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Archives for September 2019

Ray Searage Expecting To Be Fired

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Pirates pitching coach Ray Searage–perhaps one of the most lauded professionals of his vocation in recent memory–informed Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he is expecting to be fired by his organization in short order (link).

After manager Clint Hurdle received a Pittsburgh pink slip this afternoon, Searage’s removal from his pitching coach role would represent a substantial dugout makeover. The Pirates have given no official indication of their coaching plans, but they have informed Searage that a decision on his future is impending. “They told us they would let us know in the next couple of days,” Searage told Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic (link). “Now, bringing in a new manager could mean bringing in different personnel, anyway. I’m preparing myself not to be a Pittsburgh Pirate next year.”

If the Pirates do indeed remove Searage from his post, it would mark the end of an inarguably successful chapter in his career. After a playing career in which he logged seven MLB seasons as a hurler, Searage was named Pittsburgh’s pitching coach in August of 2010–meaning that his tenure has basically lock stepped with Hurdle’s nine-year run with the org.

During his time in black and yellow, Searage earned himself a near-mythological reputation as a pitching whisperer. J.A. Happ, Francisco Liriano, A.J. Burnett are just a few examples of veterans who revived their careers under Searage’s tutelage in the Steel City, and Gerrit Cole, perhaps the sport’s best pitcher circa 2019, began his career as a Searage understudy. Industry-wide respect for Searage was so pronounced following the Pirates 2013-2015 run of success that, in 2016, Sports Illustrated once went so far as to call him “the secret to the Pirates’ success”.

Of course, Searage’s time in Pittsburgh hardly culminated in a storybook ending. Although Pirates pitchers spent the least time on the injured list among all National League teams from 2014-2015, Searage probably made much more frequent trips to the training room in recent years. Jameson Taillon, Trevor Williams, Chris Archer, and Jordan Lyles all spent time on the injured list this year–and that’s not the only list that was pertinent to Pirates pitchers in 2019.

Under Searage’s instruction, Pirates pitchers often worked up-and-in in 2019–a strategy that helped fuel a few on-field brawls, the most notable of which was a Pittsburgh-Cincinnatti duel that resulted in pitchers  Kyle Crick and Keone Kela being placed on the suspended list. Crick was later engaged in a clubhouse scuffle with Felipe Vazquez that resulted in Crick needing surgery and both players being levied with fines. This month, Vazquez was shockingly arrested on charges of, among other things, statutory sexual assault of a minor. That Searage would conclude his time in Pittsburgh with such a top-to-bottom disaster of a season would be, in a word, lamentable.

 

Hunter Renfroe Set For Minor Foot Surgery

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Padres outfielder Hunter Renfroe is scheduled to undergo a minor surgery to remove a bone spur from the top of his right foot, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com.

The surgery is expected to prevent Renfroe from participating in offseason workouts for about a week, per Cassavell.

While it’s unclear just how long Renfroe has been dealing with the injury, it hasn’t required an IL stint for the 27-year-old outfielder. He has been dealing with other injuries to his elbow and ankle throughout the second half of the season, which has been a disappointment for Renfroe after he looked ready to break out with a stellar first half.

Those injuries may be partly to blame for what turned out to be a dreadful second half for Renfroe. After entering the All-Star break with a .248/.303/.618 batting line and 27 home runs, his numbers have plummeted over the season’s final months. Playing through injuries, Renfroe has slugged just .295 since the All-Star break, managing just six home runs.

Whether Renfroe would have been able to maintain his first-half output over a full season is inconclusive, though the truth likely lies somewhere in between the two extremes. He still figures to hold a position in the Padres’ plans for 2020 and beyond; the team refrained from dealing him earlier this season on account of his strong defensive track record, prodigious power, and years of team control remaining.

NL East Notes: Brinson, Phillies, Mets

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Marlins outfielder Lewis Brinson has faced steep expectations after he was acquired as the centerpiece of the trade that sent Christian Yelich to Milwaukee. But after back-to-back disappointing seasons in Miami, the 25-year-old may be running out of chances, writes Wells Dusenbury of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. While manager Don Mattingly has been at times willing to sacrifice winning in exchange for player development, he hopes to turn the corner and begin the transition out of mediocrity in year three of the complete rebuild. For Brinson, that means he will have to capitalize on his opportunities and start to translate his undeniable tools into on-field production. In particular, he’ll need to cut down on the strikeouts and improve his walk rate; it bears mentioning that he’s begun to show some progress in that department in September. However, the overall batting line still leaves much to be desired, including a complete power outage: Brinson hasn’t homered once in 2019 after tallying 11 just a year ago. After more than 650 plate appearances with the Marlins, next season may be his last chance to actualize the potential that made him a highly-touted prospect.

