The 32-year-old Chamberlain was one of the game’s top regarded prospects after the Yankees selected him with the 41st overall pick in the 2006 draft. The Nebraska product spent barely a year in the minor leagues before debuting with one of the more memorable stretches of dominance for any rookie pitcher in recent memory.

Chamberlain debuted with the Yankees on Aug. 7, 2007 and went on to reel off 16 brilliant innings with a 0.00 ERA to open his career. He was eventually scored upon with one unearned run and a lone earned run, but his rookie season ended with a comically dominant 0.38 ERA and a 34-to-6 K/BB ratio in 24 innings of work.

Between that short sample and a strong overall rookie campaign in 2008 (2.60 earned run average, 10.6 K/9, 3.5 BB/9 in 100 1/3 innings between 30 relief appearances and 12 starts), Chamberlain appeared poised for greatness. However, a full-time move to the starting rotation in 2009 yielded middling results, and Chamberlain lacked his typical relief dominance when moved back to the bullpen in 2010.

Yankees fans can undoubtedly recall a divide within the organization as to which role best suited Chamberlain, and the dreaded “Joba Rules” that the organization put in place to protect the prized young righty’s arm ultimately failed to achieve their goal. A torn ulnar collateral ligament and Tommy John surgery in 2011 limited him to 48 2/3 innings over a two-year period. Chamberlain’s final season in Yankee pinstripes came in 2013 and resulted in an ERA just south of 5.00 with diminished strikeout and walk rates.

Over the next three seasons, Chamberlain bounced around the American League Central, spending time as a member of the Tigers, Royals and Indians while finding varying levels of success. He turned in a solid 2014 season with the Tigers and quietly gave the Indians 20 very strong innings of relief as recently as 2016. But the dominance that Chamberlain showed during his impressive minor league stint and his first 124 big league innings never really resurfaced following his surgery. He was in minor league camp with the Brewers this year but never signed another contract after failing to make the team out of Spring Training.

All said, Chamberlain’s career will come to a close with a 25-21 record, seven saves and a 3.81 ERA over the life of 555 1/3 innings between the Yankees, Tigers, Indians and Royals. Though he never reached the heights that many projected early in his career, Chamberlain still appeared in four different postseasons, taking home a World Series ring with the 2009 Yankees. Between his signing bonus out of the draft and his salaries over parts of 10 big league seasons, he took home roughly $12MM as a player. Best wishes to Joba and his family as he embarks on his post-playing days.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Though he allowed only three runs in his eight spring frames, Chamberlain managed only two strikeouts to go with five walks and ten base knocks. That was much the same story as his 2016 campaign, when he worked to a 2.25 ERA over twenty innings with the Indians but coughed up 11 walks (against 18 punch-outs) in the process.

In 342 career relief appearances, Chamberlain carries a 3.56 ERA and has held opposing hitters to a .247/.318/.379 batting line. But he last turned in a full and productive campaign in 2014 with the Tigers. Still, it seems likely he’ll catch on with another organization in the coming days.

Webb, meanwhile, only received three innings of work in camp, allowing just a single hit and earned run but failing to record a strikeout while issuing two free passes. Like Chamberlain, he’s a 31-year-old reliever who has had a fair bit of MLB success, with a 3.43 lifetime ERA in nearly 400 frames at the game’s highest level. But he struggled to a 5.19 ERA last year in his 17 1/3 innings with the Rays, coughing up 27 hits in the process.

JAN. 20: The Brewers have agreed to a deal with veteran righty Joba Chamberlain, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). Though it’s not mentioned in the report, it seems likely that the contract is of the minor-league variety.

Chamberlain, 31, put up a 2.25 ERA in twenty frames for the Indians last year. Though he allowed only a dozen hits, however, he surely benefited from a .216 BABIP and posted a mediocre 18:11 K/BB ratio. After permitting three free passes in an outing in early July, he was designated and later released by Cleveland (after he refused an outright assignment).

While there were obviously some limitations in Chamberlain’s game, it was surprising that he did not end up joining another organization in 2016. He had managed to post a sturdy 11.6% swinging-strike rate, was not allowing much hard contact, and was averaging better than 93 mph with his fastball when he was cut loose.

