RINGOLSBY: Hurdle not alone regarding security

By Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News

Published October 2, 2008 at 7:51 p.m.

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Chris Schneider / The Rocky

Rockies manager Clint Hurdle will go into the final year of his contract in 2009. The Rockies had a disappointing season, but the organization has no intentions of replacing Hurdle.

While a faction of the media has attempted to create a buzz about the future of Rockies manager Clint Hurdle, there never was a desire within the organization to make a managerial change.

And the fact he will be in the final year of his contract isn't a concern of Hurdle, who shrugs off the suggestion that life can be more challenging if a manager is perceived to be in a lame-duck position.

Hurdle isn't the only manager who will go into 2009 in the final year of his contract.

Former Rockies manager Jim Leyland faces a similar situation in Detroit. Last weekend, he said he was "disappointed" the Tigers did not give him an extension, but he did indicate unlike the three previous times that he managed a team to a last-place finish - Pittsburgh (1996), Florida (1998) and Colorado (1999) - he will not quit this time.

While decisions still have to be made about who is going to manage the Mariners, Brewers and Mets next year, 15 of the 27 manages are currently under one-year guarantees for 2009, including Mike Scioscia of the Angels, Charlie Manuel of the Phillies and Joe Maddon of the Rays, who have their teams in the postseason.

Scioscia, Manuel, the Nationals' Manny Acta, the Orioles' Dave Trembley and the Rangers' Ron Washington have options for 2010, but those are at the team's discretion and do not include buyouts.

Others with contracts that cover only 2009 include the Astros' Cecil Cooper, the Athletics' Bob Geren, the Braves' Bobby Cox, the Cardinals' Tony La Russa, the Giants' Bruce Bochy, the Marlins' Fredi Gonzalez and the Padres' Bud Black.

It might be worth nothing that three managers fired during the 2008 season had guarantees for 2009 - the Mariners' John McLaren, the Brewers' Ned Yost and the Mets' Willie Randolph.

The Blue Jays' John Gibbons was in the final year of his contract.

Infield chatter

* Slow down on rumors that San Diego might deal right-hander Jake Peavy, 27. Peavy, who is guaranteed $11 million in 2009, $15 million in 2010 and $16 million in 2011, has a complete no-trade through 2010.

* Right-hander Mike Mussina, 39, indicated that if he returns to the Yankees, he would like a three-year deal. Mussina, whose 18-year career has been spent with the Orioles and Yankees, also is hinting that if he doesn't return to the Yankees, he could retire because he doesn't want to become a vagabond.

* Left-hander Mike Hampton wants to pitch again. He doesn't want to have his career end with an injury-prone label, and Atlanta is interested in bringing him back with a contract heavy on incentives.

The rotation

With the Yankees giving general manager Brian Cashman a three-year extension and Mets GM Omar Minaya being given four more years, GM jobs still uncertain include:

* Philadelphia. Pat Gillick said he is retiring. His assistants, Ruben Amaro and Mike Arbuckle, are leading candidates.

* Toronto. J.P. Ricciardi's future is tied to the new president. If it is someone with a baseball background, such as Gillick, a change could be made. If Rogers Communications, which owns the team, sends in a business type to be president, Ricciardi likely will survive.

* Washington. Jim Bowden always seems on the edge. Word inside the organization is scouting director Mike Rizzo has been positioning himself.

* Los Angeles. Ned Colletti came under heat for free-agent signings but then made masterful in-season deals to get the Dodgers into the postseason. Ownership won't confirm Colletti is secure, creating speculation that scouting director Logan White could move up.

* Seattle. Gillick could have the job, again. If he really doesn't want to be a GM, interim Lee Pelekoudas has been told he will be considered. The names of assistant GMs Bill Geivett of the Rockies, Jerry DiPoto of Arizona and Kim Ng of the Dodgers also have surfaced. San Diego denied permission for the Mariners to talk to GM Kevin Towers.

* Texas. Jon Daniels could remain in the organization, but there is talk about bringing in a more experienced exec to run the baseball operation, such as Gerry Hunsicker.

Out in left field

Five of the 10 teams with Opening Day payrolls in excess of $100 million didn't advance to the postseason - the No. 1 Yankees ($209 million), No. 2 Mets ($137.8 million), No. 3 Tigers ($137.7 million), No. 9 Mariners (117.7 million) and No. 10 Braves ($102.4 million).

