Yesterday, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo warned that the Mets were “not particularly close” to naming their next manager. The scribe noted that the club is still performing callback interviews in a hiring process that could stretch “well beyond this week” (link). That’s not an encouraging status report for a fanbase eager to see the club narrow a search field that at this point still includes six names in Joe Girardi, Eduardo Perez, Carlos Beltran, Mets quality control coach Luis Rojas, Nationals first base coach Tim Bogar and Twins bench coach Derek Shelton.
Though DiComo doesn’t have a dog in the fight, per se, Tuesday’s piece for MLB.com does give some support to the notion of Beltran getting behind the reins of a big league team (link). DiComo spoke with Astros shortstop Carlos Correa, who opined that Beltran will make an “amazing” manager after having the chance to work with Beltran when the latter was a player on Houston’s 2017 World Series team. “He’s going to help [a] club so much like he helped here in this clubhouse,” Correa told Beltran. “The atmosphere that he built and the chemistry in the clubhouse still lives on.”
- Four players in the Tigers org were outrighted to the roster of the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens, according to the International League transactions page. The new Hens, lefty Nick Ramirez, righty Eduardo Jimenez, righty Zac Reininger, and outfielder Dustin Peterson, are not exactly household names, but Ramirez did make 46 largely serviceable long-relief appearances (4.08 ERA in 79.2 innings) for Detroit in 2019, and Peterson was a top-30 prospect with the Braves as recently as 2018. Reininger, meanwhile, has struggled in parts of three Detroit seasons (8.08 ERA/7.44 FIP in 59 career MLB innings), while Jimenez was only slightly better for the Tigers in his 2019 rookie debut (5.91 ERA/4.34 FIP in 10.2 innings).
- Agent Trevor Kieboom has joined the ACES agency, according to a tweet from MLB journalist Robert Murray (link). Kieboom, a former player with Georgia’s collegiate team, will bring with him his clients/brothers Spencer and Carter, both of the Nationals, as well as Rangers minor league hurler Alex Speas, Royals lefty Richard Lovelady, Mets minor league pitcher Kevin Smith, and Reds rookie ball infielder Ivan Johnson. In a separate tweet, Murray also shares that Rockies pitcher Chad Bettis, formerly represented by Sosnick, Cobbe, and Karon, is now under the representation of CAA baseball (link).
I’m not sure why the Tigers simply didn’t release Reininger. He’s a gas can whose ERA has gotten worse each of his three years in the bigs. Time to cut bait on him.
cant believe that guy is still around. I know Detroit has struggled with pitching in recent years, but you’re telling me you can’t easily get ANYONE better than him to play for you?
In all fairness, didn’t they have Mike Pelfrey in their rotation for more than 1 full season YEARS after his good year w/the Mets and subsequent meltdown? If that guy was able to stay in baseball w/o transitioning to a RP or something for like half a decade +, it seems pretty clear that once you make it and show a glimpse of success and aren’t problematic, the crappy teams will allow you to have quite a nice career, at least financially-they are often more likely to be called up for spot starts than prospects which makes their salary skyrocket but saves the franchise money by not starting the clock on their prospect’s time until they reach arb.
Pelfrey only lasted one year (one too many). This years fantastic Avila signings were Moore and Ross. But it amazes me how bad their development process has been for so long now. Reininger has been horrid. Ramirez was ok as a long guy.
tough break for Ramirez. you’d think he could stick with Detroit with those numbers.
He had flashes….when he was good, he was unhittable….when he was bad, he was really really bad. I don’t mind the Tigers jettisoning him off the 40 but he does deserve another chance being he converted to pitcher not too long ago. I think he’ll get a NRI for the spring.
Dustin Peterson deserved more playing time than he was given and Nick Ramirez was one of the better pitchers on the team. You are right. Both Zac Reininger and Eduardo Jiminez pitched decent in MiLB but not at MLB.
I’m really hoping Mets get Beltran. so much positive talk about him from players.
Now that Girardi is off the board, I think Beltran is the best remaining choice.
I still can’t believe that Beltran may be the Mets manager. If you told me in the late 2000s that Beltran would want to manage after his injury problems and the fights about them he had with the team and doctors and then how Mets fans generally didn’t like him I wouldn’t believe he would ever consider coming back to them.
Girardi will not be managing the Mets. He already has an agreement with the Phillies. Will be announced shortly.
The catcher Kieboom was outrighted yesterday by the Nats
Mets job is not the most desired because of the Ownership and Front Office situation…
Someone will take the job if they have a lot of patience dealing with all the politics etc..
However, many of the top candidates will pass on the Mets.
Buck specifically stated he wanted that job almost a month ago. Girardi said he wanted if. DeRosa said it ISSS the most desirable spot in baseball, which it is. You have the Rookie of the year, a guy who was batting for the title until mid August, and potentially the back to back Cy Young winner. The Mets have an entire infield and part of an outfield that’s locked down contract-wise for the next 4 years. They have the potential to be the best rotation in the bigs. If they spend $20million on middle relief, they could sure up the bullpen but no matter where you manage, the ‘pen is always a crapshoot.
Roster Resource has Jimenez and Peterson as on their last minor league option, but I believe each one has a remaining option for 2020
Jimenez had his contract selected at the end of 2017, and was optioned in 2018 and 2019 and Peterson’s contract was purchased mid-2018 and was optioned in both 2018 and 2019.