Milwaukee now becomes the latest team to have a look at the one-time top prospect, who has spent time with four organizations over the last three years since leaving the Yankees. Chamberlain figures to join the battle in camp for a role in a Brewers’ pen that figures to have a few spots up for grabs this spring.

A few more notes on the Twins…

• Berardino spoke to Falvey and Levine about the likely trade interest that the Twins will receive in right-hander Ervin Santana this winter, and the new Minnesota front office duo didn’t sound especially anxious to move him. “I think we look at him as the anchor of our starting rotation and certainly something we want to build around,” said Levine of Santana, who is owed $28MM over the next two seasons and has a club option for 2019 on his contract as well. “…We think (Santana) is one of the most attractive pitchers that could be in consideration, but we view him as the No. 1 starter on our team. That’s an area we’re trying to build, not subtract from.” Berardino spoke to execs from other teams that said the Twins haven’t been aggressively marketing Santana in trades.
• Also via Berardino (Twitter links), the Twins met with agent Casey Close of Excel Sports Management this week and discussed several of Excel’s free agents, including Joba Chamberlain and possibly fellow right-handed relievers Joe Smith and Shawn Tolleson. Both Chamberlain and Smith pitched with the Indians while Falvey was a member of the team’s front office, and Levine of course is quite familiar with Tolleson, who spent the past three seasons with the Rangers. The Twins are almost certainly casting a wide net when looking at free-agent relievers, so it’s probably early to read too heavily into that trio of relievers. As can be seen in MLBTR’s Agency Database, Excel also reps free agents Alex Avila, Aaron Barrett, Jerry Blevins, Aaron Crow and Brian Matusz. Additionally, Dexter Fowler, Neil Walker, Steve Pearce and Colby Rasmus are all Excel clients, too, although there’s less of a fit in Minnesota for that group.
• Twins closer Glen Perkins, who made just two appearances this season before hitting the disabled list and eventually requiring shoulder surgery, is about four and a half months through what is expected to be a nine-month rehab process, the left-hander tells Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Perkins tried to rehab the injury for three months before ultimately going under the knife and having screws inserted into the labrum of his left shoulder. Perkins conceded that given his age (34 in March) and the severity of the surgery, he’s not sure if he’ll recover all of his velocity, but he expects to be competitive next year and hopes to remain with the Twins beyond his current contract. (Perkins is set to earn $6.5MM next year and has a $6.5MM option for the 2018 season.) “I see myself being a part of this organization for a lot longer than my contract,” he said.
• Also of note from Miller’s column, assistant GM Rob Antony offered praise for the job that right-hander Brandon Kintzler, who inked a minor league deal with the Twins last winter, did upon stepping into the ninth inning out of necessity in 2016. However, Antony suggested that the organization isn’t necessarily expecting Kintzler to reprise that role in 2017. “I’m not sure we see him as a closer,” said Antony, who also acted as the interim GM prior to the hiring of Falvey and Levine. “I don’t think we’ve penciled in anybody.” That would suggest that the Twins could potentially lure a bullpen arm to Minnesota by offering a chance to compete with Perkins and Kintzler for the ninth-inning job.

Chamberlain posted a 2.25 ERA in 20 innings out of the Tribe’s bullpen this season, though ERA predictors (3.83 FIP, 4.27 xFIP, 4.35 SIERA) weren’t as impressed with the right-hander’s work.  Chamberlain benefited from a .216 BABIP and he had some control issues, as evidenced by a 4.95 BB/9.  Still, the 30-year-old posted an 8.10 K/9 and 52.9% grounder rate, and was still averaging 93.4 mph on his fastball.

It was exactly one year ago that Chamberlain was released by the Tigers, and he has since pitched for the Blue Jays (in the minors), Royals and Indians in that timeframe. Despite his rather up-and-down track record as a reliever, Chamberlain’s 2016 numbers and past status as one of the game’s top prospects make him a pretty good bet to catch on with another team in need of bullpen help.  Chamberlain guaranteed himself a $1MM salary for 2016 (plus $2MM in incentives) by making Cleveland’s roster, so the Tribe will be on the hook for the approximately $460K still owed, while another team can sign Chamberlain for just a prorated minimum salary.

[Related: Updated Indians Depth Chart]

Chamberlain, 30, had been generating results for Cleveland after signing a $1MM deal in the offseason. He owns a 2.25 ERA over twenty frames, with 8.1 K/9 against 5.0 BB/9 and a 52.9% groundball rate. The veteran is still working with an average fastball of over 93 mph, and ought to draw some interest — particularly given the cheap salary.

