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Dan Kantrovitz

Central Notes: Kiermaier, Twins, Anderson, Morel, Kantrovitz, Bloom

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The Twins are interested in Kevin Kiermaier to address their need in center field, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.  Since Byron Buxton’s health and ability to play center field is still in doubt, the Twins are again looking for some help up the middle, as Michael A. Taylor (acquired last winter in a trade with the Royals) is now a free agent.  Kiermaier would come at a higher price tag in free agency, yet the veteran offers equally stellar glovework, albeit with a pretty significant injury history in his own right.

With the Blue Jays managing Kiermaier’s playing time in order to keep him healthy, Kiermaier managed to almost entirely avoid the injured list in 2023, while hitting .265/.322/.419 over 408 plate appearances and winning another Gold Glove for his work in center field.  If Buxton is able to play in the field at all, the Twins could conceivably platoon Buxton and Kiermaier in center field to keep both players fresh.  Signing Kiermaier would add yet another name to a somewhat crowded list of Minnesota position players, yet Nightengale feels the Twins will aim to trade from this surplus to land pitching help

More from both the AL and NL Central…

  • Also from Nightengale, the White Sox “desperately tried” to find a trade partner for Tim Anderson, but ended up just declining Anderson’s $14MM club option.  A trade would’ve allowed the Sox to at least recoup something in return for their veteran shortstop rather than letting him go for nothing, yet any number of factors might’ve prevented a deal.  We don’t know what Chicago was looking for in return, of course, or whether Anderson’s salary was a sticking point for either a new team to absorb, or if a suitor wanted the White Sox to eat some money to facilitate a deal.  Now a free agent, Anderson figures to draw plenty of attention as a bounce-back candidate, probably on a one-year pillow contract worth less than $14MM, considering Anderson’s poor 2023 season.
  • Christopher Morel is expected to draw a lot of trade attention this winter, as The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney write that rival teams scouted Morel thinking the Cubs would be more open to moving the utilityman in the offseason than at the trade deadline.  Morel is something of a “master of none” type of utility player, as he can play multiple positions but isn’t real defensive plus at any spot, except possibly second base.  But, this versatility and his above-average hitting numbers over 854 career PA makes him an interesting trade chip for the Cubs as they address other needs.
  • Also from Sharma and Mooney, the Mets had interest in hiring Cubs VP of scouting Dan Kantrovitz “for a high-level job in their front office,” but Kantrovitz will be staying in Chicago.  Kantrovitz has been with the Cubs for the last four seasons, after previously working as an assistant GM with the Athletics.  In other Cubs front office buzz, Sharma/Mooney figure that the team will explore an external hire for at least one of their two assistant GM openings, as a way of bringing a fresh voice into the mix.
  • “There are rumblings” that former Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom might land with the Cardinals in an advisor role, Peter Gammons reports (on X).  Not much had been heard about Bloom’s potential next step after he was fired by the Sox in September, before Gammons’ item and today’s news that Bloom turned down overtures from the Marlins about their front office vacancy.  An advisory job would be an interesting way of Bloom to keep a foothold in baseball without committing to another full-time post, as Gammons notes that Bloom is prioritizing time with his family.

Managerial/Front Office Notes: White Sox, Kantrovitz, A’s, Cards

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There’s quite a lot of intrigue in the front office and managerial arenas this offseason. Let’s check in on the latest bits of information …

