Ng Reportedly Reaches Lightning Round in Seattle

Seattle has apparently narrowed its general manager search to Dodger exec Kim Ng and two others, according to the Seattle Times (link via The Fabulous Forum).

It's not clear, however, that she has the inside track for the job.

The Mariners are bringing back Jerry DiPoto, Tony LaCava and Kim Ng as they begin the final round of interviews today for their vacant general manager's job.

DiPoto, 40, is director of player personnel for the Arizona Diamondbacks. LaCava, 47, is assistant general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Mariners are expected to talk to two candidates today, believed to be DiPoto and LaCava, and conduct at least one more interview on Friday as they pursue a replacement for Bill Bavasi, who was fired in June. Both DiPoto and LaCava are said to have flown into Seattle on Wednesday, from Arizona and Pittsburgh, respectively. ...

Both men are said to have presented the Mariners with extensive, highly-detailed lists of the management team they would like to put in place. At least one team president and three general managers have telephoned the Mariners to express support for LaCava, while several top executives from Arizona and other teams have done the same on DiPoto's behalf. ...

David Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner says the "smart money is on LaCava."

As expected following the Dodgers' run to the playoffs, Ned Colletti will return as Dodger general manager in 2009, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Times.

Comments

[bhsportsguy]

1.  Good luck to Kim.

[underdog]

2.  I can't help but root hard for Ng to get that job, despite selfishly not wanting the Dodgers to lose her. But I wonder how seriously they're really taking her as a candidate? Well, hopefully they are. She'd be great.

Otherwise, one more year of NedCo., and then maybe they can choose from White, Ng or Watson to replace him.

[JoeyP]

3.  From last thread:

Everyone on this team has the potential to be the best defender in baseball at their position, except for Kemp and Loney (who could very well improve).

You really think Dewitt (at 3b) & Martin are great defenders?

I also think putting Frank Gutierrez in the OF is really banking on his OF defense making up for his anemic bat. Not sure thats a good wager.

[The Trolley Dodger]

4.  Regarding commenters in the previous thread saying Beltre didn't want to come to LA, had the no trade clause, etc., see this:

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2008/09/would-dodgers-t.html

"Beltre wouldn't mind staying in Seattle, but the Mariners need to hire a general manager and get on with rebuilding. Assuming they do, Beltre would love to come back to the Dodgers. 'If I'm available, I'd be happy to,' he said. 'I don't know what is going to happen. I'd be more than happy to come back to L.A. It's not under my control.'"

[bhsportsguy]

5.  It is interesting to me that the one person in the Dodger front office known for his scouting was not considered. Especially since the article linked by Jon, reviews how much scouting experience DiPito and LaCava have.

[Robert Fiore]

6.  They should have announced Colletti's return on Wednesday. I mean, why spoil two days in a row?

[regfairfield]

7.  3 He was this year, ~+25-30 prorated over a full season, but he probably couldn't keep that up the whole time. Catcher defense doesn't matter all that much so I don't count it.

[regfairfield]

8.  7 I should say no one has been able to figure out the impact of catcher defense, and there's no good ways to measure it out side of throwing out base runners.

[Jon Weisman]

9.  6 - They did announce it Wednesday.

[ToyCannon]

10.  3
Gut put up an OPS > 850 over the last two months of the year. I have no idea what his ceiling is, but he's only 25.

I don't agree with Andrew that the Indians need middle infielders. They simply need to flip flop Peralta and Cabrera. Cabrera was awesome for a middle infielder once he got straightened out posting an 820 OPS in the 2nd half and building on the promise he displayed in the 2nd half of 2007. I'd take him over any of our infield prospects considering he's only 22.

[ToyCannon]

11.  Here is a list of every hitter since 1947 with an OPS+ > 100 sorted by descending age. Lots of solid age 40 year old seasons in there. I would think that Manny could do a Winfield age 40 season.
I have no problems giving Manny 4 years. The 5th year is the problem. Six years would be excessive and money you might as well flush down the toilet.

http://www.bb-ref.com/pi/shareit/HDHV

[KG16]

12.  I think I'm going to need to take another off season hiatus, like I did last year. Or I could try to find out the bounds of Rule 11.