Things hadn’t gone quite as well for the 33-year-old Gorzelanny, who was tagged for seven earned runs in just three innings of work over seven appearances. He had been useful at the Triple-A level, though, putting up 18 2/3 innings of 3.38 ERA pitching with 9.2 K/9 against 5.3 BB/9.

• Outfielder Jeff Francoeur is set to earn $1MM with the Braves after cracking the team’s Opening Day roster. He can also add another million via incentives in his contract. Francoeur received a hero’s welcome at Turner Field on Monday for his return to the organization with which he entered the league with much fanfare. At this stage, of course, the veteran is likely to serve as a fourth outfielder and bench bat.
• Under the contract he originally signed with the Pirates — which the Braves acquired in a late-spring trade — lefty Eric O’Flaherty will earn a $1.75MM base salary and can add to that via unspecified incentives. O’Flaherty had eight strikeouts against just two walks in his 9 2/3 innings of spring action with Pittsburgh, but also allowed 15 hits and eight runs (though only three were earned). Of course, like Francoeur, he’s a former Atlanta standout who’s coming home in 2016.
• Braves right-hander Alexi Ogando is in line for $2MM this year after he earned a pen job. He’ll also have the chance to tack on another $1.5MM if he can reach unreported milestones. (Previous reporting had suggested Ogando could only earn $1MM extra.) Ogando is looking for a bounceback after advanced metrics suggested he was actually rather fortunate to post a 3.99 ERA last year.
• If and when he is called up to the Padres, veteran righty Jeremy Guthrie will pitch at a $1.25MM rate. Guthrie, who’ll turn 37 on Friday, joined on with San Diego after he failed to make the Rangers and opted out of his deal. Despite a rough 2015, Guthrie has a solid track record of delivering innings at the back of the rotation, and figures to have a shot at making some more MLB starts if and when a need arises.
• Indians righty Joba Chamberlain will not only play at a $1MM base salary, but can earn up to $2MM via incentives. Chamberlain, 30, was a somewhat surprising choice to make the Cleveland pen after he allowed seven walks in his ten spring innings, though he did strike out eight while allowing only three earned runs. He was already coming off of a subpar campaign the season prior, though some advanced metrics (in particular, SIERA) viewed him as a still-useful pitcher and he did have a strong 2014 under his belt.
• Finally, in addition to his previously-reported $1MM salary, Marlon Byrd can earn up to $2.5MM in incentives with the Indians. But he has agreed to an advanced consent clause that would allow Cleveland to dodge the bulk of its potential obligations if it cuts him loose within the contractually-specified number of days of Opening Day (the maximum advanced-consent length is 45 days, but it remains unreported in this case). Byrd could play an important role in the Indians’ outfield mix, as he has continued to mash left-handed pitching, but he’ll likely function in a platoon role.

Chamberlain, 30, inked a minor league deal with Cleveland this offseason and earned a spot on the club with a Spring Training that featured mixed results (MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian reported in late March, however, that Chamberlain would make the club). Chamberlain yielded just three runs and struck out eight batters in 10 innings, but he also yielded a troublesome seven walks.

That type of control problem has never been much of a problem for Chamberlain, but the righty has endured his share of struggles over the past few seasons. Chamberlain logged a 4.93 ERA in 2013 in his final season with the Yankees, and after a strong first half in 2014 with the Tigers, he wilted and posted a 4.97 ERA down the stretch. Last year, he began the season with Detroit once again and posted a 4.09 ERA in 22 innings before being designated for assignment and eventually working back to the Majors with Kansas City, where he surrendered five runs in 5 2/3 innings. His Triple-A work wasn’t any better, as Chamberlain surrendered a combined 13 earned runs in 12 Triple-A frames between the Jays (for whom he never appeared in the Majors) and Royals. He’ll look for better results in Cleveland this season.