  • WGN broadcaster Dan Roan crafted an eyebrow-raising tweet regarding the next White Sox manager. Indications are that the organization is preparing to make a swift and dramatic decision to fill the top dugout opening. Roan hints at a forthcoming announcement that Tony La Russa will be tapped for a return run on the South Side. It’s certainly not a firm report of an imminent agreement, but Sox fans may want to keep an eye on the news wire on Thursday.
  • The Angels have a new potential target in their GM search, per Jon Morosi of MLB.com (via Twitter). The Halos have asked the Cubs to green-light a chat with Dan Kantrovitz, the current VP of scouting in Chicago. Kantrovitz, who has been with the Cubs for less than a year, could in theory be considered for the top job in Anaheim or targeted as one of two hires if the club decides to bring on both a president of baseball ops and a general manager.
  • This time last year, Kantrovitz was still with the Athletics — a team that now appears to be looking at the end of an era with the potential departure of Billy Beane. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle addresses several elements of the situation in response to reader inquiries. Unsurprisingly, she anticipates that GM David Forst would step into Beane’s shoes in the event of the latter’s departure. Kantrovitz might’ve been in line to succeed as GM had he remained. As things stand, Slusser suggests that AGM Billy Owens stands to move up the ladder if he’s not first snatched up by another org.
  • The Cardinals are planning to trim costs in player payroll after a round of front office cuts. It turns out that the recent departures included a trio of notable former players, according to Mark Saxon of The Athletic (via Twitter). Former Cards Chris Carpenter, Jason Isringhausen, and Jim Edmonds are no longer being paid as special assistants.

Blue Jays To Name Shane Farrell Amateur Scouting Director

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The Toronto Blue Jays are getting set to name Shane Farrell as their new amateur scouting director, per sources for Robert Murray (via Twitter), previously of The Athletic. Farrell has been the west coast crosschecker for the Chicago Cubs.

Chicago and Toronto both are undergoing behind the scenes makeovers this offseason, to varying degrees. Toronto is in need of new blood due to the departure of Ben Cherington to Pittsburgh. Chicago, meanwhile, has remade parts of their scouting and development departments, ostensibly driven by the stagnation of the team’s development pipeline.

Farrell’s departure from Chicago isn’t all that shocking after interviewing for and missing out on a VP of Scouting role that went to Dan Kantrovitz, a former assistant GM with the A’s. The Cubs also lost national crosschecker Sam Hughes to the Yankees this offseason, per The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma.

Farrell, of course, is the son of the well-known former Red Sox and Blue Jays manager John Farrell, currently a scout for the Reds. The Cubs still have one Farrell connection, as Shane’s brother Jeremy is an assistant director of baseball development with the organization, while the third Farrell brother, Luke Farrell, is a former Cubs farmhand, who made 9 quality appearances for the Rangers in 2019.

For the Blue Jays, Shane Farrell joins a crew with heavy connections to his father’s time in Cleveland, though don’t be fooled into thinking this is a nepotism hire. Farrell has a strong reputation of his own accord and has been seen as a “fast-riser” among those in the industry, per Sharma.

Cubs Hire Dan Kantrovitz As Vice President Of Scouting

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The Cubs announced Wednesday that they’ve hired Dan Kantrovitz away from the Athletics to serve as their new vice president of scouting. Kantrovitz had been an assistant general manager with Oakland for the past five years, working under executive vice president of operations Billy Beane and general manager David Forst.

Kantrovitz broke into baseball operations with the Cardinals in 2004 and has had multiple stints in both the St. Louis and Oakland front offices — including a run as the Cardinals’ director of scouting from 2012-14. During that time, the Cards drafted the likes of Michael Wacha, Stephen Piscotty, Carson Kelly, Kyle Barraclough, Marco Gonzales, Oscar Mercado, Luke Voit, Luke Weaver, Daniel Ponce de Leon and 2019 breakout ace Jack Flaherty.

Since returning to the Athletics for the 2015 season, he’s been elevated to assistant GM and tackled a variety of responsibilities within baseball operations. Per the Oakland media guide, Kantrovitz had a “primary focus on overseeing statistical analysis for evaluating and targeting players in the amateur draft, free agent and trade markets.”

Kantrovitz played shortstop in college at Brown University and graduated with a degree organizational behavior and management. In 2009, he completed a Master’s Degree in statistics at Harvard University.

The hiring of Kantrovitz comes two months after the Cubs announced that vice president of amateur scouting and player development Jason McLeod would transition to the role of vice president of player personnel. More recently, director of amateur scouting Matt Dorey was named senior director of player development.

Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago/670 The Score first reported the hiring of Kantrovitz, via Twitter

Latest On Phillies’ GM Search

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The Phillies announced before the season that they were officially looking to rebuild, and the organization is currently hanging on to pole position in next year’s draft. With Andy MacPhail taking over as club president and Ruben Amaro Jr. being relieved of his duties as general manager, the organization is expected to find a numbers-savvy GM to guide the its development.

The latest on their search:

  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that Athletics AGM Dan Kantrovitz is receiving a second interview from the Phillies (Twitter link). There are others in the wave of second-round interviews as well. Kantrovitz interviewed for the Brewers’ GM slot before Milwaukee hired David Stearns. Kantrovitz has had two stints with the A’s and two with the Cards, serving in various capacities, including assistant GM, director of scouting and director of international scouting.
  • MacPhail told Zolecki that while it’d be ambitious to expect a hire before the Phillies’ organizational meetings begin next Monday, we shouldn’t dismiss the possibility that a hire could be announced later next week. Zolecki notes that Angels AGM Matt Klentak, who Zolecki previously reported to be a favorite, has had his first interview. MacPhail hired Klentak as the Orioles’ director of baseball operations back in 2008, making Klentak one of the game’s youngest execs. Zolecki also notes that Ng is not among MacPhail’s top candidates.

Earlier Updates

  • ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick spoke to someone familiar with the Phillies’ GM search that disputed the notion that Picollo has become the front-runner in the search (links to Twitter). Rather, he hears that owner John Middleton’s top preference is former Red Sox GM Ben Cherington. However, Crasnick reminds that Cherington has previously indicated that he does not want to dive right back into another GM opportunity. Crasnick also reported over the weekend (Twitter link) that Beinfest has been informed that he is no longer in the running for the position.
  • While the Phillies still have plans to interview about six more candidates, Royals assistant GM J.J. Picollo has emerged as a “heavy favorite” to become the next Philadelphia general manager, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link). The New Jersey native has been connected to the Phillies’ opening previously, though it’s not exactly clear when he initially interviewed for the position. Picollo has held his current post with the Royals since 2008 and been in the organization since 2006. Prior to his time with the Royals, he spent seven years working for the Braves.
  • The Phillies have interviewed Cardinals director of player personnel Matt Slater for the position, reports MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince. Slater has been working in front offices for 20 years, beginning as the Orioles’ administrator of scouting from 1995-98, per his bio on the Cardinals’ web site. He also has served in various capacities with the Brewers, Angels and Dodgers in addition to consulting work with Nippon Professional Baseball’s Orix Buffaloes.

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Heyman’s Latest: Samardzija, GMs, Ozuna, Managers, Giants, Iwakuma

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Despite a terrible second half following up what had been an already underwhelming season, multiple executives tell Jon Heyman of CBS Sports that they expect White Sox right-hander Jeff Samardzija to do just fine in free agency. As has been said on many occasions, scouts love Samardzija’s raw stuff and competitive nature, and as Heyman points out he’s a relatively low-mileage arm due to his days as a wide receiver and time spent in the bullpen early in his MLB career. Two execs told Heyman they expect Samardzija to top Ervin Santana’s four-year, $55MM contract, with one saying he should “blow it away.” Unsurprisingly, Heyman hears that the Sox will extend a qualifying offer to Samardzija. I’ll join Heyman and the execs to whom he spoke in saying I’d be shocked to see Samardzija accept.

