit IQ, that or you’re not a corrupt baseball writer.
You either sign Shohei Otani, Yu Darvish or you forget about starting pitching entirely.
Of course, John Middleton hates Japanese players so…..
I’ll take Joe McEwing. I’ll take Ron Gardenhire. I’ll take DeMarlo Hale, for crying out loud. The Terry Collins era needs to be over. Let him coordinate the minor leagues.
I want Wally Backman
You’re not getting Wally so try being realistic. I’d be OK with McEwing as the new manager.