[Tripon]

13.  We should package Andruw Jones for Jeff Francour and then trade Francour to Seattle for Ichiro. Problem solved!

[KG16]

14.  11 - I could see Manny doing a Mays age 40, but I'd take Winfield too, especially if it has the same result as Toronto in 1992.

[ToyCannon]

15.  I was hoping Kim would stick around to handle our arbitration cases since that is the only thing that I know for sure she is good at.

If she gets the Seattle gig, good for her but I won't be upset she is not our future GM.

[cargill06]

16.  Just curious, what would the amount of money and year for Adam Dunn look like?

5 or 6 years at $100-110?

[ToyCannon]

17.  Seeing how Andruw Jones looks this winter might decide how the Dodgers proceed. When does the Dominican winter league start?

[ToyCannon]

18.  16
I don't think he comes close to that.

[cargill06]

19.  18 What's your guess?

[regfairfield]

20.  11 I remember hearing that Peralta was going to third next year.

[JoeyP]

21.  I see the Dbax re-signing Dunn to a 4yr/50 mils deal.

[cargill06]

22.  20 That's correct

21 If Dunn goes for that cheap we should defenitely look at that route too. Than we may still have enough money for CC.

[bhsportsguy]

23.  21 That would be less than what he made this year.

[Slipstream]

24.  According to this website, Derek Lowe has put his Manhattan Beach house up for sale.

http://tinyurl.com/4dru38

[D4P]

25.  23
Yeah. Even Andruw Jones got a big raise, despite a terrible year in 2007.

[Harold M Johnson]

26.  11 I think this is the crux of it, and that the Mets might be willing to give Manny the 5th year. But you also have to ask yourself, if you're paying for a 5th year that may be totally unproductive, is the $$$ worth it because of the increased revenues over that period? I've never seen someone take a town by storm the way Manny did in the second half. Although I suppose a playoff run was a big part of that.

[D4P]

27.  24
Fun website.

[ToyCannon]

28.  Rumor time

Larry Bowa back to the Yankees?
http://blogs.nypost.com/sports/st/archives/2008/10/3_up_bowa_manny.html

Hey I thought that Pat Burrel was supposed to be a terrible outfielder. Just like Manny he didn't look that bad in LF to me. Is Dunn really as bad as the metrics say?

In the long run what Manny did may turn out to be the worse thing to happen to Dodger fans. The reality of what a great hitter can do will never be able to live up to the expectations of the post - Manny era.

[Frip]

29.  It would be so weird if a team signs Andruw Jones and then, say mid season, he FINALLY finds his missing swing. It would be upsetting for the Dodgers, but it'd be funny to see. It'd be like, he REALLY DID have it all along! Whaaaaa...amazing.

[Tripon]

30.  28 Joel Sherman is the dumbest writer I ever read. Worse than Amy Nelson, worse than Jon Heyman, worse than Robothanl.

[bhsportsguy]

31.  28 The only thing I can think of is that Burrell (and Manny) playing in relatively small outfields does not hurt as much.

But when you play 36 road games in the NL West, it can add up.

[ToyCannon]

32.  21
Where will he play when Byrnes is healthy? They are not benching Jackson/Byrnes/Young/Upton if they are healthy. Are they even interested in re-signing him? It is not like he led them to a Division title and captured the hearts of the red rock people.

[ToyCannon]

33.  29
I will give up my 1st born if Andruw Jones can pull a 2006 out of his past.

[Kevin Lewis]

34.  24

I like how one of the commenters on the blog said LA overpaid for Derek.

[Marty]

35.  33 Do you have announcement to make?

[Tripon]

36.  33 Just name him Andruw Jones Toycannon.

[scareduck]

37.  4 - I read that elsewhere and still don't get the point there. I refer you back to Cot's, which lists the Dodgers as one of his no-trade destinations. (I have read this elsewhere, too.)

http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2005/01/seattle-mariners.html

It makes no sense to me that he would add the Dodgers to a short list in one year and revoke it the next.

[scareduck]

38.  35 - it's called betting with house money.

[dsfan]

39.  Buy high on Manny/Boras?

Scary. Offer him a big number. But only two years -- plus a vesting option to keep him hungry. Stick to it! If he walks, he walks.