More from Heyman’s latest Inside Baseball column…

  • Frank Wren is seen as a likely hire for Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, though Heyman notes that Wren may receive a role other than GM. Turning to other GM openings, Heyman lists Jerry Dipoto as the favorite for the Mariners’ GM gig and calls current A’s assistant GM Dan Kantrovitz a favorite for the Brewers. Milwaukee is said to be seeking someone who is extremely analytical, and they’ve felt that some who have interviewed haven’t fit that description well enough. Billy Eppler is still the favorite for the Angels’ slot, Heyman writes. He doesn’t list a favorite for the Phillies, though he again connects Angels AGM Matt Klentak and Royals AGM J.J. Picollo to the position. Also according to Heyman, Ben Cherington turned down an interview with the Mariners, as his current plan is to take some time away from the rigors of GM work.
  • Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald recently wrote that Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria is very open to trading Marcell Ozuna, but president of baseball operations Michael Hill expressed a desire to keep the talented-but-struggling center fielder when speaking to Heyman. “He’s extremely talented and very much in our plans moving forward,” said Hill, although such a line is to be expected from an on-record executive anyway. Even if the intent is to shop Ozuna, Hill wouldn’t come out and say it.
  • Nationals skipper Matt Williams is “all but assured of a pink slip” following the season barring a miraculous playoff surge, per Heyman. On the opposite end of the spectrum is interim Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, who looks like he’ll be given a chance to shed the “interim” portion of his title in 2016. Brad Ausmus is indeed expected to be let go by the Tigers following the season, he also writes, and Ausmus could find himself in the dugout for the Padres if that comes to pass.
  • The Giants hope to add at least one, if not two starting pitchers this offseason, and a run at retaining Mike Leake appears to be one possible scenario. San Francisco is expected to work out a reunion with Tim Lincecum as well, he adds; the two-time Cy Young winner had hip surgery that ended his season earlier this month, though his surgeon strongly believes that the operation will help Lincecum restore some of his disappearing velocity.
  • Mariners ownership and those remaining in the front office want Hisashi Iwakuma back, so much so that they told other clubs at the deadline that they wouldn’t even consider trading him, Heyman writes. Iwakuma is keen on returning to Seattle as well, he notes. Of course, a run at Iwakuma would have to align with the thinking of whichever new executive steps into the GM’s chair.
  • Not that there should’ve been any doubt, but Heyman notes that the Blue Jays intend to pick up the club options on Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista. That’s hardly a surprise, as the respective $10MM and $14MM options on the right-handed sluggers are probably two of the easiest option decisions you’ll ever see.
  • Joel Hanrahan isn’t in a rush to return from his second TJ surgery and may not attempt to pitch in the Majors again until 2017. Best of luck to Hanrahan, who has seen injuries destroy the past three seasons of his career.

Front Office Notes: Red Sox, Kantrovitz, Bloom

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The Red Sox on Wednesday announced a trio of front office promotions, beginning with the promotion of former big league right-hander Brian Bannister to a newly created position: director of pitching analysis and development. He had previously been serving as a pro scout for the Sox. Additionally, amateur scout Chris Mears was bumped to pitching cross-checker, and Gus Quattlebaum was moved up from assistant director of professional/international scouting to director of pro scouting. Quattlebaum will replace former pro scouting director Jared Porter, who reportedly took a job with the Cubs late last month in the wake of Ben Cherington’s resignation.

More front office chatter from around the league…

  • D-Backs senior vice president De Jon Watson and Red Sox assistant general manager Mike Hazen have surfaced as candidates for the GM vacancy in Boston, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Brewers VP of amateur scouting Ray Montgomery’s name has also come up in connection to the Sox, Heyman adds. As Heyman notes, Watson has previously worked under Dave Dombrowski with the Marlins. Frank Wren’s name is still very much in play as well, Heyman hears, but there’s no clear-cut favorite at this point.
  • The Brewers have received permission from the Athletics to interview assistant general manager Dan Kantrovitz, per Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Kantrovitz is in his second stint with the Athletics and served as the Cardinals scouting director in the interim. Those interested in learning more about Kantrovitz will want to check out his interview with Fangraphs’ David Laurila from last October.
  • Rosenthal also reports (Twitter link) that the Brewers are expected to request an interview with Rays vice president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom. Tampa Bay promoted Bloom from director of baseball ops to VP of baseball ops last offseason after Andrew Friedman joined the Dodgers organization. A graduate of Yale, Bloom has a background in player development, contract negotiation and international scouting.
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