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Hargrove may have plenty of options this offseason

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Jon Paul Morosi

Jon Paul Morosi is a national MLB writer for FOXSports.com. He previously covered baseball for the Detroit Free Press and Seattle Post-Intelligencer. He began his journalism career at the Bay City Times in his native Michigan. Follow him on Twitter.

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Updated Sep 27, 2009 12:11 PM ET
     
 
Ten years ago, Mike Hargrove won his fifth straight division title as manager of the Cleveland Indians.
Now, he's simply looking for a chance to manage in the majors again. "I'd like to get back in," he said Thursday in a telephone interview. "My preference is I'd like to manage one more time. I really would. "If I'm not managing, I don't know the extent that I would want to get back in it. But at some level, I want to get back in." The Astros fired manager Cecil Cooper last week, marking an early start to what could be an offseason of change for some clubs. The Nationals have yet to remove the interim tag of their manager, Jim Riggleman. Two of Hargrove's former employers — the Indians and Orioles — might also switch managers after the season. Cito Gaston's future in Toronto will be unclear until the Blue Jays name their permanent club president. And as long as Tony La Russa doesn't have a contract for 2010, there is certain to be intrigue for him and the Cardinals. It's hard to tell what any of that might mean for Hargrove, who turns 60 next month. He hasn't had a winning record over a full season since that last campaign in Cleveland. He left his job with the Seattle Mariners after 78 games in the 2007 season, saying his passion for the game had begun to fade. He had some disagreements with superstar outfielder Ichiro Suzuki during his time in Seattle. However, he has proven he can win in the majors. He reached the World Series with the Indians twice in the 1990s. And the Mariners did show signs of progress before his resignation two seasons ago. Hargrove's enthusiasm for baseball seems to have been revived through managing the Liberal (Kan.) Bee Jays, a collegiate summer team, in 2008 and 2009. "It was really a lot of fun — and a lot of work," said Hargrove, who is from Texas but resides in Richfield, Ohio. "We had a good bunch of kids. And the biggest satisfaction is that the kids were better when they left than when they came to us."

Turbulence in the True North

How's this for offseason uncertainty? At the moment, it's impossible to say for certain who the Blue Jays' club president, general manager and manager will be on Opening Day 2010. Paul Beeston, the interim president, doesn't want the job on a permanent basis. His successor could be named soon after the season. As long as we don't know the identity of the Toronto team president, the job security of general manager J.P. Ricciardi will remain very much in question. Gaston appears to have a better chance of sticking around than Ricciardi. Gaston, after all, is a franchise icon who delivered two world titles. But it's hard to be too sure about his status until the president and GM roles are settled. This much is clear: Gaston still wants to manage the Blue Jays. In an interview earlier this month, he said he "absolutely" wanted to return to the Toronto dugout in 2010. "I can see that we've got a chance to go somewhere here and get this organization back to where it's supposed to be," he said. "I'd like to be a part of that. This organization's always going to be part of my life, whether I'm managing or not." Gaston is already under contract for 2010. "I think the year after, if they asked me, I'd come back another year (in 2011), to get these things straightened out around here," he said. "We'd have to see after that."

Price could be in demand

You will probably see Bryan Price's name in plenty of media reports between now and the end of October. For teams that change managers — and even for those that don't — he could be viewed as the right mechanic for a troubled pitching staff. Price, 47, has been the pitching coach on three postseason teams — the 2000 and 2001 Mariners and the 2007 Diamondbacks. He resigned as the Arizona pitching coach when his close friend Bob Melvin was fired as the team's manager in May. Price has served as a pitching consultant for the Phillies since and is now in uniform as part of the organization's instructional league in Clearwater, Fla. He has been very impressed with the young arms in the Philadelphia farm system. "This is a good group, a good organization," Price said. "They run a really good program. It's been a lot of fun for me to work with young pitchers who came out of the Latin American programs or low-A and Rookie levels. There's a lot to work with." The setting is also very different from the major leagues, where Price has worked every season dating to 2000. Price was stunned to learn the college coach of one pitcher had forbidden him from throwing beyond 60 feet, 6 inches, for fear that his mechanics would suffer. "Pro baseball is all about long toss and building arm strength," Price said. "Here, a kid is wired for thinking that long toss is 60 feet, 6 inches. No further. That's a spectacle in its own way."

One pitcher's hunch on La Russa and Duncan

Speculation is likely to swirl about the futures of La Russa and Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan even as their team begins postseason play next week. Former St. Louis reliever Chris Perez wouldn't be surprised if both left after the season. "I had a feeling during spring training that this might be their last go-around, just the way they were interacting," said Perez, who was traded to the Indians in June. "They seemed to be more happy, excited to be there, like, 'It's our last go-around. Let's have a great year.' I kind of got that feeling from both of them. "They've been at it a long time. Thirty years is a long time to be away from your family, always on the road. It's a grind. Always competing. Always expecting to win. Having expectations with your teams. I could see them both leaving, especially if they win (the World Series). I think they'd both like to go out on top." Perez also said issues relating to the departure of Duncan's son, Chris, in a midseason trade could make it more likely Duncan doesn't return.

What to do with Wilson?

