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Chicago Notes: Lester, Fowler, Jackson, Flowers, Abreu

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The six-year, $155MM contract that Jon Lester signed this offseason is paying off nicely for the Cubs, writes Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. While the notion that that Cubs wouldn’t be in contention without Lester seems extreme, there’s no denying the strong on-field results he’s delivered, and as Wittenmyer points out, that’s particularly important due to the rotation uncertainty beyond Lester and Jake Arrieta (both Jason Hammel and Kyle Hendricks have struggled in the second half). Manager Joe Maddon spoke with Wittenmyer about the stabilizing force Lester has been atop the rotation, along with Arrieta, and the importance of the tone they set for younger starters.

A few more notes from the Windy City…

  • The trade that sent Dan Straily and Luis Valbuena from the Cubs to the Astros in exchange for Dexter Fowler has paid dividends for both teams, opines MLB.com’s Phil Rogers. The Cubs would still be in the playoff picture even without Fowler, he notes, but Fowler has nonetheless solidified center field and the team’s leadoff position a year after the Cubs tried seven different players in center field, with lackluster results. Meanwhile, Rogers is right to note that the Astros, who hold a one-game lead over the Twins and Angels for the second Wild Card spot, have benefited greatly from Valbuena. Despite a poor batting average, Valbuena provided power and stability at third base early in the year, and the difference between his salary and Fowler’s helped the team to pursue bullpen upgrades (to say nothing of Colby Rasmus, who has closely matched Fowler’s production).
  • The Cubs’ addition of Austin Jackson has provided valuable depth for the team, writes MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat, and GM Jed Hoyer believes that depth to be one of the team’s greatest strengths. Muskat also notes that the Cubs wound up pushing the right buttons, as the decisions not to acquire Jonathan Papelbon or Chase Utley look wise in hindsight; Papelbon has been suspended for the rest of the season due to his altercation with Bryce Harper, and with Utley in the fold, the team may not have received a scorching-hot September from Starlin Castro.
  • Shifting to the other side of town, White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers will undergo surgery next Friday to repair cartilage damage in his right knee, reports Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com (via Twitter). Flowers’ recovery will be worth keeping an eye on, as I’d imagine that he could be a borderline case when it comes to arbitration this December. The 29-year-old is set to earn a raise on this year’s $2.675MM salary after hitting .237/.292/.356 with nine home runs in 358 plate appearances. The Sox, who seem likely to re-tool and take another crack at contending in 2016, could look at catcher as a potential area of upgrade, though that speculation is my own, as opposed to Levine’s.
  • As Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune writes, Jose Abreu’s pair of RBIs yesterday brought him into an exclusive club of two, as he and Albert Pujols are now the lone players in baseball history to hit 30-plus homers and knock in 100-plus runs in their first two Major League seasons. “It’s a big honor to see my name now along with Albert,” said Abreu, via interpreter. “He’s one of the greatest players in the history of baseball, and now to have the opportunity to see my name along with his name is a big honor for me.” Abreu’s dominant performance over the first two seasons has made what was, at the time, an enormous leap of faith by the White Sox now look like a bargain. Abreu’s production through just two seasons has arguably already justified Chicago’s six-year, $68MM expenditure.

NL Central Links: Lopez, Price, Ricketts, Bryant

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Right-hander Jorge Lopez will make his Major League debut tonight when he starts for the Brewers, and MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy has the story on how Lopez has already dealt with serious adversity on his path to the Show.  Lopez’s two-year-old son, Mikael, has spent much of his life in hospitals since being born prematurely, and doctors still don’t have a clear diagnosis for young Mikael’s health issues.  There has been some recent progress, however, and the family’s medical bills will be partly alleviated by the $40K Lopez will earn for his two-week stint in the bigs.  Lopez was Milwaukee’s second-round draft pick in 2011 and the 22-year-old posted a 2.26 ERA, 2.63 K/BB rate and 8.6 K/9 over 143 1/3 innings at Double-A Biloxi this season.