More from around the NL East…

  • A pair of Phillies infielders may have played their final game in the City of Brotherly Love, cutting the final tie between today’s Phillies and the powerhouse teams of the late-2000s, writes Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic. With Maikel Franco and Cesar Hernandez eligible for arbitration, both are strong candidates to be non-tendered: It would cost a considerable price to keep Hernandez around when Scott Kingery exists as a cheaper, more productive option; likewise, Franco has been streaky and is likely not viewed as a long-term solution for the club. However, they remain as the only links to the days of Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, and Ryan Howard, bridging the team through the doldrums of 2014-2015 and into a new era of Bryce Harper-led Philly baseball.
  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post offers a look towards the Mets’ offseason, advocating for an uptick in payroll as the team seeks to vault itself into contention in the hyper-competitive NL East. With franchise cornerstones like Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil playing under affordable pre-arbitration contracts, now might be the time to hike up the spending elsewhere to capitalize on existing young talent. The Mets will have to navigate the impending free agency of Zack Wheeler, who could be retained in order to preserve the rotation depth, as well as make decisions on Edwin Diaz and Noah Syndergaard. Sherman proposes a two-year payroll allocation, which would allow general manager Brodie Van Wagenen to, say, go all-in on 2020 under the promise that expenditures will drop the following season, when David Wright and Yoenis Cespedes come off the books.

No Talks Between Red Sox, Eduardo Rodriguez On Extension

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Eduardo Rodríguez has been the Red Sox most reliable starter this year. Sitting on 196.1 innings entering today’s final start against the Orioles, Rodríguez stands a good shot of eclipsing 200 innings for the first time in his career, which would make him one of only 15 pitchers to do so this season. His strikeout (24.6%) and walk (8.8%) rates are right in line with his previous career work, but a massive uptick in ground balls and improved health have helped the 26 year-old to a career-best season, with the high innings total paired with a solid 3.80 ERA.

With Rodríguez having emerged as a mid-rotation starter, many teams would be interested in locking him up long-term. The Red Sox, though, haven’t initiated any such conversations, he tells Rob Bradford of WEEI. Nevertheless, the hurler indicated he’d be amenable to a long-term arrangement if the team were to come knocking. “I still have two more years here. We’ll see how that goes. I love it here and I want to stay here for a long time. If they want me to, I’ll stay here,” Rodríguez said. “I haven’t had that conversation yet so I don’t know how that feels.”

That there haven’t been any talks as of yet isn’t too surprising considering the current state of the organization. Having fired Dave Dombrowski, the Sox are operating with a four-person crew heading up baseball operations for the stretch run, with the organization’s permanent leader still to be determined. No doubt, Boston will look to put a long-term front office structure in place before turning to key offseason roster decisions.

Also throwing a wrench into matters is the organization’s seemingly forthcoming effort to slash payroll significantly. Red Sox ownership expressed a desire this week to get underneath the competitive balance tax threshold of $208MM in 2020, a huge cut from the team’s estimated $240MM+ luxury tax figure this season. With the club already having $150MM+ on the books next season, not counting arbitration raises, there figures to be quite a bit of roster turnover.

While most of the attention has been focused on Mookie Betts, who is on track to become a free agent after next season, the situation with Rodríguez could likewise go a number of ways. Rodríguez and the Sox agreed to a $4.3MM salary to avoid arbitration last offseason, with two more years of arb forthcoming. Between his innings total, run prevention and 19 wins (which surely won’t matter to the Sox’s new front office head but will factor into his arbitration status), E-Rod looks poised for a significant raise in the coming months.

Buying out free agent seasons would only exacerbate the organization’s CBT concerns. Luxury tax calculations are based on average annual value of the players’ contracts, not actual yearly sum. Even if the Sox were to backload a Rodríguez extension, the present CBT calculation of any deal would be rather lofty, certainly higher than if the parties again settled on a one-year agreement to avoid arbitration.

If Boston indeed follows through on cutting payroll, there’s a chance Rodríguez even becomes an offseason trade candidate instead. Again, however, there’s little indication on how the organization plans to proceed until they bring in a new head of baseball ops. Dealing away Rodríguez would be difficult for a team that no doubt plans to contend in 2020, as the Sox’s rotation mix is filled with uncertainty. Chris Sale, Nathan Eovaldi and David Price all have their health question marks, while Rick Porcello is slated to hit free agency.

