Rumors for October, 2010
John Farrell offered Toronto Blue Jays mangerial job
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According to multiple sources close to CSNNE.com’s Sean McAdam, the Toronto Blue Jays have offered Boston Red Sox’s pitching coach John Farrell the managerial job, and Farrell needs only to come to an agreement on a contract. WEEI’s Alex Speier says that it would be surprising at this point if Farrell did not take over as Toronto’s manager.
On Thursday, three general managers close to MLB Network’s Peter Gammons said the 48-year-old Farrell would get the job. Among the final candidates for the job included fellow Red Sox coach DeMarlo Hale and former Major Leaguer Sandy Alomar Jr. Earlier today, it was reported that Hale and Alomar were told that they were out of the running for the position.
Other names that have been mentioned as possible candidates include: Don Baylor, Tim Bogar, Brian Butterfield, Sal Fasano, Nick Leyva, Bob Melvin, Rick Renteria, Ron Roenicke, Luis Rivera, Rob Thomson, Bobby Valentine, Joe Cora, Clint Hurdle, Pat Listach, Dave Martinez, Juan Samuel, Ryne Sandberg and Don Wakamatsu.
Where will Kerry Wood go in 2011?
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Yankees reliever Kerry Wood doesn’t know where he’s going to pitch in 2011. Although he still has an option for $11 million the Yankees are likely to decline it, but that doesn’t mean the Yankees wont bring him back according to Jason A. Churchill from ESPN.com.
He’s been very useful for the Yankees bullpen since he arrived from the Indians, and the Yankees could probably tender him a multi-year contract. But it’s not expected that the potential deal will be close to the $11 million option.
If he remains with the Yankees, Wood’s skills could take some pressure off a struggling Joba Chamberlain and bring more effectiveness to the Yankees Bullpen. Otherwise, Wood could go to teams that are in search of bullpen help such as the Florida Marlins or Boston Red Sox.
During his time with the Yankees, Wood had an ERA of 0.69 and a record of 2-0 in 26 innings over 24 appearances.
John Farrell will be the next Blue Jays manager?
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According to MLB Network’s Peter Gammons, three general managers insisted that 48-year-old John Farrell will get the Toronto Blue Jays managerial job and a source close to FOXSports’ Jon Paul Morosi confirmed that Farrell is the front-runner to become the next manager of the Blue Jays. The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo says that Farrell is “now likely headed for Toronto.”
CSNNE.com’s Sean McAdam says via Twiter that Sandy Alomar Jr. has been told that he is out of the running for the Blue Jay’s job. McAdam later added that Hale has been told that he’s out of running for the job.
The Blue Jays had a long list of possible candidates including: DeMarlo Hale, Sandy Alomar Jr., Don Baylor, Tim Bogar, Brian Butterfield, Sal Fasano, Nick Leyva, Bob Melvin, Rick Renteria, Ron Roenicke, Luis Rivera, Rob Thomson, Bobby Valentine, Joe Cora, Clint Hurdle, Pat Listach, Dave Martinez, Juan Samuel, Ryne Sandberg and Don Wakamatsu.
PRO Rumors Editorial: C’mon Rangers
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The following editorial is contributed by PRO Rumors staff writer Kevin Scobee:
Hi, my name is Kevin, and I hate the Yankees.
In the interest of full-disclosure, and in fairness to the readership of this website, I think it’s best we start there before we move forward, so everyone is on the same page.
I don’t like the Yankees. Never have. Possibly it’s because I grew up in Kansas City as a Royals fan and the hating of the big-guy on the block is an ingrained trait you have when born. Maybe it’s the constant bantering from the media about how great the Yankees are and how great their fans are that sours me on the taste of constant exposure to pinstripes.
Whatever the case may be, I can’t help but to have my rooting interest in the ALCS be based fully around the hating of the Yankees. I know that journalism isn’t supposed to be based on emotions and you’re not supposed to be a fan of any one team, but since no one in the traditional media thinks someone that writes words that appear on anything other than parchment is a “journalist”, it clearly doesn’t matter anyway.
The Yankees v. Rangers series has gone down so far they way all of us “haters” could have hoped. (Well almost, it could be over with the Rangers locked into the World Series, but beggars can’t be choosers.) The Rangers blew the first game because Ron Washington felt it was a good idea to leave his best reliever in the bullpen while a 4-run lead evaporated in deference to the almighty “save”. Cliff Lee did what he does in Game 3, leaving all those Yankee fans complaining that Seattle committed a crime against The Empire* by backing out of the trade that would have sent the left-hander to the Bronx in July.
*Why is it when something like that happens to the Yankees, it is somehow a crime of treason against the sanctity of baseball? Yes Jack Z backed out of a trade at the last minute. So? He drove up the price and got a better deal for his top commodity. Seattle acted like almost all good businesses would have done. Did it set a dangerous precedent for teams dealing with them in the future? Sure. But was it done out of spite to pull one over on the Yankees? Hardly. Get over yourselves Yankee faithful.
And in Game 4 the most brilliant scene in baseball’s recent past occurred. In a still-winnable game in the seventh inning, Yankee fans exited the building. All the losing of three games in a row was too much for them to stomach. It was not to be tolerated, and they’d had enough. For those of us that are constantly on the outside looking in with our postseason fandom, it was an incredibly gratifying sight.
No not because it was something we would have done mind you, but because for too long we’ve been told how great and faithful the Yankee fans are. Sure they’re tough on their players sometimes – Hey! They’re just holding players accountable! – and can be a little obnoxious, but when you win in New York boy, it’s like nothing else. Yeah, we’ve heard it all.
As I wrote on Twitter: you can’t blame Yankee fans for being ridiculous. Somewhere there’s an 11-month- old who has never enjoyed a World Series title. Can you even imagine?