Here’s some more news from the NL Central…

  • The Reds are considering keeping Bryan Price as manager for 2016, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports.  Price has long been on the hot seat given the Reds’ rough season and a profanity-laden tirade to reporters back in April, though he may keep his job since the Reds were hampered by injuries and trade deadline deals that saw Johnny Cueto, Marlon Byrd and Mike Leake leave town.  Changes could be made to the coaching staff, however, with pitching coach Jeff Pico in particular a candidate to be replaced.  Rosenthal wonders if Price’s future employment could hinge in part on how he reacts if asked to replace some coaches.  No decision will be made on any managerial or coaching changes until after Cincinnati’s season is over.
  • The Cubs’ on-field success and added revenues from attendance and TV ratings doesn’t necessarily mean the team’s payroll will greatly rise, chairman Tom Ricketts told reporters (including CSN Chicago’s Patrick Mooney) yesterday.  “Theo [Epstein] will have some resources this offseason,” Ricketts said.  “But I don’t know how (much). And I’m not sure he’ll find something he wants to do with ‘em. It’s up to him….Obviously, winning helps the payroll analysis, (but) it’s not about payroll anymore.  The fact is, the correlation between the dollars you spend and the wins you get on the field is going down every single year.  So in order to have sustainable success, you can’t count on money. You have to count on young talent. You’ve seen what we’ve done. We’ve gone out and built the best facilities in baseball. We’ve scouted well. We’ve drafted well. I think we’re developing well.“
  • In another piece from Mooney, he notes that Kris Bryant’s versatility could be a great help to the Cubs in their offseason plans.  The rookie played at four positions (first, third, center field and right field) on Monday night and he’s also played six games in left field this season.  Bryant has an above-average UZR/150 at every position he’s played, though obviously the sample sizes are too limited (except for his 1177 1/3 innings at third base) to declare that he can adequately handle any of these spots around the field.  Still, Mooney opines that Bryant could potentially handle a position like center field on a short-term basis for a year if the Cubs need a bridge between Dexter Fowler and a prospect like Albert Almora.

Quick Hits: Gray, Epstein, McClendon, Desmond

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Athletics ace Sonny Gray will not pitch again this year, MLB.com’s Jane Lee tweets. Gray left his start on Friday with tightness in his hip. Gray has been a huge standout in what’s otherwise been a frustrating season in Oakland — he’s pitched 208 innings with a 2.73 ERA, 7.3 K/9, 2.6 BB/9 and a 52.7% ground ball rate, posting ace-caliber numbers for a 65-91 team. Starting in Gray’s place on Wednesday will be veteran Barry Zito, who will be making his third start of the season in his comeback with the A’s. Here are more notes from throughout the game.

  • Cubs owner Tom Ricketts says the team will eventually work on an extension for president of baseball operations Theo Epstein, but that will wait until after the season, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. “Theo and I have a great relationship. Obviously, the results are great,” says Ricketts. “Everyone in the baseball organization, we’re on a mission. And we want to keep that mission going forward.” Epstein is currently signed through next season to a five-year, $18.5MM contract. Given the Cubs’ strong season and the escalation in executive salaries since his deal was struck in late 2011 (Andrew Friedman’s contract with the Dodgers is worth $35MM), Epstein’s next deal will likely be significantly more lucrative.
  • Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon had what he describes as a “great” conversation with new GM Jerry Dipoto on Monday, MLB.com’s Greg Johns writes. It isn’t yet clear whether Dipoto will retain McClendon next season, however. “I’m under contract to manage next year, and hopefully I’ll manage the club,” says McClendon. “So beyond that, if you’re looking for security in this game, you’re in the wrong business. That’s me and every other manager.”
  • Impending free agent shortstop Ian Desmond has fans in the Padres organization, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. The Padres, of course, have a need at shortstop, and Desmond’s struggles with the Nationals this year (during which he’s batted .236/.289/.389) should make him available more cheaply, and on a shorter deal, than he previously figured to get.
  • Rockies 2015 first-round picks Brendan Rodgers (No. 3 overall) and especially Mike Nikorak (No. 27) had uneven pro debuts, but the team isn’t worried, MLB.com’s Jim Callis writes. Rodgers hit well (.273/.340/.420) at rookie-level Grand Junction, especially given his age, but suffered through hamstring troubles. Nikorak walked 32 batters in 17 2/3 innings, also for Grand Junction. The Rockies believe that Rodgers’ injury issues were due to a long break between the end of his high school season and the start of his pro career, and they’re going to help him work on his conditioning. Rockies director of player development Zach Wilson says he isn’t concerned about Nikorak’s debut. “Quite frankly, this season is going to be the best thing that ever happened to Mike Nikorak,” says Wilson. “He’s got the mentality to learn from this and make adjustments.”