How the Red Sox choose to proceed this offseason will be among the winter’s most fascinating stories. Whether any arrangement can be hammered out to keep the youngest member of the rotation in the fold for the long-term certainly bears monitoring.

Pirates Fire Clint Hurdle

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The Pirates have fired manager Clint Hurdle, according to a report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Hurdle had two years remaining on his current contract.

As Rosenthal notes, general manager Neal Huntington will retain his position spearheading the organization’s baseball operations. Meanwhile, the coaching staff will be determined by the incoming manager.

The move comes as something of a surprise, as just days earlier Hurdle himself asserted that the Pirates assured him that he’d keep his position as the club’s manager. However, later that day both Hurdle and Huntington were curiously noncommittal on the future of the skipper.

Hurdle, 62, was installed as the Pittsburgh manager prior to the 2011 season and finishes his Pirates career as the fourth-winningest manager in franchise history. He’s led his Pirates teams to an overall 735-720-1 record in his nine years at the helm, including three consecutive postseason appearances from 2013-2015. The team peaked with 94- and 98-win seasons in 2013 and 2015, though they were unable to make it out of the Division Series in that three-year stretch—and, in 2014 and 2015, they were eliminated in the one-game playoff.

Not far removed from that stretch of success, this season has been an especially trying one in Pittsburgh. After winning 82 games a year ago, the club has taken a step backwards and will have a final chance today to reach the 70-win plateau. Between a clubhouse altercation involving Kyle Crick and Felipe Vazquez, numerous on-field brawls, and a suspension to Keone Kela for a confrontation with a coach, it would seem that the clubhouse has escaped Hurdle’s control.

Whether he’s at fault for those off-field issues is questionable, but the on-field results haven’t done Hurdle any favors. His Pirates found themselves just a game under .500 at the All-Star break, but proceeded to hit a colossal cold spell en route to a 4-24 stretch into mid-August.

Pittsburgh will join the Giants, Padres, and Cubs among the teams now with a vacant manager position. It seems that wholesale changes to the coaching staff may be in order, with pitching coach Ray Searage among those with an uncertain future. Huntington issued the following statement regarding the decision:

Words cannot express how much respect and appreciation I have for Clint as a person and a leader … We will be forever grateful for his dedication to the Pirates organization on and off the field … As an organization, we believe it was time for a managerial change to introduce a new voice and new leadership inside the clubhouse.

Joe Maddon Out As Cubs Manager

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The Cubs announced today that Joe Maddon will not return as manager in 2020. He and Cubs president Theo Epstein have agreed to part ways following the conclusion of Maddon’s contract.

Maddon, 65, has managed the Cubs each of the last five seasons, compiling an overall 471-338 record in Chicago. He’s led the team to a winning record in each of those years, including 90+ wins and a postseason berth in four of five seasons. Of course, his crowning achievement is the 2016 season, when he and the Cubs claimed a World Series title for the first time since 1908.

Despite that run of sustained success, it comes as little surprise that Maddon will not return to the Cubs. It seems that the organization has been moving towards this end since last season, with the front office and Maddon agreeing that it’s time for a change. After a languid performance in the 2018 Wild Card Game and a September collapse in 2019, it seems that the magic of 2016 has run out, with Theo Epstein and the front office seemingly drifting out of sync with Maddon’s leadership style.

That’s not to say that Maddon is entirely at fault for the Cubs’ disappointing performance in the last two seasons; rather, it’s merely a reminder that the relationship between a team and its manager can evolve, even during a period of great success. An apparent erosion of the bond between Maddon and the Cubs became apparent when the organization refused to commit to Maddon for the future after last season, leaving him as a lame-duck manager entering 2019.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today speculates that the Padres, Phillies, and Mets could all be potential landing spots for Maddon. Of course, the Padres are the only team in that group that currently has a managerial vacancy, though there has been no shortage of speculation that Gabe Kapler and Mickey Callaway will soon find themselves without a job. Per Jesse Rogers of ESPN, Maddon does intend to continue managing next year, and there should be a number of suitors interested in his services. Kansas City, San Francisco, and now Pittsburgh will also have openings in the dugout.

Maddon is the owner of a sterling track record in his 16-year managerial career, with his teams posting a 1252-1067 record overall. He managed the 2008 Rays team that won the American League pennant and has led his teams to 90 or more wins in nine different seasons. His forward-thinking attitude and ability to manage either a rebuilding team or a contender should make him an attractive candidate for a variety of teams, even in the face of an industry-wide proclivity for younger, cheaper managers.

