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Braves Notes: Olivera, Gonzalez, Ballpark

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Major League Baseball has once again extended the paid administrative leave period of Braves outfielder Hector Olivera, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reports on Twitter. The league has done so once already, and has yet to issue any final determination under the domestic violence policy since Olivera was arrested on April 13th. Along with Olivera, Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes has yet to learn the outcome of his own pending domestic abuse investigation despite the fact that his court case was brought to a close before the season started. While it isn’t surprising to see commissioner Rob Manfred proceeding cautiously while gathering facts, and there are no doubt behind-the-scenes discussions taking place, it’s surprising to see such lengthy periods of uncertainty.

Here’s more from Atlanta:

  • The Braves are weighing whether now is the time to part ways with manager Fredi Gonzalez, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. If Gonzalez is fired, he’d likely be replaced from within on an interim basis. But the organization could well look to veteran skipper Bud Black in the long run, Nightengale suggests.
  • While Gonzalez makes a rather easy target given the club’s start, Nightengale says that the club’s higher-ups don’t view him as somehow being solely responsible. Still, the sense is that things shouldn’t be as bad as they are. As Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes, the Braves have already cycled through plenty of roster options in an effort to spark some improvement.
  • Atlanta’s ballpark machinations have extended back well beyond their current stadium-building efforts, Ira Boudway and Kate Smith of Bloomberg report. Per the report, the organization has engaged in political and financial maneuvering with several of its minor league affiliates, too, with taxpayers often carrying the burden for new buildings while the team-owned affiliates prosper.

AL West Notes: Trumbo, Angels, Soto, Astros

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Multiple execs around the game tell ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick that they expect Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto to trade Mark Trumbo for a second time (Twitter link). Dipoto, formerly the Angels GM, sent Trumbo to Arizona in a trade that netted him Hector Santiago and Tyler Skaggs prior to the 2014 season and again inherited the first baseman upon taking over in Seattle. He’s targeted defense and on-base percentage in many of his early moves at the helm in Seattle, and Trumbo doesn’t necessarily fit with that type of philosophy. Trumbo projects to earn $9.1MM in 2016 and is a free agent following next offseason.

A few more notes from the division…

  • The Angels announced a wave of front office hires today, including the previously reported addition of former Padres manager/former Angels pitching coach Bud Black as a special assistant to GM Billy Eppler. Former Yankees scouting director Steve Martone has also been brought on as assistant GM (also previously reported but not official), and 27-year-old Jonathan Strangio has been promoted to AGM also. Strangio, a Harvard grad that joined the Angels as an intern in 2012, spent last season as the team’s manager of Major League operations. The Angels also promoted Bobby Scales from director of player development to special assistant; Justin Hollander from director of baseball ops to director of player personnel; and Mike LaCassa from assistant director of player development to director of minor league ops. The team also announced that A’s third base coach Mike Gallego has been hired as its new director of baseball development.
  • Eppler tells MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez that Geovany Soto, who inked a one-year, $2.8MM contract with the Angels today, will compete with young backstop Carlos Perez for the team’s starting role behind the plate next spring (Twitter link). The situation could ultimately result in a timeshare more than a standard starter/backup alignment, Gonzalez notes.
  • Brian McTaggart of MLB.com spoke to Astros GM Jeff Luhnow about his team’s upcoming arbitration decisions and was told that there are no budgetary constraints dictating whether or not the team will tender or non-tender any of its eight arb-eligible players. Nonetheless, McTaggart writes that one of Chris Carter, Luis Valbuena, Evan Gattis or Jason Castro is likely to be non-tendered, with Carter representing the likeliest option. With prospect A.J. Reed representing an affordable alternative, the team can probably afford to cut bait with Carter. Valbuena and Jed Lowrie are capable of handling first base in his stead if needed, McTaggart adds.
  • The Houston Chronicle’s Evan Drellich breaks down the Astros’ search for a reliever. While ESPN’s Jayson Stark reported recently that Houston is “hell-bent” on adding a closer, Luhnow said that’s not necessarily the case and he’s more “hell-bent” on improving the team by any avenue necessary. Of course, Luhnow isn’t likely to openly tip his hand about how strongly he wants a given asset, and Drellich points out that it makes sense to downplay this report in particular due to Luke Gregerson’s status as a well-respected leader in the bullpen. Luhnow again noted that it’d be nice to add an arm that can throw 95 to 100 mph, stating that he likes the notion of being able to give plenty of “different looks” to opposing lineups, though he didn’t characterize the need to add to the ’pen as any kind of top priority. Drellich writes that Houston would probably take Tony Sipp back on a two-year deal right now, but setup men like him — Sipp is arguably the market’s top lefty — tend to seek three years. The general expectation, though, seems to be that the Astros will add at least one relief arm (McTaggart noted that it’s likely in the above-linked piece as well). Luhnow told Drellich that for the time being, trade talks are more active than free-agent talks.