Buy high on CC? Also scary. Offer a big number. For three years only with a player option for a fourth year. If he says no, he says no. How many buy-high contracts for No. 1 FA pitchers work out for the club?

Go with DeWitt at third, DeJesus at 2B and, if you can sign him 1 year with an option, which I think you can, Furcal at SS. Hu would be the utility guy, and a very busy one.

Eat most of the Pierre money, get a Single-A arm for him, move on.

Key point: Take the five draft picks for Manny (2), Lowe (1), Blake (1), Penny (1) and tell Logan White to have a party. Bust slot if White says it's worth it.

Retain the first-round draft pick.

Once the media shellacking ended, the Dodgers still would be able to sell a lot of tickets and win the NL West. With Andruw and Schmidt moving off they books in '09 they'd have a lot money to spend this summer and next offseason.

Big point: They would reseed a farm system that got them here in the first place but now is pretty thin.

Got to get that farm system rolling again. Young players might be more important nowadays with the more stringent PED testing.

[JRSarno]

40.  24 - http://www.redfin.com/CA/Manhattan-Beach/204-19th-St-90266/home/6711206

[regfairfield]

41.  39 In recent memory: Pedro, Schilling, Randy, Kevin Brown (debatable). Elite pitchers don't become free agents that often, but they work out when they do.

[regfairfield]

42.  Javier Vazquez was an elite pitcher when he reached free agency, just no one really realized it. That may count as a bust.

[dsfan]

43.  41- has the Pedro contract worked out for the Mets? I don't know. Giving RJ a lot of money was a good move by the Diamondbacks, circa 1999. Kevin Brown? Probably a bad one, I suspect.

[cargill06]

44.  The more and more I think about it the more and more I like Adam Dunn and what the contract would look like. He had a .258 BABIP this year and that's even low for him (.287 career) and still managed a .898 OPS.

[regfairfield]

45.  43 I meant the Sox one. The Dodgers got one of the best pitchers in baseball for four good years, it was a good deal.

[ToyCannon]

46.  How many Dodgers have Scott Boras as their agent? How do you find out without working very hard?

[regfairfield]

47.  44 What scares me about Dunn or Pat The Bat is that guys like that go from killing the ball to nothing all the time once they hit their early 30s.

[regfairfield]

48.  46 http://www.mlb4u.com/teamcontract.php?team=Los%20Angeles%20Dodgers

[ToyCannon]

49.  44
He's headed for Tampa Bay along with Abreu, Burrel, and Manny.

[kinbote]

50.  39 Good plan. I'd really love to hear where we plan on playing DeWitt next year. That could help settle a few issues.

[ToyCannon]

51.  48
So only Andruw Jones and D Lowe are represented by Boras?
Martin has Stewart, I like that.

[cargill06]

52.  48 I wonder why Billinglsey dropped Tommy Tanzer?

[underdog]

53.  49 Boy those Rays are loaded both in personnel and in moolah, in the Toy Cannon universe. ;-) (I could definitely see one of those guys ending up in TB, btw.)

[Jon Weisman]

54.  Manny cleans out his locker:
http://www.insidesocal.com/dodgers/2008/10/mannys-near-sil.html

[underdog]

55.  54 Should we interpret that in any way other than that he's bummed out and needs a break? I guess he's being honest, too, doesn't know if he'll be back in LA because no one does... hope we see him back in that locker room next year though. But only for 3-4 years.

[still bevens]

56.  48 Man it looks like Kuroda is wearing a spacesuit in his photo.

[ToyCannon]

57.  49
Abreu would be a cool story if he was to sign with them. He was the reason that Tampa started in such a funk when the first trade they made was to send a young ready to be a star but they didn't know it Abreu to the Phillies for Stocker.

[LoneStar7]

58.  juan d'vaughn pierre haha i like the use of rhetoric

[Humma Kavula]

59.  39 Under that scenario, if neither Manny nor CC bites on your offers, then 2009 is basically a punt.

For all the reasons we've discussed, that might be the right thing to do.

But there is no way that GM dsfan would survive the purge that will result after that team goes 77-85. You and Dan Evans would be able to meet at Starbucks as the two lifetime members of the "But I rebuilt the Dodger farm system!" club.