As for the Cubs, it remains to be seen how they’ll approach their search for the club’s next skipper. The organization could target an experienced manager such as Joe Girardi or Mike Scioscia, or they could turn to lesser-known, inexperienced candidates. Of that latter group, many will mention Mark Loretta, the Cubs’ current bench coach, and beloved franchise icon David Ross. However, those names are all merely speculative, and the team has given no hint as to how they will navigate the hiring process.

Rays Designate Cole Sulser

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The Rays have designated right-handed reliever Cole Sulser for assignment. His 40-man roster spot was needed for the activation of Yandy Díaz, which has become official. Sulser, 29, made his MLB debut September 6 and has given Tampa 7.1 scoreless relief innings since getting the call.

Originally a 25th-round draftee by Cleveland, Sulser put up such elite minor-league numbers to catch the attention of Tampa’s front office, who acquired him as a lesser-known piece in the three-team offseason trade that, ironically enough, also brought in Díaz. Sulser did more than warrant the Rays’ faith, tossing 66 sparkling innings for Triple-A Durham, continuing his track record of minor-league success. Add in Sulser’s strong early returns in the big leagues, and it’s clear he’s a victim of the Rays’ crowded roster rather than underperformance.

In his brief MLB time, Sulser’s shown a 93.4 MPH fastball, per Statcast, backed up by a slider and sparingly-used changeup. On the surface, it’s somewhat pedestrian stuff for an MLB reliever, perhaps explaining how Sulser has waited so long to get to the game’s highest level. That said, he has continued to get outs whenever he’s been asked, and his 32.6% strikeout rate in Triple-A is hardly that of a pitch-to-contact arm.

As with Kean Wong last week, it seems the Rays are somewhat victims of their own roster depth. Like Sulser, Wong wasn’t a top prospect but came with long-term control and a track record of high minors performance, and the Angels claimed him when the Rays cut him loose to activate Brandon Lowe.  It would hardly be surprising to see another team do the same with Sulser.

Latest On Brewers’ Outfield Injuries

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Sunday: Cain is indeed out of today’s lineup, a must-win if the Brewers are to have any hope of capturing their second consecutive NL Central title.

Saturday: The Brewers have already clinched at least a wild card berth, and they’ll head into the last day of the regular just a game behind the Cardinals for the NL Central lead.  As the team continues to try and force a one-game playoff for the division crown, however, they continue to deal with some significant injury problems in their outfield.

In the top of the ninth inning on Saturday, Lorenzo Cain took a hard slide into Rockies catcher Drew Butera, as Cain was trying to score from first on a double.  Cain was called out, and then replaced in center field prior to the bottom half of the inning.  The Brewers announced that Cain suffered a left ankle sprain, and the outfielder told MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and other reporters that he wasn’t sure if he could play on Sunday.

A similar injury forced Cain out of a game back on Sept. 20, though he didn’t end up missing any time.  2019 has been a tough season in general for Cain, who hasn’t spent any time on the injured list but has been dealing with a wide range of nagging problems to his oblique, wrist, and thumb all year.  The result has been the worst full season (.260/.325/.372 over 643 PA) of Cain’s career, though he has hit much better in September to help carry the Brew Crew back into the postseason.  Just on Saturday alone, Cain went 2-for-3 with a walk, and made an exceptional catch to prevent a Garrett Hampson home run.

It remains to be seen if Cain’s ankle problem could keep him out of a potential tiebreaker game with the Cardinals on Monday or the Brewers’ current postseason date, Tuesday’s National League wild card game against the Nationals.  One player who does plan to be available beyond the regular season is Ryan Braun, as the outfielder told McCalvy and other media members that he is “very optimistic” that his mild left calf strain isn’t a major issue.  Braun left Friday’s game with the injury, and it was already known that he would sit out Milwaukee’s final two regular season contests.

Braun has been no stranger to injuries in recent years, though his 144 games played this season represents his highest total since 2012.  The 35-year-old has been both pretty durable and productive in his 13th MLB season, as Braun has hit .285/.343/.505 with 22 homers over 508 plate appearances.

With Cain and Braun nursing injuries and Christian Yelich already done for the season, the Brewers are in danger of being without their entire Opening Day outfield as they head into the playoffs.  Ben Gamel is Milwaukee’s primary fourth outfielder, with utilityman Cory Spangenberg and rookies Trent Grisham and Tyrone Taylor also capable of filling in, while Eric Thames could potentially step into right field if he isn’t needed at first base.

