 |
JOE TORRE Brings stability |
Baseball notes
They were not about to get into the silly money the Angels gave Torii Hunter. They would not go four years on Mike Lowell. They are unwilling to part with four or even three top prospects for Miguel Cabrera, although that could change if they really want Johan Santana.
The way owner Frank McCourt looks at it, he's already ahead of the game because he hired Joe Torre to manage the Dodgers.
"I think we're in a good position right now," said McCourt. "We don't have to make a deal. We made the biggest move we needed to make in signing Joe. I don't anticipate any nonsense in that clubhouse. He gives us instant credibility and we're thrilled to have him."
McCourt, a Boston native, realizes that the 67-year-old Torre can't play third base or center field, but he wasn't about to pay a 32-year-old outfielder like Hunter $90 million over five years. He has faith that last year's free agent bust, righthanded starter Jason Schmidt, who made only six starts before his shoulder weakened, is stronger and healthier than ever, and that the Dodgers' youngsters - Matt Kemp, James Loney, and Andy LaRoche - are ready to take big steps in their development. Which is why McCourt isn't crazy about giving them all away for one player.
When he took control of the franchise, the Dodgers didn't have much in their farm system; now they have some of the best young talent in the game.
Loney, a lefthanded-hitting first baseman, batted .331 with 15 homers and 67 RBIs in 96 games with Los Angeles last season. Kemp, a righthanded-hitting outfielder, batted .342 with 10 homers, 42 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases in 98 games.
Torre will have to figure out what to do with the declining Nomar Garciaparra, who hit .283 with 7 homers and 59 RBIs. While he has battled injuries since being dealt by the Red Sox in 2004, Garciaparra, 34, was healthy for the most part last season; he just didn't have the same thump in his swing.
"It wasn't so much that we didn't win it all - which is our goal and what we want to do every year," McCourt said, "but what left a sour taste in our mouths was that we didn't fulfill the potential we had. At one time, I think we had the best record in baseball.
"Our younger guys are a year older. Our banged-up guys are healthy again. If there's a player or two out there that can make us better, I'm very interested."
McCourt has great respect and admiration for Grady Little, but he thought that Little never "reenergized his batteries" after the season was over, a sign to McCourt that he had had enough of managing. When Torre became available, said McCourt, Little agreed that he had to go in that direction.
Coincidentally, Torre was the manager in the Yankee dugout in the infamous Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS, when Pedro Martínez gave up a three-run lead and the Red Sox went on to lose in 11 innings.
McCourt feels media reports of the Dodgers' clubhouse being a mess were greatly overblown. There might have been a youth-vs.-veterans feud after a few choice words by veterans Jeff Kent and Luis Gonzalez, but for McCourt, the worst part was, "we kept waiting for our talent to get us through the tough times and it never kicked in. When that happens, frustration sets in, and we just couldn't get ourselves out of that."
He thinks Torre will get the most out of the young guys and will handle the veterans.
The Dodgers have one of the best young catchers in Russell Martin, who keeps getting better with the pitching staff. Derek Lowe, Brad Penny, Schmidt, and Chad Billingsley provide a very good starting foursome (if Schmidt comes back all the way). It's unlikely they will bring back Randy Wolf, unless he asks for another one-year deal at little money. The Dodgers will be in the market for another starting pitcher, and who knows whether Torre could lure Andy Pettitte.
The bullpen is certainly top-notch with Takashi Saito (39 saves, 1.40 ERA), Joe Beimel (83 appearances), Torre's old Yankee middle man Scott Proctor (83 appearances between New York and LA), and horse Jonathan Broxton (83 games, 99 strikeouts in 82 innings). Nineteen-year-old lefty Clayton Kershaw is coming fast in the minors.
The Dodgers have a tough challenge in the NL West with Arizona and Colorado coming off playoff seasons, but McCourt has great faith in the talent on the squad.
Bird's-eye view from CEO
A few questions for Orioles president/CEO Andy MacPhail:
Is this a complete rebuilding time for you in your first year in Baltimore?