Kapler, Roberts Are Finalists For Dodgers’ Manager; Decision To Come By Monday

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Since the Dodgers and manager Don Mattingly mutually agreed to part ways last month, the Dodgers have been conducting interviews to determine their next skipper. Farm director Gabe Kapler was said to be the early front-runner, although to this point, Los Angeles has also interviewed Padres bench coach Dave Roberts, Mets bench coach (and former A’s manager) Bob Geren and former big leaguer/current Nebraska head coach Darin Erstad. Last month’s updates on the search can be found here, and we’ll keep track of the November updates to the Dodgers’ managerial search in this post…

  • The Dodgers will decide on their next manager no later than Monday, sources tell Buster Olney of ESPN.com (on Twitter).  The club’s choice still appears to be between Kapler and Roberts.

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Latest On Angels’ Front Office

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4:36pm: Eppler tells Fletcher that the Angels “have not hired Bud Black” and are still in the process of assembling their front office unit (links to Twitter). However, Fletcher notes that it won’t be a surprise if Black ultimately does land in the Angels’ front office, calling him a natural fit.

Notably, Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times has tweeted that Black will join the front office even after Eppler’s comment, so perhaps in light of the drama with the Nationals, the Angels are just being careful to limit talk of Black’s return until everything is official.

4:09pm: Former Padres skipper and Angels pitching coach Bud Black will return to the Halos as a member of their front office, reports MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez. Black’s specific role isn’t clear just yet, though Gonzalez says he’ll likely be a special assistant to GM Billy Eppler. Additionally, Jeff Fletcher of the O.C. Register reports that the Angels have hired Yankees manager of pro scouting as their new assistant general manager.

Black, 58, was fired by the Padres in June of this past season after serving as the team’s skipper for parts of the past nine seasons. He drew offseason interest from both the Nationals and Dodgers in the clubs’ respective managerial searches and was even reported at one point to be the Nats’ choice as their new manager. However, contract discussions between the two sides broke down, and Washington ultimately tabbed Dusty Baker as its new manager. Following that, Black was reported to be one of a handful of finalists for the Dodgers, but the field has since been narrowed to two (Gabe Kapler and Black’s former bench coach Dave Roberts).

Black began his coaching career with the Angels, serving as Mike Scioscia’s pitching coach from 2000-06 before being named Padres’ manager. While his exact duties aren’t yet known, one can envision him working with the club’s young pitchers in Spring Training and going on advance scouting assignments to weigh in on pitchers over the course of the regular season.

Martone, of course, has a connection to Eppler from the pair’s time together in the front office, where Eppler recently held the title of assistant GM. He’ll absorb many of the duties that were shared by Angels assistant GMs Matt Klentak and Scott Servais, who recently left the Halos’ front office to become GM of the Phillies and manager of the Mariners, respectively. Fletcher notes that Martone has been with the Yankees dating back to 2007 and was largely responsible for identifying trade and free-agent targets in New York.

Gonzalez also reports that Ron Roenicke, who served as the Angels’ third base coach from 2000-05 but has more recently been manager of the Brewers and third base coach for the Dodgers, will also return to the Angels. He’ll assume his former duties as the third base coach in Anaheim after missing out on the Dodgers’ managerial gig himself.

NL East Notes: Baker, Nats, Marlins, Gordon

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The Nationals reportedly agreed to hire Bud Black as their manager before going with Dusty Baker, but GM Mike Rizzo has a slightly different version of events.  “We definitely had financial parameters discussed with (both), at the same time,” Rizzo said at a press conference, according to The Associated Press.

“We felt that was the best track to go by,” Rizzo said, “because sometimes the negotiating process also tells you a lot about the people that you’re negotiating with. As we discussed baseball in the interview process, and parameters in the financial process, we came to the conclusion that Dusty Baker was the perfect guy for us.”

Here’s more from the NL East..

