Cleveland Sports Forum

Texas declines Mike Napoli's option. Has opted instead to pay him the 2.5 million dollar buy out. He hit .193 last year. .285 OBP. 163 K in 425 AB. 29 HR.

I can't seem to remember..... did you like Napoli ?

Napoli is another example of a guy that was on a 1 year deal with the Tribe, had a good year, parlayed it into a bigger $ deal with another team.

Flamed out with the Rangers.

I'm sure there are examples where the Tribe let some people walk and they went on to have monster years with their new team.....but not many. Maybe Manny, but that was a long time ago.

Good luck to Bryan Shaw.

Ubaldo Jiminez? Well, not quite.

Skankees interview ex-Indians manager Eric Wedge as search for Girardi replacement continues


BY
Mike Mazzeo
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Friday, November 10, 2017, 12:21 PM

Add Eric Wedge to the Yankees' list.

The Bombers interviewed Wedge for their managerial vacancy, the team announced Friday.

Wedge, 49, managed both the Indians and Mariners. He has most recently worked in the Blue Jays organization in an advisory role.

In 10 seasons as a big-league manager, Wedge has a combined 774-846 record. He managed the Indians from 2003 until 2009, with his best season coming in 2007 when he led Cleveland to a division title and was named the AL Manager of the Year.

Wedge's Indians beat the Yankees in the 2007 ALDS in four games before The Tribe blew a 3-1 lead to the Red Sox in the AL championship series.

He lasted only three seasons in Seattle, gone after losing 273 games from 2011-2013.

The Bombers interviewed Rob Thomson on Wednesday. Thomson, who served as Joe Girardi's bench coach for four seasons (2008, 2015-2017), was the first person to interview for Girardi's old job. The Yankees also have Aaron Boone on the candidate list. The hero of Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS against the Red Sox has yet to interview for the job, ESPN reported Thursday.

Whack-a mole baseball network. They keep popping back up.

Angels sign Ohtani.

Not surprising:


BIG FISH: Yankees score huge catch by acquiring Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton: reports


Mike Mazzeo
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Updated: Saturday, December 9, 2017, 9:26 AM

Yankees fans are on the verge of receiving an early Christmas present: 2017 NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton.

Bombers GM Brian Cashman has a blockbuster deal in place with Derek Jeter and the desperate Marlins to land the 28-year-old slugger, according to multiple national reports.

The Yankees are one of the teams Stanton has said he would waive his no trade-clause for.

The exact package going to Miami is not yet known, but it will be some sort of combination of a veterans and lesser tier prospects, according to reports. Stanton is due $295 million over the next 10 years, and the Yankees have made it a mandate that they will get under the $197 million luxury-tax threshold for 2018.

Jacoby Ellsbury, Starlin Castro, Chase Headley and Brett Gardner have been mentioned as possibilities, with Ellsbury seen as unlikely given he still has $68.5 million and three years remaining on his albatross of a deal - plus a no-trade clause. Castro has about two years and $22.8 million left, while Headley and Gardner are each one year and $13 million and $11.5 million, respectively.



The prospects going the other way would presumably not include Gleyber Torres, Justus Sheffield or Estevan Florial, all of whom scouts rave about. Still, Gary Denbo knows the Yankees' system as well as anyone, so he's more apt to find the next Robinson Cano than the next Joaquin Arias.

So much for not getting Shohei Ohtani. This is some type of consolation prize.


And so much for the Bombers being considered “likeable.” No, this would mean the Evil Empire is back, the type of game-changer that was A-Rod for Alfonso Soriano back in 2004.

If Stanton says yes, new manager Aaron Boone would have the luxury of setting up his 2018 lineup with Aaron Judge, Stanton and Gary Sanchez hitting 2-3-4, if he so desires.

Judge (52) and Stanton (59) – the home run kings in the AL and NL last season – combined for 111 homers in 2017.

But is this town big enough for the both of them? Can there be a Judge's Chambers, and, as one clever Twitter user suggested, a Stanton Island?