Ramsey, meanwhile, is a former first-round draft pick — 23rd overall by the Cardinals in 2012. St. Louis traded the outfielder to the Indians in exchange for Justin Masterson at the 2014 trade deadline. Ramsey was impressive in 2014 following the trade, but he batted just .243/.327/.382 in 503 Triple-A plate appearances as a 25-year-old at the Triple-A level last season. Baseball America ranked him as Cleveland’s No. 23 prospect this winter, noting that while he lacks standout tools, he has an intelligent approach that helps the tools he does have to play up. BA, however, noted that Ramsey could ultimately prove to be a fourth outfielder or platoon bat due to struggles against left-handed pitching. MLB.com rated him 27th among Cleveland farmhands, similarly noting that his ability to play all three outfield spots could make him a fourth outfielder.

The DFA of Ramsey comes just four and a half months after the FSU product was added to Cleveland’s 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. A Spring Training effort that saw Ramsey go just 2-for-21 with 10 strikeouts against one walk certainly couldn’t have helped his chances at remaining on the 40-man roster. He’ll now join 14 other players in DFA limbo, though Cleveland presumably hopes that he’ll clear waivers and remain in the organization.

• The Indians have told veteran lefty Joe Thatcher that he will not make the team, as MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian writes. Thatcher was an Article XX(B) free agent, so he will get a $100K retention bonus and a June 1 opt-out date if he accepts a minor-league assignment. He has until Tuesday to decide if he’ll do so. Thatcher allowed just one run in 6 2/3 innings in Spring Training and also got fairly good results in a partial season with the Astros last year, but that apparently wasn’t enough to earn a spot.
• The Indians have also told one of Thatcher’s competitors for a bullpen job, Tom Gorzelanny, that he won’t make the team either, Bastian tweets. Gorzelanny, too, was an Article XX(B) free agent, but as the Akron Beacon Journal’s Ryan Lewis tweets, the Indians are hoping he winds up with them at Triple-A. The 33-year-old Gorzelanny was coming off a rough season in Detroit and struck out only three batters in 7 2/3 innings in Spring Training, during which he allowed three runs. If the Indians do carry a bullpen lefty, it appears it will be either Kyle Crockett or Ross Detwiler.
• One veteran reliever who has made the team is righty Joba Chamberlain, Bastian tweets. The Indians signed Chamberlain to a minor-league deal in December after a mediocre 2015 season in which he posted a 4.88 ERA, 7.5 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 27 2/3 innings with the Tigers and Royals. Chamberlain also walked five batters in eight Spring Training innings this season. At 30, though, he’s fairly young, and he’s demonstrated mid-90s velocity.
• The team also optioned infielder Giovanny Urshela, pitcher Austin Adams, outfielder Joey Butler and infielder Erik Gonzalez. The most notable of those is Urshela, who played in 81 big-league games last season and hit well this Spring but didn’t figure to make the team thanks to the presence of Juan Uribe and Jose Ramirez.

Last season was forgettable for the 30-year-old veteran. Over 27 2/3 innings with the Tigers and Royals, he worked to a 4.88 ERA. Though his overall K:BB rates were palatable — 7.5 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9 — Chamberlain surrendered 38 hits and six long balls in that short span.

Of course, Chamberlain has shown more in the not-so-distant past, including a solid 2014 season in which he threw 63 frames with a 3.57 earned run average (and underlying numbers that metrics liked even better). And his velocity is still good, as he sat just under 94 mph with his average fastball.

It’s not a traditional top-prospect promotion, as Mondesi — a consensus top-fifty prospect in all of baseball — will make his first MLB appearance in the World Series. While he won’t pick up any service time for that, and figures to return to the minors to start 2016, the 20-year-old does now reach the 40-man roster earlier than was necessary.

Mondesi, whose father was a prominent big leaguer, signed with Kansas City as an international free agent and saw his first action in Rookie ball in 2012 at just 16 years of age. He spent all of this season playing at Double-A, putting up a .243/.279/.372 batting line and swiping 19 bases.

Presumably, the switch-hitting middle infielder will be used mostly for running and defense in his high-leverage debut series. He’ll take the spot of Terrance Gore, the club’s usual post-season burner, while also providing another infield glove.

Meanwhile, Chamberlain will hit the free agent market a bit early, though the move was largely procedural. The 30-year-old joined Kansas City late in the season, allowing five earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. He did not appear in the post-season. Chamberlain will probably be looking for a make-good minor league deal this offseason after a rough overall campaign.