  • The Marlins will explore making an extension offer to second baseman Dee Gordon, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes.  For his part, Gordon says that he would be receptive to such an offer.  The NL batting and stolen base champ is under team control for a few more years and will not be eligible to hit the open market until after the 2019 season.   Recently, team president David Samson remarked that the organization has “three of the top ten players in baseball” — referring to Giancarlo Stanton, Jose Fernandez, and Gordon.
  • The Marlins are less optimistic about signing shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria, however. Miami is under the impression that the 26-year-old (27 in April) will seek a deal in the neighborhood of Elvis Andrus’ eight-year, $120MM pact. Hechavarria, under team control through 2018, slashed a career-best .281/.315/.374 in 2015.  Of course, he is valued more for his glove, which resulted in a stellar 17.7 UZR/150 this past season.
  • Catcher Jeff Mathis remains a possibility to return to the Marlins because of his defense and the way he handles the pitching staff, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes.  Mathis, 33 in March, slashed just .161/.214/.290 in 103 plate appearances last season.  For his career, he owns a slash line of .194/.254/.306 over the course of eleven big league campaigns.  While he won’t be winning any battling titles soon, Mathis is valued for plenty of other things outside of his bat.

Nationals Notes: Baker, Papelbon, Manager Hiring, Rizzo

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The Nationals introduced Dusty Baker as the club’s new manager today, bringing a close to a surprising hiring saga. As James Wagner of the Washington Post writes, the veteran baseball man brought plenty of pizzazz to his press conference. The club also announced the hiring of Mike Maddux as its new pitching coach and Davey Lopes as the first base coach.

It was a busy week in D.C., with the Nats also losing an important court battle relating to TV revenue. Here’s more:

  • Despite starting a nearly-unthinkable dugout brawl with star Bryce Harper, closer Jonathan Papelbon is nevertheless expected to stay with the club and handle late-inning duties alongside Drew Storen, team sources tell Tom Boswell of the Washington Post. Harper has reached out to Papelbon in an effort to improve their relationship, says Boswell, with the team indicating that they don’t expect any issues regarding the clubhouse interactions of any of the above players. Of course, as he notes, there may be some pre-winter posturing in the expression of those views.
  • There were lots of negative reactions to the Nationals’ unconsummated dalliance with Bud Black prior to agreeing with Baker. We’ve already covered that episode in some detail, but here are some more sources to consider if you want to read further: Boswell writes that the club’s ownership (the Lerner family) has yet to fully adapt to conducting business in the world of baseball. Though the organization eventually offered Black three years at a strong annual rate, says Boswell, it had already botched the negotiations (which were, seemingly, largely conducted by ownership). Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com provides a detailed timeline of what went down with Black and Baker. In his account, the maximum offer only “may have gotten up to two guaranteed years at some point.” Talks failed, then were re-started, before Washington finally told Black late Monday night that the club was going in another direction.
  • The Post’s Barry Svrluga adds that the botched Black negotiations are not the first time the ownership group has ruffled feathers. “Internal morale … is low,” sources tell him, with one explaining that GM Mike Rizzo is “handcuffed in so many ways” by the organization’s top leadership. And their colleague Adam Kilgore says that Rizzo’s “situation can be considered tenuous.”
  • The Nationals, of course, are among the many clubs facing difficult qualifying offer decisions tomorrow at 4pm CST. We’ve yet to hear whether D.C. will make the one-year, $15.8MM offer to outgoing free agents such as Jordan Zimmermann, Ian Desmond, Denard Span, and Doug Fister. Only Span, perhaps, presents a difficult decision, though, as the first two of those names seem like virtual locks to receive the offer while Fister’s rough season makes him an unlikely candidate.

Nationals Hire Dusty Baker As Manager

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NOV. 4: Baker’s contract is a two-year, $4MM contract that comes along with $3MM worth of incentives, Nightengale now reports (via Twitter).

NOV. 3, 9:48am: Baker will be paid “less than half” of his old salary (reportedly around $3.5MM) with the Reds, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets. His contract does, however, contain “substantial incentives.”

7:05am: The Nationals have officially announced the hiring of Dusty Baker to “a multi-year contract.” It will reportedly guarantee two seasons of salary.

While Baker had been considered one of two finalists to take over the Nats dugout, the club was reportedly set to go instead with Bud Black. Indeed, Black and the Nats are said to have agreed to move forward with a relationship before contract negotiations stalled. Black was reportedly shocked at Washington’s first offer, which was for one year and $1.6MM.  Washington then increased its offer to two years at a “lowball” salary, but talks never gained traction.