[Eric Stephen]

60.  59
You and Dan Evans would be able to meet at Starbucks

Just don't sit near the window, and be prepared to duck if a sharply dressed man with a pocket full of pens strolls by!

[bigcpa]

61.  Next fall's FA class really stinks outside of Brian Roberts and Coors-free Holliday. I expect Boston to extend Bay. All the more reason to stretch the 2009 payroll with the relief coming in 2010.

[D4P]

62.  I guess he's being honest, too, doesn't know if he'll be back in LA because no one does

He has made it pretty clear that he's going wherever he gets the most money, which is usually a given when you hire Boras.

[Kevin Lewis]

63.  I gotta say I was very sad to see Chan Ho come in for the 3rd inning. I would have never guessed that would be a possibility.

[Humma Kavula]

64.  I don't blame Manny for going where the most money is.

I hated the job I had before this one. Part of what I hated about it was that I was underpaid with respect to my experience and my peers. That knowledge hung over me and made all the petty things I disliked about the job even worse.

Money's not the only thing, of course. If I were offered a job for a 25% raise but it was in Olathe, Kansas, I don't know that I'd accept it. (Nothing against Olathe.) But a 150% raise and all of a sudden I'm learning about the finer points of America's Breadbasket.

[cargill06]

65.  Joe wants pitching
http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081016&content_id=3625743&vkey=news_la&fext=.jsp&c_id=la

Jason Schmidt might be able to salvage the last season of his contract as he reports "instant relief" after his second shoulder operation.

He had a 2nd surgery?

[scareduck]

66.  60 - Well, you know they say the ladies go crazy for a sharp(ies)-dressed man.

[scareduck]

67.  64 - but what if the cost of living in Olathe, KS is 50% below your current costs? That gets you an immediate 100% raise without your employer paying you a dime more. Throw in a 25% raise in absolute dollars, and you're talking about a 150% raise right there.

[trainwreck]

68.  65
Made it sound like DeWitt is our third baseman. I much preferred him at second.

[Eric Stephen]

69.  I wouldn't mind living in a place called "America's Breadbasket."

[Jacob L]

70.  So Manny's going to Olathe?

[Ken Noe]

71.  68 So given Joe's and Ned's comments today, it sounds like they want pitching over Manny, Solution back at third, and Furcal back at short. So who at second...Hu? DeJesus? Cano?

[Humma Kavula]

72.  67 I have already calculated a lower cost of living into my Olathe-related fantasies. I would still have to receive a much larger increase in absolute dollars before I accepted the hypothetical job that doesn't really exist.

[MC Safety]

74.  It really is hilarious how many Dodger fans came out of the woodwork after we acquired Manny.

[regfairfield]

73.  There's really not any free agent third basemen out there, but there is Ellis and Hudson at second. DeWitt will go where the hole is, and it's more likely it will be at third than at second.

[Ken Noe]

75.  73 The O-Dog...do it for Vin.

[ToyCannon]

76.  My best friend moved to Olathe to raise his family and be there while his father was fighting cancer. The best part was that he kept his job with IBD in Culver City so he got LA Programmer wages living in Olathe. Good gig.

[blue22]

77.  73 - How's the O-Dog on the +/- metric?

[regfairfield]

78.  77 He took a huge hit this year. He's never been any good going to his right but before he would get to anything up the middle. That didn't happen this year.

[bhsportsguy]

79.  Manny wasn't the only one not talking.

http://tinyurl.com/39s5sz

[blue22]

80.  78 - "Going to his right" and "up the middle are the same thing", no?

[blue22]

81.  78 - But, anyway, I'm really not excited for Hudson (sorry Vin). Too overrated, too many years, too many dollars, getting too old.

[D4P]

82.  79
Weird. Makes it sound like he really doesn't think he's coming back next year.

[Jon Weisman]

83.  79 - I'm not surprised by his feeling, but I am surprised he didn't live up to his reputation as Mr. Considerate. I don't mean that sarcastically.

[blue22]

84.  82 - I can imagine him not wanting to be here.

I can imagine him openly requesting a trade.

I can't imagine him having a smidgen of leverage to make that happen.

[Humma Kavula]

85.  79 I've said this before, but I won't let that stop me. Juan Pierre, like Howard the Duck, is trapped in a world he never made.

Time was that Juan would be lauded as one of the best players in the game. 200 hits a year!

