Daily Clips
November 13, 2017
LOCAL
Royals’ Whit Merrifield was honored at South Carolina football game
November 12, 2017By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
NATIONAL
Royals will look to re-sign Hosmer, Moustakas
Report indicates KC wants infield duo back, not optimistic about keeping Cain
November 12, 2017By David Adler/MLB.com
Heyman | Royals will try hard to retain Hosmer and Moustakas
November 12, 2017By Jon Heyman/Fanragsports.com
Source: Braves set to tab Anthopoulos as GM
Ex-Blue Jays general manager to be announced today at GM Meetings
November 13, 2017By Mark Bowman/MLB.com
Top hardware to be handed out this week
ROY, MVP, Cy Young and Esurance MLB Awards revealed
November 13, 2017By Doug Miller/MLB.com
Fire up the Hot Stove: GM Meetings begin today
Potential Stanton trade among likely topics of discussion
November 13, 2017By Mark Feinsand/MLB.com
MLB TRANSACTIONS
November 13, 2017 •.CBSSports.com
LOCAL
Royals’ Whit Merrifield was honored at South Carolina football game
November 12, 2017By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
Whit Merrifield will be remembered forever in South Carolina for one of the biggest plays in Gamecocks history.
Merrifield, now the Royals’ second baseman, had the walk-off hit when South Carolina won the 2010 College World Series. On Saturday, he was back in Columbia, S.C., and led the “Gamecocks” cheer before the team’s game against Florida.
Merrifield wrote in an Instagram post: “USC, you’re the best! No place like Columbia. Loved being with great friends and former teammates this weekend. And special thanks to @gamecockfb for this awesome moment!”
According to the Post and Courier, Merrifield was honored on the field, along with fellow major-leaguers Jackie Bradley Jr. of the Red Sox, Justin Smoak of the Blue Jays, Christian Walker of the Diamondbacks and Jordan Montgomery of the Yankees.
Merrifield and Bradley also took time to meet with the South Carolina baseball team on Friday.
One team Merrifield didn’t visit was the men’s basketball squad. Gamecocks coach Frank Martin let Merrifield know about it, too.
“Man I can’t believe u didn’t come by practice. I was waiting to put u and @TheRealHos35 in my drills,” Martin wrote.
Merrifield answered: “I’ll be back this winter for a hoop game! Be an honor to come put on a free throw clinic and run some suicides with a Final Four squad!”
NATIONAL
Royals will look to re-sign Hosmer, Moustakas
Report indicates KC wants infield duo back, not optimistic about keeping Cain
November 12, 2017By David Adler/MLB.com
The Royals are trying to re-sign Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas, two of their big three free agents, according to a report from MLB Network Insider Jon Heyman on Sunday. But according to the report, they "appear to have all but given up hope" that they'll be able to keep the third, Lorenzo Cain, in Kansas City.
Hosmer, Moustakas and Cain -- core members of the Royals teams that won the American League pennant in 2014 and the World Series in '15 -- all received qualifying offers from the Royals last week. According to Heyman, reject the one-year, $17.4 million deal for 2018, but by the Royals having extended the offer, it means they'll get Draft-pick compensation should any of the three sign elsewhere.
Kansas City has been expected to cut payroll in 2018, but the club would like to keep Hosmer, a team leader who's spent his entire career with the Royals and had a career year in 2017. The 28-year-old hit .318/.385/.498 with a career-high-tying 25 home runs and 94 RBIs, winning AL Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards at first base.
It now appears the Royals will make a similar effort to retain Moustakas, another career Royal coming off his best season. Moustakas set the single-season franchise record with 38 homers in 2017, and the 29-year-old third baseman was named the Players Choice AL Comeback Player of the Year.
Cain is also coming off a strong season, hitting .300/.363/.440 with 15 homers and 26 stolen bases while playing a stellar center field -- his 15 Outs Above Average, according to Statcast™, was fifth best of any outfielder. But according to Heyman, the Royals expect the market for the 31-year-old, who is older than Hosmer and Moustakas, to exceed what they'd be willing to give him. Teams like the Rangers, Mariners, Giants and Dodgers could pursue Cain.
The Royals have a large group of free agents this offseason, including shortstop Alcides Escobar, starting pitcher Jason Vargas and reliever Mike Minor.
Heyman | Royals will try hard to retain Hosmer and Moustakas
November 12, 2017By Jon Heyman/Fanragsports.com
The Royals, who now seem less inclined to do a rebuild, are looking closely at potential returns for star infielders Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas but appear to have all but given up hope of retaining star center fielder Lorenzo Cain.
