MLBits: Dusty, Phillies, Greinke, Price, Korean Bat, Wainwright, More

Sep 24, 2015

News from around the league…

Since the Marlins announced that former general manger Dan Jennings will not be returning to his current role as the (on the field) manager, the Marlins will, of course, need a replacement. Joe Frisaro hears that a familiar name may be one of the candidates …

Indications I've heard #Marlins have already engaged in discussions with Dusty Baker. Unsure when. But this process has been ongoing

— Joe Frisaro (@JoeFrisaro) September 22, 2015

Dusty Baker certainly has the experience that Dan Jennings lacks, but there have been plenty of experienced managers in the ever-troubled Miami dugout over the years. I’m not sure exactly what type of manager will be best suited for the Marlins, but the quality they actually need (and lack) the most is simple consistency.

Speaking of managers, while Joe Maddon will, without a doubt, be in the running for manager of the year (many of us have all but congratulated him on winning the award), there are still other, deserving candidates in the pool. And the final outcome of the season/playoffs may go a long way in determining the winner. Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports, for example, writes that it is perhaps Mets manager Terry Collins – not Joe Maddon, Clint Hurdle, Mike Matheny or Don Mattingly – who is deserving of the honor. Not unlike the Cubs, the Mets have surprised a bit this year and are playing above what most projected coming into the season, and he’s had to deal with some unique dramas.

To me, it’s Joe Maddon, but are we positive there isn’t too much bias involved? Try to step outside yourself for a moment and really think about it.

New Phillies President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail has officially extended current Phillies manager Pete Mackanin through the end of the 2016 season. The Phillies (57 -94) are the worst team in baseball, by record, but I don’t think anyone could place that blame on Mackanin, given the aging roster and degree of turnover. While the Phillies have now fulfilled one offseason need, their General Manager position remains open.

And to that end, Andy MacPhail has reportedly held one interview for the open GM position and hopes to get the spot filled by the organizational meetings, which begin on October 26. Despite the large contingency of high profile executive candidates, MacPhail admits that his October 26 goal may be ambitious. Given the obvious importance of the role and upcoming offseason for the Phillies in particular, I’d imagine MacPhail will take all the time he needs to ensure he winds up with the right candidate.

Zack Greinke was scratched from his start against the Arizona Diamondbacks – one of the best offenses in baseball – last night with “calf soreness.” In the same report, they admited that he is expected to make his next start. Given the mild nature of the injury and the expectation of his next start, yeah, this feels like a move to preserve some of his numbers for the purposes of the Cy Young Award. The Dodgers (86-65) have a 7.0 game lead in the NL West and can afford to make such a move, but I don’t like it for so many reasons. None of which is to say one bad start should necessarily change anyone’s opinion of his year in total. Lame.

Detroit Tigers reliever Bruce Rondon was sent home – like, for the season – due to lack of effort. Yikes. There must have been some truly serious issues with his attitude/effort for the Tigers to actually send him home and admit, publicly, that effort is/was the reason. On the season, Rondon, 24, has a 5.81 ERA (4.11 FIP) through 31.0 relief innings. Lucky for him, Rondon won’t be seeking a new contract for 5 years, as he is under team control until 2020 – or maybe that’s a bad thing.

27-year-old left-handed hitting, right-handed throwing corner outfielder Ah-Seop Son of the KBO is planning on entering the posting system for MLB this upcoming offseason. At 5’9″ 190lbs, Son has hit better than .300 for six consecutive seasons, and, at one point, collected four consecutive gold glove awards. On the year, he is hitting .324/.412/.476 and reportedly has more power than the typical “slap-hitter” many have come to expect out of the KBO. If Son is truly relegated to a corner outfield position, though, I don’t suspect the Cubs will be heavily involved, but I’m sure, as always, they will do their due diligence.

Jeff Sullivan with an interesting read at FanGraphs on just how good David Price has been with the Blue Jays since they acquired him at the trade deadline. Rentals don’t always pay off/work out, but so far, the Price deal has been well worth it. As a rumored Cubs offseason target, it’s nice to see Price pitching as well as he has.

Like we expected, Adam Wainwright is back on the mound ramping up for his late season, storybook, triumphant return:

No. 50 @UncleCharlie50 back on the mound, facing hitters #cardinals #stlcards pic.twitter.com/Ro8twuapnq

— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) September 23, 2015

Wainwright delivers a couple pitched to teammates moments ago #cardinals #stlcards https://t.co/nE4LPTMJFK

— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) September 23, 2015

I so hope he gives up the game winning hit to the Cubs in Game 5 of the NLDS.

written by

Michael Cerami

Michael Cerami began covering the Chicago Cubs for Bleacher Nation as a part-time contributor in 2015. One year later, he joined Bleacher Nation full-time, covering the Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball. Today, Michael runs Bleacher Nation, contributing as a writer (Cubs, MLB) and an editor for all sections of the site, including the Chicago Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks, as well as MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL. In 2019, Michael was the co-host of NBC Sports Chicago's Cubs Post-Game Show Outside the Ivy. You can find him on Twitter/X @Michael_Cerami

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