But that world is gone, and now Juan has to figure out what the heck has happened.

It's almost enough to make ya feel bad for the guy. No, check that. On a human level, I do feel bad for the guy.... just not bad enough to say that he should be starting for my team.

[bferb]

86.  61
Absolutely correct. Make the free agent signings we need now, then use our free money after 2009 to lock up some of our young guys and/or pay for the raises in arbitration.

Personally, other than the possibility of the O-Dog at 2nd, I'd rather have Crede or try to sign n' trade Penny for a guy like Blalock, than pay a guy like Ellis $7 million a year.

Then have DeWitt at 2nd I'm sure he will improve defensively after playing winter ball and spring training at 2nd. Maybe experiment with Hu/DeJesus/Abreu if needed as second options and/or utility infielders.

[D4P]

87.  Pierre was a victim* of Ned's stupidity, like the rest of us. We all deserve some modicum of sympathy for that.

*Used loosely: the guy makes $9 million/year.

[bhsportsguy]

88.  87 I don't know about you, but I had fun going to the games so I don't feel victimized by Ned.

[Ken Noe]

89.  82 What does JP know that we don't?

[JRSarno]

90.  54 - Obviously, it would be somewhat cool if Manny could at least articulate even the slightest desire to stay in Los Angeles. But his recalcitrance on that subject, and the rather unabashed indication that he's rising like the price of gas and will look at the highest bids, just leaves a somewhat unsympathetic, Boras-like feeling in the air. I guess it's expected, and perhaps understandable for someone seeking the final contract of his career, but he's definitely a strange bird. It was an awesome ride. Will be interesting to see what happens.

[Eric Stephen]

91.  86
There are effectively no such thing as "sign and trades" in MLB. If signed as a FA, a player can't be traded for 6 months.

If you're just talking about picking up Penny's option, then trading him, that is of course allowed.

[ToyCannon]

92.  Manny may want six years but it is not going to happen. I don't even think he gets 5 years.

CC is about at the same point in time as Maddux was when Atlanta signed him away from the Cubs. He then won three straight Cy Young awards for the Braves. You might say CC is not in Maddux's class but I think you'd be wrong. I mean he is certainly in the same class that Maddux was at the time of his first free agent contract.

They both are coming off of a career best 160+ ERA+ free agent season. Maddux was 26, CC is 27. Maddux had piled up 1440 innings to CC's 1659 while being one year younger then CC. CC has had three staight elite seasons.

When Joe says he wants pitching and he gets CC, the fans may not care where Manny ends up. This one won't.

[bferb]

93.  Sorry 91

That is what I meant. Just an easier way of saying it within a sentence I guess.

[D4P]

94.  88
Which of Ned's acquisitions (other than Manny, if you want to count him) made a significant contribution to your enjoyment?

[D4P]

95.  When Joe says he wants pitching and he gets CC, the fans may not care where Manny ends up. This one won't

I don't think (CC - Lowe - Manny) > (Lowe + Manny - CC).

[bferb]

96.  Given the kind of money the Yanks are expected to be throwing around I wonder if we will be able to compete in the Manny and CC sweepstakes. Of course, I know CC prefers the NL and the West Coast, which obviously makes us the best suitors.

[bhsportsguy]

97.  It's his team, it doesn't really matter to me who acquired what players, he's the guy in charge.

I don't divide out my rooting interest for DePo guys, Evans guys, Logan White guys, Ned guys.

[Kevin Lewis]

98.  95

I agree, but isn't the general consensus that Derek doesn't want to be here?

[ToyCannon]

99.  Juan Pierre will not be around next year to be our whipping boy. And I'd be surprised but not willing to bet that we don't end up eating any of his contract but a price will be paid to get rid of it.

As the power in baseball keeps dropping some GM will rationalize the need for Juan Pierre.

[D4P]

100.  I don't divide out my rooting interest for DePo guys, Evans guys, Logan White guys, Ned guys

That's not really the point. You seemed to be saying, "If I enjoy watching a team, the GM couldn't have been stupid in putting it together." I don't buy that. For one thing, you might very well have enjoyed the team even more had Ned not thrown big dollars at bad players, and had either spent in on good players instead or not spent it at all and not blocked some of the kids.