Playoff Notes: Cubs, Blue Jays, Pirates

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The latest teams to clinch playoff spots are the Cubs (who earned theirs when the Giants were eliminated with a loss last night) and Blue Jays (who won their spot with a win over the Rays and a Twins loss to the Tigers. For both teams, it’s been a long time coming. The Cubs haven’t been to the playoffs since 2008, when they fell in the NLDS to the Dodgers. The Jays, meanwhile, haven’t been to the playoffs since 1993, when Joe Carter walked off against the Phillies in the World Series. Here are more quick notes on playoff-bound teams.

  • The Blue Jays are well positioned for a playoff run, John Lott of the National Post writes. The additions of David Price (via trade) and Marcus Stroman (via a return from injury) have given the Jays two front-line starting pitchers of a type they lacked early in the season.
  • After 20 straight losing seasons, the Pirates are now playoff regulars, the Associated Press writes. After Bob Nutting took over as the face of Pirates ownership and Neal Huntington as their GM, the Bucs’ transformation started at the bottom. They spent heavily on the draft, reorganized their scouting department, and invested in their Latin American program. After the Pirates’ collapse in 2012, though, the team nearly decided to change course. “Everything was up for discussion, for review, for throwing us all out,” says Nutting. They Pirates kept their front office in place, and they’ve made the playoffs in three consecutive years since then.

NL Central Notes: Wainwright, Jocketty, Cubs

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The Brewers’ impending hiring of David Stearns as their new general manager is the biggest news out of the NL Central today, and here’s some more from around the division…

  • Adam Wainwright will meet with doctors on Monday to determine if he has a chance to pitch again this season, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes.  The Cardinals ace ruptured his Achillies tendon in late April, an injury that usually has a 9-12 month recovery period.  Wainwright has been throwing bullpen sessions to build up his arm strength, though he has yet to practice fielding during his rehab process.
  • Reds GM Walt Jocketty said his team will look at add at least one veteran starting pitcher this offseason, Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.  The interview includes Jocketty’s general overview of Cincinnati’s disappointing season, though the GM believes the Reds can rebound in 2016 with fewer injuries and possible help from an improving farm system, and “by 2017, we’ll be back up and running.”
  • Jocketty doesn’t regret dealing the likes of Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake, as it the trades brought some needed prospect depth into the Reds’ system.  The reinforcements were necessary given the overall strength of the NL Central, “so this was the time you kind of step back and rebuild it a little….not rebuild, but retool.  We’re not that far away,” Jocketty said.
  • Twelve key decisions best outline Theo Epstein’s master plan to rebuild the Cubs, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.  The list includes everything from important draft picks to coaching changes to notable additions and subtractions, and the list even includes a mistake — Edwin Jackson’s free agent contract “served as a cautionary tale for Epstein.”

Rosenthal’s Latest: Stanton, Castro, Samardzija

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Here’s the latest from Ken Rosenthal, via a video on FOX Sports.

  • Rosenthal suggests that Bryce Harper’s recent praise for manager Matt Williams could be a genuine expression of support that could help dissuade the Nationals from firing Williams, or it could be a “politically savvy” move to bolster his own reputation as a team player by offering praise for a manager he thinks will eventually be fired anyway.
  • The downside of Giancarlo Stanton’s long-term deal was that he committed to be with a questionably run Marlins organization for at least six years. Rosenthal notes, though, that 2015 hasn’t been the first season in which Stanton has struggled to stay healthy — he has only averaged 118 games played per season for his career. In signing a long-term deal, Stanton reduced the risk that injuries could limit his career earnings.
  • The Cubs have plenty of talented infielders and could still trade Starlin Castro, who has improved his stock by hitting well since the beginning of August and capably handling a new position, second base. Now, the Cubs can market him either as a shortstop or as a second baseman.
  • Jeff Samardzija hasn’t pitched well for the White Sox, but his health record is pristine, with one executive says the health of his right arm is “right out of the womb.” The Yankees or Pirates could be good fits for Samardzija, Rosenthal suggests, given their recent successes at helping struggling but talented pitchers. Samardzija might do surprisingly well on the market this winter, Rosenthal says.

Central Notes: Cubs, Holland, Larkin

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The Cubs and Pirates are squared off in a key double-header today at PNC Park as the teams jockey for position in the NL Central — and, quite possibly, the rights to host an all-or-nothing Wild Card game. Let’s check in on the latest notes from that division and its corresponding grouping from the American League side.

  • Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein says he’s not worried about the possibility of losing front office talent to other organizations this winter, as Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. “I think we have a pretty tight-knit group, and this is a great time to be a Chicago Cub,” he explained, going on to add that, “but if we do [lose front office staff], I think we have a really deep organization, that there’s another layer ready to step up.” Epstein’s own contractual status is set to move towards the front of the burner for Chicago, of course. He says that he’s not giving any thought to the matter at present, and it’s hard to blame him: with organization’s baseball operations department firing on all cylinders, his leverage only seems to be on the rise.
  • There is some real cause for concern with Royals closer Greg Holland, writes MLB.com’s Mike Petriello. His fastball velocity and spin rate have both fallen off a cliff of late, and a recent ten-day rest did not reverse the trend. That not only creates questions the rest of the way for the World Series-hopeful Royals, but adds to the offseason intrigue for the 29-year-old righty. Kansas City already has a ton of cash (relative to its overall payroll) committed to the pen, and Holland will line up for a raise on his $8.25MM salary in his final year of arbitration. He had seemed a plausible trade candidate, but will need to answer some questions over the final weeks of the season and the postseason before his offseason outlook can be assessed.
  • Former Reds great Barry Larkin has seen his name mentioned frequently as a hypothetical candidate to take over in the Cincinnati dugout, though it’s not clear yet whether Bryan Price will be retained for 2016. Larkin said today on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (Twitter link) that he interviewed for the Rays job last year and had preliminary discussions about the Tigers’ most recent opening, which at least gives credence to the idea that the Hall-of-Famer has interest in such a position.

Central Notes: Negron, Cubs Payroll, Olt, Rodon

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Reds utility man Kristopher Negron’s season is over due to a torn labrum and fractured scapula in his left shoulder, tweets C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Negron suffered the injury whilst making a spectacular diving catch in left field and was in good spirits about the injury, joking with Rosecrans (Twitter link), “At least it was on a pretty sweet play.” (It was indeed quite a nice grab, as can be seen here.) The versatile Negron’s season will come to an end with a disappointing .140/.238/.161 batting line in 107 plate appearances, though he was much more impressive in 2014 when he slashed .271/.331/.479 in 158 PAs.

A few more notes from the game’s Central divisions…

  • The Cubs project to see an attendance increase of roughly 275,000 fans over their 2014 number, reports Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. That significant spike in fans — due largely to the team’s much-improved on-field results — could result in a substantial payroll increase. As Wittenmyer notes, conservative estimates peg the attendance increase at an extra $20.6MM in revenue, and while perhaps not all of that money will go directly into payroll, the boost could be enough for the Cubs to make a serious run at elite free agents such as David Price and Zack Greinke.
  • Former Cubs farmhand Mike Olt, now with the White Sox after being claimed off waivers, will see plenty of playing time down the stretch, writes Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago. “He’ll probably get the majority of that time as we go through the rest of September, depending on matchups and things like that,” manager Robin Ventura tells Hayes. “We’ll be able to mix and match with him in there, but I would say he would get the majority of it.” Hayes notes that the ChiSox lack a definitive answer at third base in 2016 and will as such give Olt a chance to prove that he’s worthy of that distinction. Formerly a Top 50 prospect in his days with the Rangers, Olt has a lifetime .263/.361/.486 batting line in the minors. He’s battled vision problems and other injuries in the past and has always been strikeout prone, however, all of which have contributed to considerable struggles in the Major Leagues.
  • The White Sox have seen rapid improvement in former No. 3 overall pick Carlos Rodon, writes ESPN Chicago’s Doug Padilla. Ventura tells Padilla that Rodon had a hard time accepting some of the struggles he had early in the season, but he’s come away better off for it. “He took the not-pitching-well part tough, and I think he also was able to put it behind him and come back,” said Ventura. “I think deep down, it’s something he just has. That’s something he can hold onto and know that he can overcome things. When you have that, there’s something you have that nobody can take away from you.” Rodon has a 3.94 ERA with 9.4 K/9, 4.7 BB/9 and a 47.3 percent ground-ball rate in 125 2/3 innings this season, but he’s been much better of late. In his past six starts he has a 1.76 ERA with a 41-to-15 K/BB ratio and a 52 percent ground-ball rate in 41 innings. Rodon told Padilla that he’s enjoying the grind of a 162-game season, and Padilla notes that the talented rookie should finish with more than 150 innings between the Majors and minors this season.