However, only one team that ranked in the bottom half of Opening Day payrolls is still playing - No. 29 Tampa Bay ($43.8 million).

Closing statement

Washington's ineptitude will pay off in next June's draft.

The Nationals earned the No. 1 pick in the draft with a worst-in-baseball 59 wins, two fewer than Seattle. The Nationals also will get the 10th pick in the first round to offset their failure to sign first-round pick Aaron Crow, a right-handed pitcher from Missouri whom Washington took with the ninth pick in the draft. Teams that fail to sign a No. 1 pick are awarded the pick directly after the spot where the player they failed to sign the previous year was selected.

That bumps the Rockies to the No. 11 pick. The Rockies, Cincinnati and Detroit tied with 74 wins, but the Rockies had a better record in 2007 than the other two, so the Reds will pick eighth and the Tigers ninth, just ahead of Washington's comp pick.

The Yankees will receive the 29th selection in the first round for their inability to sign right-handed pitcher Gerrit Cole of Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High School, who opted for college without even negotiating. Seattle still has signing rights to No. 20 pick Joshua Fields, a right-handed pitcher from Georgia, because he was a senior.

MILE HIGH WATCH

* Center field prospect Dexter Fowler continues to get endorsements from outside the Rockies organization.

Fowler, selected to play in the Futures Game in conjunction with the All-Star Game and a member of Team USA in the Olympics, can add the No. 1 ranking among prospects in the Double-A Texas League to his list of 2008 accomplishments.

Fowler was selected by Texas League managers and scouts in Baseball America's annual survey.

Right-hander reliever Casey Weathers, the Rockies' first-round draft choice out of Vanderbilt in 2007, was voted No. 19.

The Rockies had three of the top 20 prospects in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League - third baseman Ian Stewart at No. 7, left-hander Franklin Morales at No. 15 and right-hander Greg Reynolds at No. 20.

* The Rockies might have led the National League with 141 stolen bases in 2008, but don't get carried away with the idea they are a go-go team. Three players who might not be back next year accounted for 108 of the thefts - center fielder Willy Taveras (68), left fielder Matt Holliday (28) and reserve outfielder Scott Podsednik (12). The only other Rockies with at least five stolen bases were second baseman Clint Barmes (13) and outfielder Ryan Spilborghs (seven).

The hunch is Podsednik could be re-signed, providing the Rockies with veteran protection in center field.

* Reliever Doug Brocail admitted he was surprised when Houston declined his $3.25 million option for 2009 but is willing to talk to the Astros about returning at a lesser deal.

Brocail, 41, was 7-5 with a 3.92 ERA and career-high 72 appearances in 2008 but had shoulder problems the second half.

* Original Rockies manager Don Baylor, out of uniform the past two years, is hoping to get back into coaching in 2009. His name has surfaced as a bench coach candidate in Texas, where Art Howe, a hitting coach on Baylor's staff in Colorado, was let go.

• October 3, 2008

  9:23 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  buffsblg writes:

  Tracy, I respect your reporting and knowledge.Some day can you tell us why Hurdle and O'Dowd are never held responsible when this team consistently loses? Does last year just mean these guys get a forever pass?

• October 3, 2008

  10:15 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  chartguy writes:

  Do you think the Oakland Raiders would be willing to trade Al Davis for the Monforts?

• October 3, 2008

  2:20 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  arvada_mark writes:

  chartguy, let's not replace inadequacy with lunacy. And if Scioscia will be available after next year, we need to at least talk to the guy. I can't think of a better manager in the game right now...Torre showed he's still up there after this year & it's hard to argue with what Francona (formerly of the Denver Bears) has done over the past few years, but the Angels were nothing before Scioscia got there. He's the type of guy we need in our clubhouse. He's hard-nosed, he expects his players to show up every day, & he's not afraid of chewing some you know what if he thinks his players aren't into it. The Angels would be dumb if they didn't pick up his option though, or renegotiate an extension after they win the Series this year.

• October 5, 2008

  9:45 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Blind_Pete writes:

  And don't forget Tony LaRussa. The Rocks should try their best to sign him up. He is a great middle market manager who knows how to get the most out of his players.

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