Here’s some more from around the AL Central…

• Johnny Cueto’s recent struggles have “baseball people wondering again about the health of his elbow, among other issues,” Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes.  Cueto was excellent over his first four starts since joining the Royals and then posted a 9.57 ERA over his next five outings before rebounding with a very solid outing (7 IP, two ER, eight hits, four K’s) on Friday against Detroit.  He missed some time with elbow stiffness earlier this season while pitching for the Reds, though he didn’t go on the DL and the ailment ultimately didn’t hurt his trade value since Cueto returned and continued to pitch well.  MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes recently dropped Cueto to eighth in his 2016 Free Agent Power Rankings, so it’s looking like Cueto will need a strong finish in both the regular season and playoffs to regain some earning potential.
• The Twins wouldn’t engage in extension talks with Torii Hunter’s representatives this summer, ESPN 1500’s Darren Wolfson reports (Twitter link).  Nick Cafardo reported earlier today that the Twins indeed want Hunter to return for 2016, and since Hunter has himself said he’s taking his playing future on a year-to-year basis, it could simply be a case of the club waiting until the season and playoff race is over before getting into future contractual business.  As Wolfson notes in a subtweeted response to his original message, Twins manager Paul Molitor particularly wants Hunter back.
• Brad Ausmus isn’t sure the Tigers made the right move in releasing Joba Chamberlain in July, he told reporters (including James Schmehl of MLive.com).  Asked if he second-guessed the transaction, Ausmus admitted that, “Yeah.  I did. Even at the time, I didn’t know if it was the best idea.”  Chamberlain posted a 4.09 ERA over 22 innings for the Tigers (a number possibly inflated by BABIP and an ungainly home run rate) before moving on to minor league deals with Toronto and Kansas City and eventually returning to the bigs as a Royal.  While Chamberlain’s numbers weren’t anything special, he still would’ve been an upgrade to a Detroit bullpen that has been one of the worst in the game this year.

The 31-year-old Pino signed a Major League contract this offseason despite his status as a minor league free agent and wound up pitching 19 2/3 innings for the Royals. In that time, he was effective, notching a 3.26 ERA with a 13-to-3 K/BB ratio. This marks the journeyman’s second season in which he’s accrued some big league service time; Pino debuted as a 30-year-old rookie with the Twins in 2014 and soaked up 60 1/3 innings for an ailing Minnesota pitching staff, posting  5.07 ERA along the way.

Dusty Coleman, 28, made his big league debut this season, though he received just five at-bats and went hitless with three strikeouts. The former 28th-round pick signed a minor league deal with the Royals this winter after spending the 2008-14 seasons with the Athletics organization. He has a lifetime .276/.321/.408 slash line at the Triple-A level.

Chamberlain and Louis Coleman will serve as bullpen depth for manager Ned Yost in the season’s final month. Chamberlain began the season on his second consecutive one-year free agent deal with the Tigers, but his second-half struggles from 2014 carried over into the 2015 campaign, ultimately leading to his release. He briefly latched on with Toronto on a minor league deal but opted out of the deal after struggling at Triple-A. With Kansas City’s Triple-A affiliate in his native Nebraska, Chamberlain posted a solid 9-to-2 K/BB ratio but surrendered five runs in seven innings of work.

As for the elder of the two Colemans in this post (Louis), he will be in his fifth stint with Kansas City’s big league ’pen. The LSU product appeared in the Royals’ bullpen each year from 2010-14, totaling 174 1/3 innings with a 3.25 ERA, 9.6 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9. However, he struggled to a 5.56 ERA in 34 innings last season, prompting a DFA and outright to Triple-A Omaha.

Rodriguez, 36, posted a 4.90 ERA over 86 1/3 innings with the Rangers this season before being released by the team a few weeks ago.  ERA indicators (4.41 SIERA, 4.30 FIP, 4.35 xFIP) indicate that Rodriguez’s 4.90 ERA is perhaps a bit inflated by his .328 BABIP.  The southpaw owned a 3.20 ERA through his first 11 starts with Texas before his performance dipped, lowlighted by a pair of particularly rough outings against the A’s and Yankees (15 ER in a combined five innings).

Though he’ll currently be slated as minor league depth, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Rodriguez promoted to Kansas City’s rotation.  Rodriguez’s modest 1.0 fWAR for 2015 tops every Royals starter except for Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez, so the lefty could be an option if the Royals want a change from the inconsistent Yordano Ventura or the struggling Jeremy Guthrie. As MLBTR’s Steve Adams noted at the time of Rodriguez’s release, the Royals had a need for a veteran depth arm given their recent loss of Jason Vargas to Tommy John surgery.