Quick Hits: Diversity, Edwards, Corbin, Cash, Rays

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A continued lack of diversity in front office hirings remains a point of focus for the league, as Jon Morosi of FOX Sports writes. In particular, commissioner Rob Manfred has reiterated to teams that they must interview minority candidates if they conduct an outside hiring search for a GM or field manager. With plenty of turnover in the works around baseball, the issue will once again be at the forefront. Fortunately, Morosi explains, there are a variety of highly-qualified minority candidates who could well vie for consideration. He lists and briefly profiles several.

Here are a few more stray notes from around the league …

  • Highly-regarded Cubs righty Carl Edwards — best known previously as “C.J.” — had his big league debut today, as ESPNChicago.com’s Jesse Rogers writes. The 24-year-old entered the year on several top-100 lists but converted to a relief role. His long-term usage remains unclear, but for now, he profiles as an “impactful” arm for the team’s pen down the stretch, per skipper Joe Maddon. Edwards struggled with his command in the upper minors, surrendering 6.7 BB/9 in 55 1/3 frames split between Double-A and Triple-A, but whiffed 12.2 batters and allowed a stingy 4.2 hits per nine.
  • Diamondbacks lefty Patrick Corbin, 26, has somewhat quietly reemerged after Tommy John surgery, as Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports notes on Twitter. After another strong outing today, Corbin has racked up 62 1/3 frames of 3.32 ERA pitching with 61 strikeouts against just 13 walks. He’s arbitration-eligible for the first time next year, and figures to be a key part of Arizona’s rotation going forward.
  • Rays owner Stuart Sternberg praised the diversity efforts in the above-cited piece. He also recently heaped praise upon the club’s rookie manager, Kevin Cash, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Cash got a five-year deal from Tampa Bay over the offseason to replace the aforementioned Maddon, and Sternberg said he’s made good on that investment. “The highest expectations and beliefs I had in Kevin have been more than realized,” said Sternberg. “I’m extraordinarily, really pleased. … The manager he is today, I would have liked him to be next year at this time.”
  • Sternberg also discussed the Rays’ payroll, which sat at about $72MM this year and seems likely to decline. “In a perfect world, we’re able to maintain the payroll where it is, but it’s not overly likely,” he said. “We’ll see.” The club has just two significant players set to reach the market in shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and DH John Jaso, leading Sternberg to say that he is confident in the club’s chances to contend in 2016.

NL Central Notes: Lackey, Arrieta, Burnett, DelPiano

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John Lackey intends to pitch “for a couple of more years” after getting clearance from his family, ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets.  Though Lackey turns 37 in October, he’ll still be in line for a multi-year deal in free agency this winter given how well he’s pitched over the last three seasons.  Lackey has expressed an interest in remaining in the NL and ideally continuing to pitch for the Cardinals, who could be interested on a short-term deal.

  • Jake Arrieta is represented by Scott Boras but that doesn’t mean the righty is destined to leave the Cubs when he hits free agency, ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers writes.  Boras himself notes in the piece that he has had several high-profile clients who signed extensions with teams, while Arrieta said he has enjoyed his time in Chicago.  “I came over to this organization and was embraced by everybody and they made me feel extremely welcome and the comfort level was there from the get-go.  It was like a seamless transition,” Arrieta said.
  • It seems like A.J. Burnett will return to the Pirates rotation perhaps as early as Wednesday against the Reds.  GM Neal Huntington didn’t confirm any timeline with reporters (including Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review), though “we do have (a plan); we just need to have some conversations with those who are impacted by it.  Those will take place over the next day or so.”  Burnett has been sidelined for over a month recovering from a flexor strain in his throwing elbow but threw a simulated game on Friday and a bullpen session Sunday.
  • Marc DelPiano is leaving his position as a special assistant to Pirates GM Neal Huntington to take a senior vice-president role with the Marlins, ESPN’s Keith Law reports (Twitter link).  DelPiano has been with Pittsburgh since 2008, the latest stop in a 25-year career as a scout, coach and front office member with several different teams.  DelPiano previously worked with the Marlins in various capacities from 2000-05, including serving as their director of player development during the Marlins’ 2003 World Series season.
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