Jack Wilson is a highly-regarded defensive shortstop. But his durability is starting to become an issue. He has appeared in only 31 games — with a .224 batting average — since coming to Seattle in a July trade with the Pirates. A bruised right heel is his latest malady; he hasn't played since Sept. 15 and reportedly could miss the remainder of the season. He also missed time with the Mariners because of a tight left hamstring. That's not a good sign, particularly after Wilson, 31, played fewer than 100 games for Pittsburgh last year because of injuries. Why is that a particularly timely concern? The Mariners hold an $8.4 million option on Wilson for next year, with a $600,000 buyout. In the news release that announced the trade, Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik said: "As we move forward over the next few years, it is nice to know that we have solidified the shortstop position." But it's not a given the Mariners will pick up Wilson's option for next year; they could let him leave as a free agent or renegotiate a contract on more club-favorable terms. When asked if he were concerned about nagging injuries affecting Wilson in 2010, Zduriencik replied: "It's difficult to predict injuries. You may need to look at injury history (and) age, as some factors to consider with any player." He acknowledged the likelihood of future injury is one consideration in personnel decisions, along with the team's needs at the particular position, among other factors. So, stay tuned.

Around the yards

... The Twins entered Saturday's game with a 10-1 record since Sept. 12, when Justin Morneau played his last game of the season. Michael Cuddyer's production has been the biggest factor in Minnesota's surge, but there have been other key contributors — including the sometimes-maligned Delmon Young. Young, 24, has been a trade candidate — and a part-time player — because of Denard Span's emergence. But he is hitting .349 (15-for-43) in 11 games since a back injury forced Morneau from the lineup for good. "We've had a surplus of outfielders all season," Twins general manager Bill Smith said. "It's been a real challenge for Ron Gardenhire to balance it out, get enough at-bats for everybody, and keep everybody sharp. "Well, here we are in the critical last few weeks, and our depth is hopefully going to pay off. Delmon Young has a chance to play everyday. Jason Kubel has a chance to play in the outfield everyday. It's been good, the way they've responded." ... If the Tigers hold off the Twins and win the American League Central, know who would be the perfect ceremonial first-pitch candidate for their first postseason home game? Kenny Rogers. Rogers retired (unofficially) after last season, but he exited in a way that didn't permit the Detroit fans to say goodbye. And while he was known for a prickly personality in other stops during his career — I think we can recall an instance in Texas four years ago — he has been popular in Michigan since coming to the Tigers in 2006. Rogers was brilliant in the 2006 postseason — all smudges aside — with 23 scoreless innings. His run that October began with a start against the Yankees, his former team, who will oppose the AL Central champion in the first round. But the Tigers have to make it that far first. And that's hardly a sure thing. ... Matt Wieters, the Orioles' star catching prospect, is hitting .300 in the second half and .347 in September. "When he first came up, he was missing or fouling off fastballs in hitters' counts," one Baltimore official said. "Now, he isn't missing those pitches. I think it just took him some time to adjust to the speed of the major league game." ... As long as the Mets are confident in the long-term health of center fielder Carlos Beltran, it would make sense for them to deal Angel Pagan this off-season. With an average over .300, his value is at a high point. Pagan did a good job during Beltran's long absence this season, but a lack of power means he won't be as valuable at a corner spot with Beltran in the lineup. The good news for the Mets -- and these days, they need some of it — is that Pagan, a switch-hitter, has established he could be a platoon center fielder (and perhaps more) for the right team. Pagan, 28, will be eligible for salary arbitration after this season. The Cubs — Pagan's former team — could be in the market for a center fielder this winter, along with the Royals, Brewers, Rangers and others. ... Kudos to Howie Kendrick for truly benefiting from his midseason demotion to Class AAA. The second baseman returned to the Angels in early July and is hitting .364 with six home runs and 38 RBIs in 50 games since then. "The one big adjustment that I have seen is that he is laying off the breaking ball out of the strike zone," said Ken Forsch, Angels assistant GM. "He could always hit the fastball, but the breaking ball in the dirt was really getting to him early in the season. He worked hard on his hitting while in Salt Lake. It is a credit to him the way he handled the whole situation." ... The Rangers are excited about Julio Borbon's bat — he's hitting .325 since being called up — but he will need to refine his defense in order to become an everyday player. Borbon, 23, played mostly center field at Class AAA this year but has been a left fielder and designated hitter in the majors. His plus speed (19 stolen bases in 37 games with Texas) adds to the excitement surrounding him. ... One American League scout who watched Cubs rookie Tyler Colvin last week believes his bat is a year away — but he could be an above-average defender in center field right now. Colvin had played the corner spots for much of this season in the minors as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. The Cubs aren't certain where he fits as an everyday player in the long term — but they're certainly pleased with his progress. "Your guess is as good as mine where he ends up," said Oneri Fleita, the team's vice president of player personnel. "We are just happy he is healthy and provides us with flexibility to play all three outfield positions." — Though we know the perils in basing evaluations on September games, the Indians may have an everyday outfielder in Michael Brantley, 22. He's hitting .326 in the majors and has seen plenty of playing time because of Grady Sizemore's absence. But the Indians need pitching, above all else, to become a competitive enterprise again, and one look at the exterior of Progressive Field says a lot about the organization's current state: Of the six full-color banners that one would expect to display star players, two show Sizemore (injured), two show Travis Hafner (not the player he once was), and two show Slider, the team mascot.
Tagged: Angel Pagan, Carlos Beltran, Delmon Young, Howie Kendrick, Ichiro Suzuki, Orioles, Justin Morneau, Matt Wieters, Blue Jays, Angels, Indians, Chris Perez, Cubs, Tigers, Jason Kubel, Astros, Julio Borbon, Twins, Grady Sizemore, Nationals, Mets, Phillies, Mariners, Travis Hafner, Denard Span, Michael Cuddyer, Cardinals, Rangers

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