Chamberlain posted a 4.09 ERA, 6.1 K/9 and a 3.00 K/BB rate over 22 bullpen innings for the Tigers this season before he was released in July.  He signed a minor league deal with the Blue Jays but opted out on Friday after a brief but rough stint at Triple-A Buffalo.  Chamberlain may be little more than a pure depth signing for K.C. given how the Royals already boast perhaps the game’s best bullpen.

More highlights from the article (which is worth checking out in its entirety, as there’s far more than can be recapped here with any form of brevity)…

• Paul Goldschmidt is under team control through 2019, but the D-Backs will attempt to extend him further this offseason, per GM Dave Stewart. “We want to make him a lifetime Diamondback,” Stewart told Heyman. I imagine the price tag there will be extraordinary, as Goldschmidt has gone from rising talent to unequivocal superstardom since signing his initial extension with Arizona. Heyman also reports that the D-Backs will take a shot at extending the arbitration-eligible A.J. Pollock. While not a household name, Pollock probably earns my personal vote as the most underrated player in baseball.
• The Braves have been making an effort to shed contracts that reach beyond the 2016 season, and Heyman writes to “look for them to take offers on Julio Teheran” this offseason. Clearly, Atlanta would be selling low on a talented arm that comes with a very reasonable contract. Teheran signed a six-year, $32.4MM extension prior to the 2014 season, but he’s logged a 4.57 ERA due in part to diminished control in 2015.
• The Orioles will make left-hander Wei-Yin Chen a qualifying offer this winter, Heyman reports. Chen might not seem like a prototypical QO candidate, but he’s a lock to turn it down, in my mind, coming off a very nice season at age 30. He should draw pretty significant interest this winter, as MLBTR’s Jeff Todd recently noted in examining Chen’s free agent stock.
• Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein is up for an extension at an excellent time, as the Cubs’ rebuild looks to be paying tremendous dividends. Epstein has been earning about $4MM per year with the Cubs, but Heyman hears from some in the industry that the expectation is for Epstein to top Andrew Friedman’s reported $7MM annual salary with the Dodgers if and when he signs a new deal.
• Despite a poor season for the Reds, there’s a sense among some that they may keep manager Bryan Price. The second-year Reds skipper has had to deal with the losses of Devin Mesoraco, Zack Cozart and Homer Bailey, among many injuries to others in 2015.
• There’s been some buzz about the Tigers trimming payroll, but Heyman spoke to multiple sources close to the situation who say that talk might be overstated. One spoke specifically about the Ilitch family’s continued commitment to winning. Heyman speculatively mentions Justin Upton as a player that has previously piqued Detroit’s interest. He also lists the White Sox as a team that may show interest in Upton.
• The Royals are serious about trying to make Alex Gordon a lifetime member of the organization. It’ll be tough for Kansas City to do so if he’s seeking something in the vicinity of Shin-Soo Choo money ($130MM), but the increased revenue they’re receiving from the Kansas City baseball renaissance could allow them to spend more than they would’ve in previous seasons.
• The Dodgers have interest in Johnny Cueto as a free agent, and adding a right-handed arm does intrigue them. Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-jin Ryu and Julio Urias (expected to eventually join the L.A. rotation) are all left-handed, as is fellow offseason target David Price, whom Heyman terms a “more obvious target” for Friedman & Co.
• The Brewers are serious about trying to emphasize analytics with a new GM hire, as the Attanasio family (the team’s owners) are big believers in the growing statistical trend. Mark Attanasio’s son, a former basketball player, is an MIT grad with a strong foundation in basketball analytics. John Coppolella, Thad Levine, David Forst, Mike Hazen, Billy Eppler, Michael Girsch and Jerry Dipoto are among the names that Heyman feels could be fits in Milwaukee’s GM seat.
• “Not happening. Not even slightly,” was the response from Athletics general manager Billy Beane when asked by Heyman about the possibility of trading Sonny Gray this winter. That’s a pretty emphatic denial, and while some will recall similar comments made about Josh Donaldson last October, those came from an anonymous executive as opposed to an on-record denial from Oakland’s top decision-maker.