Kansas City has been thought to be weighing a real rebuilding job considering their long list of star free agents and the expected prices in this year’s market, but at least for now seem more focused on doing what they can to keep some of their core together in a winter in which they have the potential to be decimated by free agency. It has long been known that Hosmer has topped their list of free agents they’d like to bring back, but it appears, too, that they are seriously weighing re-signing Mike Moustakas, as well, if possible.
The Royals-owning Glass family seems to have come to the conclusion they team can remain competitive and doesn’t want to disappoint an enthusiastic fan base, that has wildly supported the team during his recent heyday, including pennants in 2014 and ’15, and a World Series title in ’15.
Hosmer and Moustakas are former high No. 1 picks who are home-grown stars and have been a big part of their recent successes, and the Royals surprised folks two winters again by being able to retain left fielder Alex Gordon, who was also a home-grown star; they surprised themselves by outbidding both the Cubs and White Sox in that case. They like Cain, as well, but envision a market going well beyond where they’d be willing to go for him, with the Rangers, Mariners, Giants and Dodgers among logical pursuers of the center fielder.
Hosmer and Moustakas are likely in for even bigger paydays, particularly Hosmer, but the Royals seem to see them as cornerstone players for the future. Unlike Cain, both Hosmer and Mosutakas are still in their 20s, and that could be a big reason they are the focus, at least for now.
Hosmer seems like a possibility for the Red Sox, among others, with the several other teams currently having potential first base openings, including the Mariners, Rockies, Mets, Rangers, Indians and Rays – though some of those teams are unlikely to seek such a big-ticket item. The Angels have been see(link) as the most likely outside landing spot for Moustakas, though the Giants currently have a third-base question, too.
Hosmer, Moustakas and Cain all will reject the $17.4-million qualifying offer the Royals extended, sources said. K.C. seemed to weigh the decision to give Cain a qualifying offer with much ore gravity, though eventually they decided there was almost no chance he’d accept. All three should get monster free-agent deals. K.C.’s $72-million deal for Gordon is their franchise record, but they understand Hosmer will be a $100-million player and Moustakas could top the Gordon deal, too. One other issue is that neither has to sign quickly, and both have Scott Boras as an agent, so there’s no guarantee either will
The Royals have the most star-studded group of free agents going, with shortstop Alcides Escobar and pitcher Jason Vargas also free agents. Those would be much more cost-efficient considerations, though Vargas won’t be too cheap off a very nice year.
It’s possible the Royals could turn to a plan of rebuild eventually. But first, they intend to see if they have a chance to retain their own stars – at least two of them, anyway.
Source: Braves set to tab Anthopoulos as GM
Ex-Blue Jays general manager to be announced today at GM Meetings
November 13, 2017By Mark Bowman/MLB.com
With MLB set to begin the annual General Managers Meetings on Monday, it appears the Braves will have a representative at the table. The team will announce the hiring of former Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos on Monday, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.
The club has not confirmed the decision, which was first reported by MLB Network insider Joel Sherman.
On Sunday, the Braves appeared to be moving closer toward hiring someone to handle both the general manager duties and likely run the baseball operations department. Anthopoulos and Jim Hendry were the top remaining candidates, after a source said the Braves moved away from their top target, Royals senior vice president and general manager Dayton Moore, who would have needed permission from the Royals to become Atlanta's president of baseball operations.
Before assuming his current role as the Dodgers' vice president of baseball operations, Anthopoulos served as the Blue Jays' GM from 2009-16. The high-energy, 40-year-old baseball executive rejected a five-year extension with the Blue Jays at the end of the 2016 season. There was speculation he walked away from the job because he lost some of his autonomy once Toronto hired Mark Shapiro to serve as team president and CEO.
Hendry has long drawn widespread respect as one of the game's best scouts. The 62-year-old executive served as the Cubs' general manager from 2002-11. He has since served as a special assistant for Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.
The Braves are eager to begin moving away from the restrictions that have resulted from MLB's ongoing investigation into infractions that cost former general manager John Coppolella his job, and created uncertainty about president of baseball operations John Hart's future.
With the Braves potentially subject to penalties once MLB concludes its investigation into activity conducted within the domestic Draft and on the international market, there is obviously a need to hire a strong leader who can improve morale and also build trust around the league.
The results of the investigation will determine Hart's future. If he is removed from his current role, the Braves would not necessarily have to name somebody president of baseball operations; the GM hired could handle the responsibilities of the role.
Even after the Braves were denied permission to speak to Moore in late October, there was still lingering hope that permission would eventually be granted. But as that hope evaporated this weekend, the focus turned toward Anthopoulos and Hendry.
Top hardware to be handed out this week
ROY, MVP, Cy Young and Esurance MLB Awards revealed
November 13, 2017By Doug Miller/MLB.com
Trade rumors are already flying in Major League Baseball. Free agency is up and running and star players could be changing uniforms at any minute.