But tonight is another chance for Texas’ to save all of us from being inundated with non-stop Yankee coverage on their quest for Number 28. Tonight is Texas’ chance to save us from being told how great a leader and what a winner Derek Jeter is; how amazing Mariano Rivera is; and how the Yankee past somehow has any relevance on their chances to win a series this year.
Tonight, I will be rooting for Josh Hamilton to continue to show the world what a talent he is. I’ll be rooting for Ron Washington to freaking use Neftali Feliz in the situation that matters most. Tonight I’ll be rooting for Rangers because I hate the Yankees.
Then again, you already knew that.
Randy Winn hopes to play in 2011
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36-year-old Randy Winn is not ready for retirement. Rather, he wants to play in his 14th Major League season in 2011, and he’s hoping somebody wants him, according to FOXSportsMidwest.com’s B.J. Rains.
“I have some really big plans,” Winn said following the season. “It involves playing with my children. I’m going to go home and play with my kids. Hopefully somebody wants me next year, but that’s out of my control. I’m going to go home to play with my kids.”
Winn split time with the New York Yankees in 2010, but was released after 29 games after hitting .213. He signed with the Cardinals a few days later and hit .250 in 87 games.
“I want to win,” Winn said. “That’s why you play. That’s why you come to the field. You want to win. What I’ve done, I don’t really focus on that too much. It’s just trying to help the team win. The bottom line is winning. I can tell you from experience that it’s a lot more fun to win in this game than to lose.”
Winn holds the record for most career games for an active player without a playoff appearance with 1,717 games on his resume. If the Yankees win the World Series, he’ll be eligible to get a ring since he participated with the team.
Japanese teams interested in Kenshin Kawakami
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According to several news outlets including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s David O’Brien and MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, at least two and maybe three Japanese teams are interested in acquiring Kenshin Kawakami from the Atlanta Braves.
O’Brien says the Braves are trying to move the right-hander and suggests that the Braves will have to eat some of the $6.7 million salary. Yesterday, Bowman said the Braves are believed to be willing to assume approximately $3 million of the $6.67 million the Braves still owe Kawakami. Bowman adds that the Yomiuri Giants, Nippon Ham Fighters and possibly one other team from the Japanese League may be interested in the pitcher.
Kawakami, 35, was 1-10 in 18 appearances (16 starts) with a 5.15 ERA in 2010 with the Braves.
Sandy Alderson and Josh Byrnes are finalists for Mets GM position
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MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo says via Twitter that former Oakland Athletics GM and San Diego Padres executive Sandy Alderson and former Arizona Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes are the finalists for the open general manager position with the New York Mets.
The Star-Ledger’s Andy McCullough says that Byrnes will come back for his second round interview on Monday and Alderson will come back on Tuesday.
Earlier this week, The New York Posts’ Joel Sherman said that Alderson is more than just a “frontrunner for the position”. He adds that the former Oakland Athletics’ GM and San Diego Padres CEO is “not a sure thing, but pretty darn close to it.”
The Mets have interviewed four other candidates in addition to Alderson and Byrnes. The team has already interviewed former Kansas City Royals GM Allard Baird, Chicago White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn, Toronto Blue Jay’s special assistant Dana Brown and Los Angeles Dodgers assistant GM Logan White.
Marlins to prioritize bullpen this winter
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The Florida Marlins will attempt to bolster their bullpen to improve on their 2010 performance where they saw a negative gain of 7 wins between this season and 2009, according to MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro
“From my perspective, I think one of the greatest challenges for this organization is putting together a bullpen,” Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said during a media session a couple of weeks ago. “It has been over the last nine years.”
The team struggled this season using as many as 31 different pitchers with 21 of them working from the bullpen.
There’s a lot of uncertainty with the bullpen’s current state. Clay Hensley, who is arbitration-eligible, Brian Sanches and Burke Badenhop should return with the team next season. Hunter Jones underwent Tommy John surgery that likely will keep him off the mound the entire 2011 season. Closer Leo Nunez return is unclear. He is on his second season of arbitration eligibility and his salary may double from $2 million to $4 million. If Nunez does not return, Hensley will likely assume the closer duties.
Beinfest said the Marlins need more balance between left and right handed relievers with a focus on adding left-handed relief help. Beinfest added that the team won’t be spending money for the sake of spending, rather they will spend the money if they find players that are worth the investment.
Braves inquired about Yankees prospect Eduardo Nunez
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Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman says the Atlanta Braves have asked the New York Yankees about shortstop prospect Eduardo Nunez. Heyman says the Yankees may see him as the successor to Derek Jeter, so it’s unlikely that the team will trade him.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s David O’Brien says that inquiry likely happened over the summer before the Braves traded Yunel Escobar the Toronto Blue Jays for Alex Gonzalez.
In July when the Yankees attempted to acquire Cliff Lee from the Seattle Mariners, although not specifically said, it’s likely that Nunez was mentioned in the negotiations. With Jeter wrapping up a Hall of Fame career in the next few years, Heyman says it’s understandable as to why the Yankees would not have shipped Nunez to Seattle.
Nunez was recently added to the Yankees’ postseason roster to replace the injured Mark Teixeira.
New York Yankees plan to give Joe Girardi a raise
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The New York Yankees plan to give manager Joe Girardi a raise, according to Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman. Girardi could a free-agent after this season, but it’s unlikely that he will go elsewhere.
There was speculation that Girardi could return to his native Chicago when Lou Piniella retired, but that idea went out the window when the Cubs named Mike Quade as the team’s permanent manager.
The 46-year-old Girardi is currently wrapping up a three-year, $7.5 million deal he signed in October 2007. The New York Posts’ George A. King III speculates that Girardi could get a three-year contract with $3.5-4 million per season.