In Baker, 66, the Nationals are getting an amply experienced skipper — as they said they hoped to do in undertaking the search. Baker has previously been in charge of the field operations of the Giants (1993 to 2002), Cubs (2003 to 2006), and Reds (2008 to 2013). With three National League manager of the year awards already in his trophy case, Baker will look to guide D.C. to his first-ever World Series crown as a skipper.

Oct 1, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker before the National League wild card playoff baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Baker has piloted his teams to an overall record of 1,671 wins against 1,504 losses. He secured division championships at each stop, five in total, and led teams into the post-season seven times. Baker was at the helm of the Giants for their 2002 run to the World Series, which the club dropped in seven games.

Long before he became one of the league’s higher-profile skippers, Baker was an accomplished outfielder in the majors. He played 19 total seasons, spending time with the Braves, Dodgers, Giants, and Athletics while compiling a lifetime .278/.347/.432 batting line with 242 home runs. Baker compiled just under forty wins above replacement in his playing career and appeared in the World Series three times.

“We were looking for a manager to help us achieve our ultimate goal of competing for a World Series championship,” managing owner Ted Lerner said in a prepared statement. “During our broad search process we met with many qualified candidates, and ultimately it was clear that Dusty’s deep experience was the best fit for our ballclub.”

President and GM Mike Rizzo also put his name to a statement in the release. “In getting to know Dusty and identifying what we wanted in the next on-field leader of our team,” he said, “we are excited to have him on board. Dusty’s experience, as a winning player, coach, and manager, is vast and varied. We are excited to bring him to Washington and put his steady demeanor, knowledge and many years in the game to work in our favor. I think I speak for the entire organization when I say I am very much looking forward to working with him.”

While the organization was said to have been impressed with Baker from the start, the very public breakdown with Black marks an ugly start to the offseason. Rizzo and the Nats have had some issues in the dugout in recent years. Jim Rigglemen resigned in the middle of the 2011 season in protest over his lack of an extension. The club had a fairly smooth run with Davey Johnson, though even in his case there was a long delay in reaching a new deal after the breakout 2012 season. And the team’s most recent skipper, Matt Williams, was roundly criticized before being fired at the end of 2015.

The Nats can be hopeful that Baker will help to stabilize things after the organization endured a messy 2015. He is, after all, deeply experienced and comes with a reputation as a first-class players’ manager. Motivating players and managing clubhouse personalities is a key part of the job, of course, and arguably one where Williams failed.

On the other hand, Baker has long been a prime analytical example of in-game decisionmaking problems. As Neil Weinberg wrote near the end of Baker’s tenure in Cincinnati, his lineup construction, bullpen management, and proclivity to bunt all can and have been questioned. And Baker was blamed in many quarters for over-using young arms with the Cubs, though it’s hard to imagine that becoming an issue in D.C., which drew fire for its late-season shutdown of Stephen Strasburg.

It’s not clear yet whether Baker’s approach has evolved as he takes up his fourth big league managerial position. There have been suggestions that he’s worked to learn more about modern analytical thinking, though we’ll need to await his comments and actions to know more. Rizzo has never hired a sabermetric darling as his club’s skipper, though it’s worth wondering whether he and Baker will work to correct some of the late-inning pen usage issues that cropped up this year under Williams.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported that Baker would be offered the job last night, and said early this morning that agreement appeared imminent. Nightengale tweeted that it was a two-year deal. The TalkNats.com blog first reported issues in the contract negotiations. Heyman reported that Baker was back in the mix. Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (via Twitter), Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter and in this post), and Scott Miller of Bleacher Report (in a tweet) all reported on the details of talks with Black.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Nationals To Name Bud Black Manager

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The Nationals will hire former Padres skipper Bud Black as their next manager, reports James Wagner of the Washington Post. The team has yet to confirm the move or make an official announcement, as Major League Baseball frowns upon teams announcing major news on the days that World Series games take place. Black was said to be one of two finalists, with former Giants/Cubs/Reds manager Dusty Baker the other reported name under consideration.

Bud Black

Black, 58, served as the Padres’ manager from 2007 until June of this past season, when he was fired. On the heels of a highly active offseason, the Padres entered the season with high expectations but failed to deliver the results that the front office and ownership had hoped to see. Black’s dismissal surprised many in the game, as he was among baseball’s longest-tenured and most respected managers. His time in San Diego represents Black’s only Major League managerial experience. He managed the team to a 649-713 record in that time, the Padres routinely dealt with payroll constraints that hampered the team’s ability to field competitive rosters. Prior to his time in San Diego, Black was the Angels’ pitching coach from 2000-06, where he won a World Series ring in 2002.

