Rumors for October, 2010
The future of Ryne Sandberg
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Now that the Chicago Cubs have named Mike Quade as the team’s permanent manager, it’s unknown what Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg will do now.
A source close to Sports Illustrated’s Will Carroll says the “Cubs wanted Sandberg as bench coach.” AOL FanHouse’s Ed Price says the Cubs expect Sandberg to leave the organization and Pat Listach would be the team’s third base and bench coach if Listach does not manage the Milwaukee Brewers.
Sandberg, 50, was named manager of the Iowa Cubs in December 2009. He previously managed the Class-A Peoria Chiefs and Double-A Tennessee Smokies. Given his history with the club, he was the sentimental favorite to get the big league managerial position. With so many managerial turnovers this winter, it’s possible that Sandberg could manage elsewhere. He was recently mentioned as a candidate for the Toronto Blue Jays managerial job.
Milwaukee Brewers sign catcher Mike Rivera
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According to Baseball America’s Mike Eddy, the Milwaukee Brewers have signed catcher Mike Rivera.
Rivera, 33, was signed by the Florida Marlins in September and assigned to their Triple-A affiliate in New Orleans.
Rivera was previously with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2009 when he went .228/.326/.342 with 2 home runs and 14 RBIs in 41 games. The seven-year veteran has played with the Detroit Tigers, San Diego Padres as well as the Brewers.
Francisco Rodriguez and New York Mets resolve greivance
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In a team press release, the New York Mets have announced that the grievance filed by Francisco Rodriguez has been resolved. Rodriguez has instructed the Major League Baseball Players Association not to challenge the team’s decision to withhold his salary for the remainder of the 2010 season. In exchange, the Mets have agreed to not convert the pitcher’s contract to a non-guaranteed contract and the team will remove him from the Disqualified List. Rodriguez will forfeit approximately $3.1 million of his 2010 salary.
Mets Chief Operating Officer Jeff Wilpon said: “We are pleased that Frankie Rodriguez has accepted responsibility for his actions and their consequences. We have been assured that he is taking steps to address the issues that led to the incident, and that those efforts will continue. We have also been assured that he will work hard both on and off the field to regain the trust of the organization, Mets fans and the community.”
Rodriguez was accused of grabbing 53-year-old Carlos Pena,the father of his girlfriend, in August, hauling him into a tunnel near the family lounge beneath Citi Field and hitting him in the face. Rodriguez tore a ligament in his thumb during the altercation and had to have surgery.
Washington Nationals sign GM Mike Rizzo to five-year extension
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The Washington Nationals have promoted general manager Mike Rizzo to executive vice president of baseball operations and signed him to a five-year contract extension on Tuesday, according to MLB.com’s Bill Ladson.
“Mike Rizzo is unquestionably one of the best baseball minds in the game,” managing principal owner Ted Lerner said in a statement. “He has a unique ability to see player talent for what it is, what it can be, and how it fits into building a team.”
“Mike has been one of the architects of the rebuilding of the entire Nationals player system, from scouting to player development to big league signings. We believe the talent foundation we are establishing on and off the field will make the Nationals one of baseball’s most exciting teams over the next several seasons.”
Atlanta Braves release Melky Cabrera
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According to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, the Atlanta Braves have released outfielder Melky Cabrera.
The Braves acquired Cabrera in December in a five-player deal that also netted them left-handed pitcher Mike Dunn and right-handed pitcher Arodys Vizacino. In exchange, the team sent right-handed pitcher Javier Vazquez and left-handed pitcher Boone Logan to the New York Yankees.
The 26-year-old Cabrera hit .255/.317/.354 with 4 home runs and 42 RBIs in his only season with the Braves in 2010.
Chicago Cubs choose Mike Quade as manager
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The Chicago Cubs announced that interim manager Mike Quade will become the team’s permanent manager. The team has signed him to a two-year contract with a club option for a third, according to MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat.
Quade took over as the Cubs’ interim manager on August 23rd when Lou Piniella retired.
The team was rumored to be holding out for New York Yankees Joe Girardi. Girardi, a former Cub and Chicago native, will be a free-agent manager after the season when his contract expires.
The 53-year-old Quade was 24-13 in 37 games as manager this season for the Cubs.
RHP Yu Darvish will stay in Japan
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As of September, as many as six teams were interested in Japanese right-handed pitcher Yu Darvish – the New York Mets, Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves.