Latest on Kolten Wong

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Cardinals fans eagerly await the return of Kolten Wong, who went down with a Grade 2 hamstring strain ten days ago. Perhaps baseball’s best defensive second baseman, Wong has put up a career-best offensive season in 2018, slashing .285/.361/.423 (108 wRC+) and stealing 24 bases. Considering Wong’s well-rounded production, there’s a case to be made St. Louis has been without its most valuable position player for the past week and a half.

Wong is predictably urgent to return to the field with the NL Central still in flux on the season’s final day, but he’s wary of returning too quickly and suffering a more debilitating injury, he tells Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “It’s at a point right now where I don’t know where my hamstring is. I know it’s better. But is it 100%? Probably not,” Wong informed Goold yesterday.

While there may be an inclination on some fans’ part for Wong to chance it with the division on the line, it seems caution is the prudent move. Between this afternoon’s game against the Cubs and potential tiebreaker and Wild Card games with Milwaukee and Washington, the Cards have up to three chances to clinch a spot in an NL Division Series. (Of course, if the Rockies complete a sweep of the Brewers today, the Cardinals would sew up the Central even if they lose to Chicago). Having put themselves in a position to get multiple bites at the apple, St. Louis may prefer to wait as long as possible before putting Wong back on the diamond.

As Goold updates, Wong continues to make progress in all facets of the game but feels some soreness while running and fielding non-routine groundballs. That seems especially troublesome for a player who derives so much of his value from his defensive and baserunning prowess.

Cardinals manager Mike Shildt didn’t rule out Wong getting into today’s game in some capacity when speaking with Goold yesterday. Nevertheless, as expected, Matt Carpenter is getting the call at third with Tommy Edman sliding over to the keystone yet again to kick things off. They’ll take on Cubs’ opener Derek Holland, who will surely be followed by a cavalcade of relievers, having not gone more than three innings in an appearance since April.

AL Notes: Carrasco, Thornton, Castro, Trumbo

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Carlos Carrasco’s health situation was one of MLB’s most-followed off-field storylines in 2019. Stunningly diagnosed with leukemia this summer, Carrasco made a heartwarming return to the mound September 1 in Tampa Bay and has made ten appearances out of Cleveland’s bullpen since. The 32 year-old father of five verbalized the ups-and-downs of the past five months in an emotional piece for the Players’ Tribune, emphasizing the importance of leaning on his wife Karelis, other family, and friends- inside and outside baseball- for support along the way. Encouragingly, the well-respected Carrasco says he’s “back to feeling 100%” and no doubt figures to be a foundational piece for both the Indians and the Cleveland community at large in the future. The moving and courageous piece, in which Carrasco discusses the gutwrenching decision he and Karelis confronted of whether to tell their children of his diagnosis, is worth a full read.

  • Turning to strictly on-field matters across the American League, it seems Trent Thornton has pitched his way into the Blue Jays’ rotation plans for 2020, writes Kaitlyn McGrath of the Athletic. The rookie overcame a dreadful start to his MLB career to log a team-high 154.1 innings, working to a 4.84 ERA with pedestrian strikeout (22%) and walk (9%) rates. As McGrath notes, Thornton’s changeup has given him problems in the past and developing consistency with the offering will be among his offseason priorities. Thornton’s profile doesn’t scream future ace, but his durability and high-spin fastball and curveball make him a logical fit for a Toronto rotation that is lacking in certainty and rich in opportunity.
  • Another rookie who could be positioned for playing time on a rebuilding team is Tigers infielder Willi Castro. A September call-up, Castro hasn’t gotten off to an especially rousing start to his MLB career. He has, though, impressed manager Ron Gardenhire, who tells Chris McCosky of the Detroit News Castro will have a chance to compete for the Tigers’ shortstop job in spring training. The 22 year-old, whom Detroit acquired from Cleveland in 2018 for Leonys Martín, ranks as Detroit’s #11 prospect, per Baseball America. He hit a solid .301/.366/.467 this season in his first extended action in Triple-A.
  • On the opposite side of the service time spectrum is Orioles DH Mark Trumbo, who discussed the forthcoming end of his three-year contract with Baltimore Baseball’s Rich Dubroff. The 33 year-old tells Dubroff he’ll take some time off at the end of the season and gauge how his body feels before determining if he wishes to come back in 2020. So continues a pattern of noncommital responses on his future from Trumbo, who has been hampered by right knee problems for the last year-plus. That injury history means Trumbo will probably have to settle for a minor-league contract with a spring training invite if he does decide to give playing another go.

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