AM: "I think it's a franchise that has economic wherewithal. If you do get a nucleus of players, it's not like they're going to be rolling off and we can't afford them, like a lot of these clubs. It's a tall order and maybe I didn't fully appreciate how difficult the position is. But that doesn't mean we can't do things a lot better than we've been doing them in the past. We really need to make a concerted effort to rebuild the franchise's foundation - scouting, player development - and be as good at those things as we can possibly be."
You've run the Twins (championships in 1987 and 1991) and the Cubs; are you incorporating the Twins model or the Cubs model?
AM: "The Minnesota model is a good one to use to the extent that you're a scouting-and-development-based organization. I told our guys when I first sat down with them that this is an area where you have to excel. You can't be adequate or average."
Does it seem overwhelming to look up and see Boston and New York?
AM: "When the Egyptians were building the pyramids, they didn't think about what they had to build, they just carried the rocks up. I think that's what we have to do. We have to bring the rocks up one at a time and stick with it. I mean, we do have the financial wherewithal, maybe not to compete on a one-on-one basis, but to make the investments once we have a foundation where we feel the investment will really pay off for us."
Does it make you crazy when you watch a game at Camden Yards, and there are so many Yankee or Red Sox fans in the stands?
AM: "I'd rather have all Oriole fans in there. I grew up in a family where the things that mattered first was that baseball was popular and that we need fans in there. At least there are people sitting in there, but I'd much rather they were our fans."
The Great Debate
Commodities trading: Do you give it up for Santana?
If you're the Red Sox coming off a World Series championship, would you mess with karma and make a blockbuster deal for Johan Santana (who is demanding a five-year, $126 million extension) if it meant giving up two of the following: Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, Jacoby Ellsbury? We asked assistant Orioles GM Jim Duquette and former A's ace Dave Stewart, who is now a player agent.
Duquette: "I just love Buchholz. Don't forget, I saw him three times this year, twice in the minors - when he pitched a two-hitter and three-hitter against our Double A and Triple A clubs - and the no-hitter against us in September. I just think the cost on Santana is so prohibitive, and I know the Red Sox are one of the teams who could afford it, but if I were them, I'd hold on to these kids and develop them and create excitement with them on the big league level. I'd hold on to the chips, because looking down the road, you probably have to replace Manny Ramírez at some point and you've got some other needs coming up that you might have to use those kids to solve. The other thing is the Red Sox can attract the biggest-name free agents. We've seen by the [Mike ] Lowell and [Curt ] Schilling deals that top players want to play there."
Stewart: "If there was an opportunity to sign Santana to a long-term deal - and you would have to assume the Red Sox would be able to do that - yeah, I would do it. He is the best lefthanded starter in baseball. I've watched Lester the past couple of years and I've seen Buchholz pitch, and it would be a high price to pay because they have excellent potential. But it's just that: potential. What you don't know is what the upside on both pitchers are at the big league level. If you have Santana signed five or six years, a man who has won two Cy Youngs, and add the fact that Boston's offense is much better than Minnesota's, there's no question he would win even more games and be even more dominating on a team like that."
Etc.
Touching the bases
Apropos of nothing: 1. Dustin Pedroia has signed an endorsement deal with Sullivan Tire. Ironically, Pedroia's family owns Valley Tire Center in Woodland, Calif.; 2. The Phillies not only fibbed about not having interest in Mike Lowell, but they then offered four years at $50 million and couldn't land him; 3. The one team NL MVP Jimmy Rollins couldn't solve? Those pesky Nationals - .220 in 82 at-bats against Washington, .306 in 634 at-bats against everyone else; 4. Sure glad we got the story behind "Sweet Caroline" straightened out. Inspired by Caroline Kennedy, says Neil Diamond; 5. When the Veterans Committee vote is announced Dec. 3, Impossible Dream manager Dick Williams should be a Hall of Famer.
Hunting for Crisp instead?
With Torii Hunter out of the picture, the White Sox might set their sights on Coco Crisp. On the surface there doesn't seem to be a great match. The Red Sox would like to add a righthanded power arm in the bullpen. Don't think Mike MacDougal is what they had in mind.