Back in May, Stanton, whose contract contains a 2020 opt-out got annoyed simply by having to answer so many questions about the emerging Judge. How would he deal with actual adversity in this city?

He's also had his share of injuries in his career, averaging 115 games played from 2012-16 due to various ailments, though he did play in 159 games in 2017. Judge, the AL Rookie of the Year and runner-up for AL MVP, underwent offseason shoulder surgery.

This all seems like the perfect storm, given that it never felt like this was going to happen. The Bombers finished second in the majors in runs scored last season, and really need starting pitching, not a second power-hitting superstar right fielder.

But a rare opportunity such as this one proved to be a perfect storm of sorts, with Stanton holding all the cards and Jeter and the Marlins trying to get out of a reported $400 million debt.

Miami had deals in place with the Cardinals and Giants, but both teams backed out with Stanton not wanting to play in either St. Louis or San Francisco.

Cashman reportedly told Jeter that he'd rather have Troy Tulowitzki than the then 36-year-old shortstop when the two sides were contentiously negotiating Jeter's final contract in the offseason following the 2010 campaign. Eight years later, you wonder if Jeter will get a World Series ring from his old team if this deal goes through and the Bombers win it all.

Its very nice of Stanton to choose to honor the Yankees with his presence.

Only chance we even sniff another world series is if we sign/trade for Abreu especially if Santana jumps ship.

Don't know if I missed it but-

Vizquel joins Sox as Winston-Salem manager

HOF candidate to play key role in organizational rebuild

CHICAGO -- Omar Vizquel was asked to describe personal attributes that make him a good manager in the White Sox Minor League system, a position he will now hold for Class A Advanced Winston-Salem, the team announced Monday.

The 11-time Gold Glove Award winner at shortstop and first-time candidate for the National Baseball Hall of Fame responded with one important word. "Communication," said Vizquel during a conference call on Monday. "That's No. 1 for me: if you know how to communicate with your players. Let them know what you want from them and speak clearly. Tell them the truth. "Let them know right away what you want to accomplish with these guys. It makes their job easier and you have more confidence with everybody."

Vizquel, who had a successful run as player with the White Sox from 2010-11, takes over the Dash after a strong 2017 managerial stint by Willie Harris. The job serves a crucial function for the organization's rebuild, with outfielder Luis Robert (Chicago's No. 3 prospect, per MLBPipeline.com), outfielder Blake Rutherford (No. 4), third baseman Jake Burger (No. 10), outfielder Micker Adolfo (No. 14), first baseman Gavin Sheets (No. 15) and outfielder Alex Call (No. 26) all figuring to start the season with Winston-Salem.

For the past four seasons (2014-17), Vizquel served as the Tigers' first-base, infield and baserunning coach. Vizquel, 50, knew managing was in his future after playing 2,968 games over 24 Major League seasons with Seattle (1989-93), Cleveland (1994-2004), San Francisco (2005-08), Texas (2009), the White Sox and Toronto (2012).

After a stint managing Team Venezuela in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, Vizquel takes on a younger challenge in shaping the White Sox future.

"This is a great opportunity for me because I'm going to start working with a bunch of young guys that are looking for a journey to get to the big leagues," Vizquel said. "It's a pleasure to work with a lot of prospects. The White Sox have a great farm system right now, one of the strongest because of all the trades they've made in the last couple of years. These guys are ready to be a contending in the big leagues not too far away.

"Obviously it's like the little school you have to go through. I'm glad to speak out to some of these guys, because I know it's hard for them sometimes to understand how the process builds up and how it goes. But a guy that has been there and done that for a long time, he can be a very positive thing for them getting to higher levels."

Remember when Omar thought he was too good to manage at the minor league level. Thought he should be a Major League manager just because he was Omar.

I remember.......Gotta pay your dues! Great players have become terrible manager and terrible players have gone on to be great manager.