Black will replace the recently fired Matt Williams, who came to D.C. without prior managerial experience and often looked overmatched with in-game decisions such as bullpen usage. However, perhaps more troubling were the reported communication issues that developed between Williams and the Nationals’ roster over the course of the 2015 season. Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post wrote an extensive piece about rifts that formed between Williams and some of the team’s veteran players. Williams also appeared unaware of the extent to which a dugout altercation between Jonathan Papelbon and Bryce Harper escalated in the season’s final weeks. Given Black’s experience managing in the Majors, such communication issues and day-to-day problems don’t figure to arise under his watch.

Washington also dismissed its entire coaching staff following the season, so Black will be allowed to hand-pick each of the coaches who serve alongside him. As Wagner reports, Rick Renteria, who formerly managed the Cubs but served as Black’s bench coach in San Diego prior to that job, is an early favorite to serve as Black’s bench coach with the Nationals.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Nationals’ Managerial Search

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9:52pm: Black’s second interview will also take place on Monday, ESPN’s Jim Bowden tweets.

2:53pm: Dusty Baker and Bud Black will indeed receive second interviews for the Nationals’ managerial vacancy and, at this point, it appears that one of the two will get the job, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com writes.  “Barring something strange happening,” Heyman writes that it will be one of the two experienced candidates since they are the only finalists remaining.

Baker will interview on Monday while Black’s interview will also take place early this week.  Heyman notes that GM Mike Rizzo has a preference for experienced managers, though he made an exception in the case of Matt Williams.

In 1362 career games as a manager, all with the Padres, Black totaled a record of 649-713 despite routinely having to work with one of baseball’s lowest payrolls. A pitching coach prior to his work as a manager, he drew praise for his work with many of San Diego’s young arms over the course of his career in the dugout.

As the manager of the Reds, Baker led the club to a 509-463 record and three playoff berths across six seasons.  The 66-year-old is also a three-time NL Manager of the Year and led the 2002 Giants to the National League pennant.  In total, Baker owns a 1671-1504 record as manager of the Giants, Cubs, and Reds.

The Nats conducted a wide-ranging search for the position with names such as Ron Gardenhire, Giants coach Ron Wotus, Dodgers coach Tim Wallach, Alex Cora, and Diamondbacks minor-league manager Phil Nevin among those linked to the opening.  Ex-Dodgers skipper Don Mattingly was conspicuously absent from their search and it doesn’t appear that Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. garnered consideration despite his stated interest in the job.

Dodgers Notes: Friedman, Urias, De Leon, Holmes

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Dodgers president Andrew Friedman has made sweeping changes throughout the organization, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. Now that former manager Don Mattingly has stepped down, Friedman will have the opportunity to remake the major league coaching staff too. Today’s managers must serve as a conduit between analytical front offices and the players. Friedman plans to make a hire by the Winter Meetings in two months. Presently, the top rumored candidates are Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez (a former Friedman employee), former Padres manager Bud Black, and Dodgers personnel Gabe Kapler, Tim Wallach, and Ron Roenicke. Of course, other candidates could enter the fray too.

Here’s more from the Dodgers:

  • Los Angeles has not developed a meaningful starting pitcher since Clayton Kershaw, writes Shaikin in a separate column. GM Farhan Zaidi claims the club will get younger, but the drafts since Kershaw have not been kind. They’ve made 12 first round picks since Kershaw was selected, and 10 of them have been pitchers. It’s telling that Corey Seager has produced more WAR than all of them in just one month of play. As the Mets demonstrate, a deep, young rotation can bring you a long way. With the Dodgers massive resources, the next step is to develop better pitching.
  • Pitching reinforcements won’t arrive by the start of 2016, per Shaikin. That will force the club to spend big to re-sign Zack Greinke or acquire another top arm. However, prospects Julio Urias, 19, Jose De Leon, 23, and Grant Holmes, 19, all show promise and could move quickly. Urias is the most recognizable of the trio. He has appeared numerous times here on MLBTR. De Leon also came up in deadline rumors, particularly for Cole Hamels. Holmes, the club’s first round pick in 2014, may be slightly less visible than the other two. However, prior to the season, FanGraphs’ Kiley McDaniel rated him as the fourth best prospect in the system – ahead of De Leon (seventh ranked).
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