Another rumored managerial candidate is off the boards for the Houston Astros. That tidbit and more in this edition of MLB rumors that focus on the Astros, Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs.
Scott Boras talks Chicago Cubs and Cody Bellinger
Leave it to agent Scott Boras to drop the pun of the week when it comes to what seems to be a past relationship between Cody Bellinger and the Chicago Cubs.
While the pun may have been a part of the eye-rolling speech put on by Boras during the GM meetings in Scottsdale, it also showed that Boras is proving to every team (even the Cubs) that the "prove it" deal signed by Bellinger last season (one year for $17.5 million) was not only good for the Cubs, but for Bellinger and his future as well.
The quote above was part of the full quote from Boras as he spewed, "You have a lot of options for him. When he went to Chicago, he feasted on major league pitching. Chicago got the comforts of a full Belli, so the Cubs are going to have to loosen their belts to keep Bellinger."
With Craig Counsell now in charge in Chicago, it's clear the Cubs are in win-now mode. There are things the Cubs could do to make it a perfect offseason now with the former Milwaukee Brewers manager on board, and that could certainly include keeping Bellinger with the Cubs if Chicago is willing to spend what Boras and his client are likely looking to get this offseason (potentially a six- or seven-year deal worth around $27 million annually).
Minnesota Twins and Sonny Gray
With reports coming out that the Twins are lowering payroll heading into next season, it very likely spells the end of the Sonny Gray tenure in the Twin Cities.
The right-hander, who turned 34 on Tuesday, finished up a five-year, $50.7 million deal with Minnesota's ALDS loss to the Astros. If Gray's last outing with the Twins was his ALDS Game 3 start against Houston, it's not the one that he will want to remember when looking back on his time with Minnesota as he surrendered five runs (four earned) and eight hits in 4.0 innings in a 9-1 defeat.
That one game, however, should not put a damper on what was a solid season for Gray, logging an MLB-leading 2.83 FIP and 0.4 home runs per nine innings in 184.0 frames spread across 32 regular-season starts. In his two seasons with Minnesota, following a trade from the Cincinnati Reds just before the start of the 2022 campaign, Gray posted a combined 2.90 ERA/3.05 FIP/1.139 WHIP in 56 starts (303.2 innings).
In the free agent prediction article posted by MLBTradeRumors.com, Gray is projected to earn a four-year, $90 million deal, with the site's experts predicting him to land with the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers or Detroit Tigers.
What does Ron Washington's hire in Anaheim mean for Houston?
As reported by MLB insider Jon Heyman, Ron Washington has been hired as the next manager of the Los Angeles Angels. With that move, the rumored potential interest between Washington and the open Houston job is now out the window.
Will that speed the Astros along toward securing Joe Espada as the next in line after Dusty Baker's departure? In an article for The Athletic (subscription required) on Tuesday, Chandler Rome reported that Espada's contract had expired on October 31 and he was free to talk to any team he wants about a job opening. While Houston general manager Dana Brown reportedly declined to name Espada as "the leading candidate" to land the vacant Astros job, it's clear that there is respect between Brown and Espada for the job done in his recent roles under Baker.
"(Espada) deserves it," Brown said at this week's GM meetings in Scottsdale, Ariz. "The guy's been doing a heck of a job as a bench coach. He's run our spring training and done a lot of good things here. He's got a good relationship with the players. He's been, of course, a candidate outside of our organization."
With Los Angeles and Chicago locking down the manager jobs, it will be interesting to see how long the dance between the Astros and Espada goes on ... and where it leads for both sides.