Much like he did 14 years ago when Alex Rodriguez’s proposed trade to the Red Sox fell apart over financial concerns, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman struck and acquired one of the biggest names on the market. In this case, it’s slugger Giancarlo Stanton, whom he pried from the Marlins officially on Monday in exchange for second baseman Starlin Castro, minor league pitcher Jorge Guzman and infielder Jose Devers and a reported $265 million.

With the deal, the Yankees add the reigning National League MVP and yet another slugger to a lineup that hit a major league-best 241 home runs in 2017, and they did it with minimal impact to one of the deepest farm systems in baseball. The Marlins get out from under most of Stanton’s massive contract, paying only $30 million of the remaining $295 million on his deal, and add a couple of pieces to their thin farm system.

Stanton, the reigning National League MVP, joins a lineup previously headlined by another massive slugger, Aaron Judge, who won Baseball America’s 2017 Rookie of the Year award and finished second in American League MVP voting. Those two combined for 111 home runs by themselves last year—or just 17 fewer than the Giants (to whom Stanton nixed a deal last week) hit as a team.

The deal also creates an opening at second base for Gleyber Torres, the Yankees’ top prospect, who missed most of last year after having Tommy John surgery on his left elbow. Torres has already begun hitting and could make a case for a spot in the big leagues out of spring training. It also potentially clears a path for Miguel Andujar, the Yankees’ No. 5 prospect, to play third base with Torres now able to shift to second.


Marlins Acquire:
Starlin Castro, 2B (MLB)
Age: 27
Castro performed well over his two seasons in the Bronx with a .283 average and 37 homers while playing up the middle. He was hampered by hamstring injuries in 2017 and was limited to 112 games, but his .454 slugging percentage would have ranked among seventh in the majors among second basemen if he had enough at-bats to qualify. Castro is owed $22.7 million through 2019 and is a candidate for the Marlins to flip him for more prospects.

Jorge Guzman, RHP (Short-season Staten Island)
Age: 21
The headliner of the deal prospect-wise, Guzman averaged 99 mph on his four-seam fastball in 2017, which tops the ML-best 97.6 mph averaged by Yankees starter Luis Severino. Guzman went 5-3, 2.30 and struck out a league-best 88 in 66.2 innings at short-season Staten Island, walking just 18 in the process. He couples his fastball with a slider that needs work but projects plus and a developing changeup. Guzman ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the New York-Penn League and will likely begin his Marlins career with low Class A Greensboro in 2018.

Jose Devers, SS (Rookie-level Gulf Coast League)
Age: 18
Devers couldn’t have a more different profile from his cousin, Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers. While Rafael is thickly built and powerful, Jose is a lithe, agile middle infielder whose athleticism should allow him to stick at shortstop. He has strong footwork and quick hands, and he has improved his arm strength and slot as he’s developed and is better equipped to make long throws as a result. Devers showed a solid swing and strike-zone awareness in his pro debut in 2017, but with little impact or power potential. He hit .245/.336/.342 overall.

Yankees Acquire:
Giancarlo Stanton, OF (MLB)
Age: 28
Stanton is about to enter one of the most power-friendly parks in the game. He’s coming off the best season of his career in 2017, when he achieved major league-bests in home runs (59) and RBIs (132) and led the National League in slugging percentage (.631). He also lowered his strikeout rate to the lowest of his career (23.6 percent) while maintaining a 12.3 percent walk rate. About the only ding against Stanton is a track record of injuries that has caused him to miss significant time in three of his last six seasons. Stanton is under contract until through 2028 (the last year of which is a club option for $25 million or a buyout of $10 million), but he can opt out of his deal after the 2020 season. He’ll earn $71 million his first three seasons with the Yankees, then can hit the open market again if he chooses.

Clint Frazier likely involved in potential Gerrit Cole trade

Larry Brown Sports "There have been consistent reports about the New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates discussing a trade for Gerrit Cole, and now it sounds like Clint Frazier would likely be a part of a deal if one were to happen.