Yes, the Houston Astros are still just starting to enjoy their well-deserved winter-long celebration as the sport's newly crowned World Series champions, but you can be sure that their general manager, Jeff Luhnow, is working the phones as you read this, trying to get even better in 2018 and beyond.
But even as the front offices look to the future, this unforgettable, action-packed week ahead in MLB is about the recent past.
In addition to the traditional Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) honors such as National League and American Rookies of the Year, Managers of the Year, Cy Young Awards and Most Valuable Players, Esurance MLB Awards week concludes Friday on MLB Network and MLB.com at 8 p.m. ET with the MLB Awards. Categories include Best Major Leaguer, Hitter, Pitcher, Rookie, Manager and Executive.
Here's what to look for:
BBWAA Rookie of the Year Awards -- Today, 6 p.m. ET, MLB Network
Aaron Judge of the Yankees and Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers are enormous favorites for these awards, and for good reason: Judge hit an MLB rookie-record 52 home runs while putting together an all-around season that has him as a serious AL MVP contender, and Bellinger, 21, hit a National League rookie-record 39 homers. But there are other deserving candidates, too. Andrew Benintendi of the Red Sox and Trey Mancini of the Orioles round out the AL finalists, and Pirates slugger Josh Bell and Cardinals infielder Paul DeJong are the NL finalists.
The award has been given out in each league since 1949, and only three times since have two players swept the balloting in the same year: 1987 (Benito Santiago and Mark McGwire), 1993 (Mike Piazza and Tim Salmon) and 1997 (Scott Rolen and Nomar Garciaparra).
The Dodgers have 17 ROY Award winners overall (including their Brooklyn days), the most recent being Corey Seager last year. That's by far the most of any franchise. Next most is, appropriately, the Yankees, who are tied with the A's at eight. New York's most recent winner is Derek Jeter in 1996.
The competition for rookie hardware likely doesn't end here for Judge and Bellinger, who helped their clubs push the World Series champion Astros to a seventh game in their respective postseason series. A head-to-head duel for the overall top rookie in the Majors is expected when the candidates for Best Rookie in the Esurance MLB Awards are announced.
BBWAA Manager of the Year Awards -- Tuesday, 6 p.m. ET, MLB Network
Houston manager A.J. Hinch is among the AL finalists, and Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts made the final three in the NL. That's not particularly surprising, although the voting for this honor did not include the postseason. Still, contenders Paul Molitor (Twins) and Terry Francona (Indians) should get plenty of support for the AL award while turnaround artists Bud Black (Rockies) and Torey Lovullo (D-backs) make the NL competition an unpredictable one.
BBWAA Cy Young Awards -- Wednesday, 6 p.m. ET, MLB Network
It's all about starters in both Cy Young Award races. In the NL, we'll see if Clayton Kershaw's injury-shortened body of work is enough to win his fourth NL Cy Young Award, while his fellow finalists -- Nationals right-handers Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg -- might be in danger of splitting votes. All three AL finalists -- Indians right-hander Corey Kluber, Red Sox lefty Chris Sale and Yankees youngster Luis Severino -- were brilliant, but Kluber's dazzling work down the stretch of the season and final ERA of 2.25 might make him the favorite here for what would be his second Cy.
BBWAA Most Valuable Player Awards -- Thursday, 6 p.m. ET, MLB Network
Will it be the big guy or the little guy? The impossible-to-ignore AL MVP vote features the enormous Judge and the diminutive Astros second baseman, Jose Altuve, with the terrific Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez, at least height-wise, somewhere in between. Altuve has seemed to be trending toward this award sooner or later in his career, and this could be the day. In the NL, Giancarlo Stanton and his 59-homer season for the Marlins could net him his first MVP honor, but he'll have tough competition from a pair of first basemen who also always seem to be in the mix: Paul Goldschmidt of the D-backs and 2010 NL MVP Joey Votto of the Reds.
Esurance MLB Awards -- Friday, 8 p.m. ET, MLB Network
The Esurance MLB Awards annually honor Major League Baseball's greatest achievements as part of an industry-wide balloting process that includes five groups, each of which accounts for 20 percent of the overall vote: media, front-office personnel, retired MLB players, fans at MLB.com and Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) members.
The MLB Awards are an all-inclusive program, encompassing the top players and performances from both the American and National Leagues from Opening Day through the end of the postseason.
Hall of Famers, team general managers, broadcast-booth legends and you will be among those helping to pick this year's Best Major Leaguer in addition to the winners in the following categories: Best Pitcher, Rookie, Defensive Player, Manager, Executive, Personality, Postseason Moment and postseason performer.
One winner in each category will also be recognized for the year's best offensive play, defensive play, single-game performance, Fan Catch, broadcast call and Player-Fan Interaction.