Stockpiling arms
The American League Executive of the Year, Cleveland's Mark Shapiro, may have made one of the most important bullpen decisions of the offseason in signing Japanese righty Masahide Kobayashi, who was 2-7 with a 3.61 ERA and 27 saves for the Chibe Lotte Marines. Kobayashi, who has averaged 30 saves over his last seven seasons, will share a setup role with Rafael Betancourt, leading up to Joe Borowski. The Tribe have Jensen Lewis for the seventh inning, as well as lefties Rafael Perez and Aaron Fultz in the bullpen.
What are the A's up to?
The trading of Marco Scutaro to Toronto could be the first sign that the A's are thinking about a total rebuilding plan, which could mean trading Dan Haren, Joe Blanton, and Huston Street. If they do that, they're going to acquire a boatload of young players. The Red Sox, Yankees, and Mets would surely be three of the teams interested in Haren if he's made available.
A catch to this acquisition
Mets GM Omar Minaya must be dwelling on the offensive positives of Johnny Estrada, a switch hitter who has batted more than .300 three times. But it's hard to overlook the defensive negatives that so many people see. Estrada was acquired from the Brewers for reliever Guillermo Mota, who served a suspension last season for a positive steroid test. Estrada may be a bit of a hard sell to Mets pitchers, though Paul LoDuca, who departed as a free agent, also was questioned for his game-calling. Estrada threw out only 6 of 79 base runners (7.6 percent), had conflicts with Brewers pitching coach Mike Maddux, and got into a shouting match in the dugout with teammate Tony Graffanino late in the season. In Estrada's defense, he battled elbow, knee, and hamstring problems. Not sure this is the calming presence the Mets staff needs after last season's debacle.
Risky investments
Silly Money 1: The Angels signing Hunter for five years at $90 million. Silly Money 2: The White Sox signing Scott Linebrink to a four-year deal for $19 million. Nothing wrong with Hunter, a classy guy who would be welcome in any clubhouse in the majors. He's a seven-time Gold Glover and has improved as a hitter, though he had a low .334 on-base percentage last season. But is this really the hitter the Angels have saved their pennies for? As one very wise scout told me a long time ago, always be skeptical of a guy who makes a living with his legs as he heads into his mid-30s. As for Linebrink, beware of any reliever discarded by Padres GM Kevin Towers. There's no doubt that Linebrink benefited by pitching half his games at expansive Petco Park (18-4, 2.63 ERA in 130 career appearances there) and by pitching in the National League. Now he has to pitch against tougher lineups in the AL. Linebrink wasn't trending well, either: 3-5, 5.23 over his final 33 games.
If you're going to San Francisco . . .
Giants GM Brian Sabean said in this space a few weeks back that he wouldn't be afraid to trade some of his young pitching for a hitter. It appears Sabean is after Marlins third baseman Miguel Cabrera and is willing to offer a package that could include prized righthander Tim Lincecum. The Giants are in obvious need of a draw with Barry Bonds gone. They are looking for a centerpiece in their lineup, and the feeling is, why not build around a 24-year-old budding superstar?
National interest
Scott Boras is on record as saying Andruw Jones won't accept a one-year deal anywhere. He probably won't have to. There are still interested suitors, though don't expect anything more than three years. The Nationals wanted Hunter or Jones. Hunter's price became prohibitive, and Jones has a connection with Nationals CEO/president Stan Kasten from Atlanta. Jones still has to compete with Aaron Rowand, who could be in line to return to Philadelphia now that the Phillies were rejected on Lowell.
A few quick things: Hot off the presses are Johnny Pesky's "Diary of a Red Sox Season" with Maureen Mullen and foreword by Peter Gammons, and Lou Gorman's "High and Inside: My Life in the Front Offices of Baseball." . . . Obscure signing of the week: The Sox signed righthanded pitcher Lee Gronkiewicz to a minor league deal. He's a former minor leaguer with the Blue Jays and was pitching for Team USA in the World Cup . . . Happy bleeping 56th birthday, Bucky Dent.
Nick Cafardo can be reached at cafardo@globe.com
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