In Darvish’s personal blog (via The Japan Times’ Jason Coskrey), Darvish said he’s staying in Japan.
Had Darvish decided to come to the US, Major League teams would use the posting system – usually a very expensive process. Teams would need to place a sealed bid to his Japanese team – the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. The highest bidder will then get the right to negotiate with Darvish. Once an agreement with the MLB team and Darvish is signed, then the MLB team will pay the Ham Fighters the posting fee and pay Darvish their negotiated contract. The Boston Red Sox won the bidding rights to Daisuke Matsuzaka in 2006 for a bid of $51.1 million.
FOXSports’ Ken Rosnthal expected Darvish to be posted this winter, but he mentioned that one scout told him that Darvish is seen as nothing better than a number-3 starting pitcher.
Royals GM does not dispute report that Zack Greinke is available
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Last week, Buster Olney of ESPN, made some noise when he reported that the Kansas City Royals are prepared to listen to “any and all” offers for Zack Greinke.
The Kansas City Star’s Bob Dutton says Royals’ GM Dayton Moore and other club officials do not dispute the report since it does not represent anything new.
“Nothing has changed at all,” Moore said. “We know it’s going to make sense, at some point in time, to do something if we can’t sign him beyond 2012. We’ve just got to measure how (any deal) fits in today and long-term.”
MASN Sports’ Phil Wood suggested over the weekend that Greinke could be a good fit for the Washington Nationals, but he cautions that it would require a package of prospects from the Nats, including a couple of “high ceiling types” to make a deal happen.
Greinke is signed through the 2012 season, and he leaves little doubt that he’ll sign a new deal if the club is not competitive. It could be a little difficult trading Greinke since he has a partial no-trade clause, but it wouldn’t be unexpected if he waives that for little or no compensation if he is placed in a competitive situation. The 2009 American League Cy Young Award winner will make $13.5 million each season for 2011 and 2012.
Did Cliff Lee’s audition in front of the Yankees drive up his price?
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Texas Rangers’ pitcher Cliff Lee was almost untouchable in Game 3 of the ALCS versus the New York Yankees. He won his sixth straight postseason start with a 8-0 Ranger’s victory in addition to striking out 13 Yankees. The question now is ‘What is Lee worth this winter on the free-agent market?’
When Rangers’ president Nolan Ryan was asked how much it was going to cost to keep Lee in Texas, he gave a pretty smart answer.
“Go across the hall and ask them,’’ Ryan quipped. “I think he’s got their attention.’’
Prior to last night’s start, many believed that Lee would ask for CC Sabathia money (eight-years, $160 million – breaks down to $20 million per season) this winter, and if he continues his dominance it’s possible that he could get a salary slightly north of that. He gave the Yankees’ front-office a first-hand look at what they could get next season, so that may play into his asking price.
It’s not a done deal that Lee will sign with the Yankees in the off-season. It’s possible that he could re-sign with Texas or even go back to his old team the Philadelphia Phillies. Last week, ESPN’s Jason A Churchill said that Lee may prefer Philadelphia over Texas or New York or any other city, and he speculates that it may not take the most money to get him to sign a long-term deal in Philadelphia.
One dark horse in the Lee sweepstakes could be the Washington Nationals. Last week, The Denver Posts’ Troy E. Renck said the Nationals are telling agents that they are willing to overspend, if necessary, to bolster their rotation. MASN Sports’ Phil Wood said that Nats are willing to offer up to $125 million for five season ($25 million per season) for an arm like Lee’s.
Adam Dunn appears to be the Detroit Tigers primary target
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Adam Dunn will be eligible to become a free-agent after the World Series and according to the departing Johnny Damon (via The New York Post via The Detroit News’ Tom Gage), Dunn appears to be the Detroit Tiger’s primary target.
Gage reminds us that November will be a hotter than normal month for player movement because free-agency will begin ten days earlier than it used to. With that said, the Tigers’ GM Dave Dombrowski will have a need to be “nimble on our feet.”
When Dombrowski was asked if the free-agent market will fill the Tigers’ needs, he says he thinks it can.
“I don’t know that it will,” he said, “but it can. There are other clubs that will be pursuing what we’re pursuing, though, so only time will tell.
The Tigers’ wish list includes a left-handed hitter, a backup catcher and bullpen depth.
