Craig Counsell replacement: Could Don Mattingly step in?
Craig Counsell's contract was up with the Milwaukee Brewers. Seeking a new challenge, there weren't many opportunities available for him that also allowed him to stay near his home in Wisconsin. That is, except for the surprisingly-available Chicago Cubs role, which he was hired to this week, replacing David Ross.
Ross was thought to have job security, but the Cubs, seeing an opportunity for an upgrade, jumped at him. Now, the Brewers are without a manager and join the many this offseason who need to backfill the skipper role. Unfortunately for Milwaukee, they're a tad late to the game. Plenty of other managers have already come off the board while the Brewers were ostensibly waiting to see if they might be able to retain Counsell.
Perhaps former star first baseman Don Mattingly could be their next leader? Mattingly is currently a lead bench coach for the Toronto Blue Jays, and also was just named to an increased role with the team as offensive coordinator. The Blue Jays won't stop him from taking the Brewers role, which he is in the running for, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith at SportsNet.
Mattingly has 12 years of managerial experience with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Miami Marlins, with a 446-363 record overall. He's experienced and appears best suited for leading a team hoping to win.
He fit far better with the winning Dodgers than the rebuilding Marlins. Not to say he can't help forge a rebuild, but the Brewers may be better advised to look off Mattingly if they hope to rebuild, and toward him if they hope to continue to compete in the strengthening NL Central.
Matt Chapman and Blue Jays possibly set for split: Where will he end up?
Another face the Blue Jays appear set to say goodbye to soon is Matt Chapman, who is a free agent this winter. Chapman was at the general manager meetings in Arizona this week and met with a few teams, the Blue Jays included.
Toronto, despite a lead here, has not made much ground. They were $50 million off of the total contracft value on their most recent extension offer. Now, they'll have to battle it out with a number of other teams who might be more willing to cover that large gap between the Jays offer and what Chapman wants.
Matt Chapman met with the incumbent Jays at the meetings. The surprise Diamondbacks and Giants are among other teams eyeing third base. The Jays offered well over $100M in the spring but the sides weren't close. Chapman is probably shooting for $150M plus.
If Chapman says goodbye to Toronto, where he has played the last two years, where might he end up? FanSided MLB Insider Robert Murray noted that Chapman said hello to his former manager, Bob Melvin, who recently took a job with the San Francisco Giants. San Fran is expected to be a player for him according to Murray.
Murray reports he also expects the Diamondbacks to be players for the third baseman this offseason.
Chapman has plateaued a bit offensively the last few years but remains an elite defensive corner option, winning his fourth Gold Glove award this past year.
Red Sox want Gleyber Torres... Would Yankees really make such a deal?
According to Rob Bradford of WEEI in Boston, the Yankees and Red Sox could swap key players, creating a surprising change of teams for two young players who have become notable icons within their respective franchises.
Bradford reports that a trade centered on Gleyber Torres going to Boston and the Red Sox sending the Yankees Alex Verdugo is expected to come back into discussion this winter.
Boston just hired Craig Breslow as its new lead executive, and trading Torres would surely be a big splash to kick off his tenure in Boston. Verdugo caught plenty of flak in 2023 for apparent lack of initiative and engagement in Boston, showing up late to team busses and appearing to be benched as discipline by manager Alex Cora.
Bradford suggests some in the Red Sox organization view Torres as a stable fill-in at second base for the franchise. Torres, at times, can be error-prone defensively and ice-cold on offense. He is typically prone to at least one substantial offensive slump a season.
Since his sophomore season when he batted in 90 runs, Torres has only eclipsed 70 in one season. That said, maybe dimensions would be favorable to help him get going. Last year, Torres's .953 OPS at Fenway Park was the best OPS in any ballpark that he played at least five games.
Verdugo similarly has struggled in recent years. Disciplinary issues aside, he's been an average batter the last three seasons after showing possible elite status in 2020. He is a plus in left field, though, at least per outs above average, a position the Yankees have struggled to find consistency in the last several seasons.
Neither Verdugo or Torres feel like game-changing returns for either the Yankees or Red Sox, but both players feel like possible beneficiaries from a change of scenery. It would still be weird to hear either player admired by the fans who have hated them for years, though.
