Rumors for October, 2010
Hale, Farrell and Alomar are finalist for Blue Jays managerial vacancy
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According to sources close to WEEI’s Rob Bradford, Red Sox’s DeMarlo Hale and John Farrell are among the finalists for the vacant Blue Jay’s managerial position. Former Major League catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. is also a finalist. Toronto is expected to finalize its search by next week.
Earlier this week, The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo said that Hale was getting a second interview with the Jays. Hale may have a leg up on his competition since he has managerial experience in the Minor Leagues.
The Blue Jays had a long list of possible candidates including: 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. It’s unknown whether any of the candidates have officially been eliminated.
Adrian Gonzalez’s surgery may not derail Padres plans to trade him
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Adrian Gonzalez is scheduled to undergo shoulder surgery in New York today to clean out the labrum area. The surgery will not impede Gonzalez from participating in Spring Training 2011.
“He’ll be ready for spring training,” GM Jed Hoyer said. “It’s so that he’ll be 100 percent.
“We don’t look at it as a significant thing. It never kept him out of the game. Once the season was over, we knew he’d deal with it.”
One baseball source close to the North County Times’ Dan Hayes says the San Diego Padres are likely to trade the first baseman this winter or possibly by the July 2011 trade deadline if they receive the right package. While the surgery is minor, it could affect Gonzalez’s perceived value.
Padres’ owner Jeff Moorad has previously acknowledged that signing Gonzalez to a long-term deal “doesn’t appear to be practical from a financial standpoint,” leading to speculation that San Diego could move their first baseman soon. The team has picked up the $5.5 million 2011 option for Gonzalez, so rather than let one of baseball’s premier sluggers walk away for nothing they may salvage their remaining trade leverage and deal him this winter.
Lance Berkman thinks Andy Pettitte will pitch in 2011
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New York Yankees designated hitter Lance Berkman thinks that long-time teammate Andy Pettitte will be back to pitch in 2011.
“My personal feeling is he’ll be back. But I don’t know that. I just have a feeling he’s not done yet,” Berkman told the New York Post as reported by Mark Hale.
Asked why, Berkman said, “I don’t know. Just nothing really that he said. I just get that sense from him, that I think he still loves to compete and I think he loves being a Yankee.”
“I would be surprised if he retired. I think he might come back for one more.”
The 38-year-old Pettite went 11-3 with a 3.28 ERA during the regular season, but he took the ALCS Game 3 loss.
Joe Girardi loses negotiation leverage when Cubs hired Quade
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It was likely that manager Joe Girardi was going to use the Chicago Cubs’ managerial vacancy as negotiation leverage against the New York Yankees, but that went out the drain when the Cubs named interim manager Mike Quade the permanent skipper, according to The New York Posts’ George A. King III. This trend will continue as long as the Yankees are in the postseason and as more and more managerial positions get filled.
The 46-year-old Girardi will likely get a raise from this previous three-year, $7.5 million deal he signed in October 2007. King speculates that Girardi could get a three-year contract with $3.5-4 million per season.
There was speculation that Girardi would jump ship after the season to the Cubs when Lou Piniella retired. Girardi is a former Cub and Chicago native.
Colorado Rockies Rumors: De La Rosa, Mora and Giambi
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Here’s the latest from The Denver Posts’ Troy E. Renck:
29-year-old Jorge de la Rosa will likely use Ted Lilly’s recently signed three-year, $33 million contract as leverage. Renck thinks de la Rosa may demand a five-year contract. The team and the left-handed pitcher have opened dialogue but no offer has been made.
Reserve infielder Melvin Mora remains open to returning to the Rockies next season. He his .285 with seven home runs and 45 RBIs.
The Rockies will monitor Jason Giambi’s status throughout the winter. Giambi may not be a fit on next year’s team if the Rockies can add another right-handed bat to complement Todd Helton.
Fan who rushed field was targeting Alex Rodriguez
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A 33-year-old fan obsessed with actress Cameron Diaz ran onto the field during the Game 3 of the ALCS with the intention to rush New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez. Grim LeRogue was tackled by Yankee Stadium security in the top of the fifth inning of Monday’s game. In LeRogue’s pocket, police found a picture of Rodriguez with his face crossed out and a drawing of a small gun pointed at his head, according to a source close to the New York Daily News’ Bob Kappstatter and Joe Kemp.
“He was absolutely out of his f—–g mind,” said the source.
Rodriguez and Diaz have been seen together since the Super Bowl earlier this year. The couple has been spotted throughout Manhattan and have even been shuttling back and forth to Miami as time permits.
VIDEO: Mark Teixeira done for postseason with hamstring injury
Posted by: | CommentsHere’s the video of New York Yankees’ first baseman Mark Teixeira injuring his hamstring on a ground out to first base.
According to a Yankee officle close to Craig Sager from the TBS broadcast of the ALCS, “barring a miracle” Teixeira is done for the postseason. Eduardo Nunez has been summoned to Yankee Stadium for Wednesday’s Game 5 in the event that team needs to replace Teixeira from the roster. If Teixeira is removed from the roster, he will be ineligible to return to the World Series should the Yankees advance.
A doctor told Teixeira that he had suffered a grade 2 hamstring strain and is finished for the season. A grade 2 strain typically sidelines players for six to eight weeks.
Information from the AOL FanHouse Staff was used in this article.
VIDEO: Brett Gardner’s bat breaks TBS camera
Posted by: | CommentsCheck out this video of New York Yankees Brett Gardner breaking the TBS camera lense when the bat broke during Game 4 of the American League Championship Series.
According to MLB Network host Greg Amsinger (via Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Kaduk), a camera like the one that broke is valued at $60,000-$100,000.
Dodgers officially announce signing of Ted Lilly
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In a team press release, the Los Angeles Dodgers have officially announced that they signed left-handed pitcher Ted Lilly to a three-year contract. The value of the contract was not made public, but The Denver Posts’ Troy E. Renck says the deal is for three-years, $33 million, but he cautions that “he’s not sure yet.”
“Ted helped stabilize our rotation both in terms of his pitching ability and his leadership,” said GM Ned Colletti. “He gave us everything we were looking for in a veteran pitcher down the stretch last season.”
FOXSport’s Ken Rosenthal was the first to report that the Dodgers were close to a three-year deal with Lilly. The Los Angeles Times’ Dylan Hernandez confirmed that Lilly and the team agreed to terms on a new deal.
In 12 starts for the Dodgers, the 34-year-old Lilly went 7-4 with a 3.52 ERA.
Atlanta Braves release Takashi Saito and J.C. Boscan
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Tuesday was a busy day for the Atlanta Braves’ GM Frank Wren. According to several news outlets including MLB.com’s Mark Bowman and the Atlanta Journal-Constitutions’ David O’Brien, the Braves released right-handed reliever Takashi Saito and catcher J.S. Boscan. The team also released outfielder Melky Cabrera.
The 40-year-old Saito signed a one-year contract with the Braves last winter and posted a 2.83 ERA with 69 strikeouts in 54 innings. He missed most of the final month with recurring shoulder soreness, but he says he might continue pitching. Saito’s contract stipulated that he was to be released after the 2010 season even though he does not have the six years of Major League service normally required for free agency.
The 30-year-old Boscan finally made his Major League debut after 14 Minor League seasons. In his only game he drew a walk in his only plate appearance. He also caught one inning. Bowman says that Boscan is destined to find some kind of coaching or instructing role within the Braves organization.
