The Boston Red Sox have announced the hiring of former Tigers general manager and president Dave Dombrowski as their president of baseball operations.
The Red Sox’ current general manager, Ben Cherington, has resigned from his position. He will help assist Dombrowski make the transition into Boston’s front office, but ultimately will no longer serve as the GM. Dombrowski was released from his duties in Detroit in early August. The 59-year-old Dombrowski has been well-regarded as one of the best executives within the game, helping to lead the Tigers to many successful seasons, including two American League pennants. He has been credited with bringing Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, Max Scherzer, Yoenis Cespedes, and other stars to the Tigers in via trade, while also having success in the free agent market with signings like the one of Price Fielder. For his career, Dombrowski has spent time at the helm of three organizations: Detroit, the then-Florida Marlins, and the Montreal Expos. The switch is an interesting one for the Red Sox, who have disappointed after a big spending spree this offseason, which included bringing in the likes of Hanley Ramirez, Pablo Sandoval, and others through both signing and trade. At the time of this writing, the Red Sox are 52-66 and are 9 1/2 games out of a playoff spot. Dombrowski’s apparent general managing strategy is different than that of Cherington. Dombrowski is known to be more of a scouting-first, go-for-it general manager, where as Cherington has shown to invest in both sabermetrics and the development of prospects. The 41-year-old Cherington has had successful years himself, leading the Red Sox to the 2013 World Series championship and being named the 2013 Executive of the Year for his efforts. He will likely find work within baseball elsewhere. —Devan Fink
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The Texas Rangers announced the acquisition of outfielder Will Venable from the San Diego Padres.
Minor league catcher and outfielder Marcus Greene and a player to be named later will be headed back to the Padres in the deal, it was announced. According to Corey Brock of MLB.com, Padres general manager A.J. Preller considers the PTBNL a “key” piece of the deal. Brock reports that the player is closer to the Major Leagues. The 32-year-old Venable will provide outfield depth to the Rangers, who have been working with injuries to Josh Hamilton. Only Ryan Strausborger is listed on their bench as an outfielder, so they obviously felt Venable would be a worthy addition to their club, especially as they try to get a playoff spot down the stretch. Venable reportedly cleared waivers. He will be a free agent at the end of this season, as he completes a two-year, $8.5 million extension signed with the Padres. On the season, Venable is hitting .258/.318/.378/.696 (98 OPS+) in 308 plate appearances. On defense, Venable serves as a just-below-average option; he’s been worth -6 defensive runs saved in the outfield this year. He can play all three outfield spots. The Rangers did not make a huge move in any respect, but definitely got an upgrade in the outfield, adding Venable to be a solid fourth outfield option. It isn’t flashy, but trades like this one can play a big role in a team’s success down the stretch. —Devan Fink
The Atlanta Braves have signed right-hander Edwin Jackson to a Major League contract, the team announced on Friday.
The 31-year-old Jackson was released by the Cubs on July 27 after designating him for assignment the week before. The team had signed Jackson to a four-year, $52 million deal in 2012 to be an anchor of their rotation, but after that didn't work out, he became a long reliever. Jackson's poor performances as a starter made the deal a failure and the Cubs felt that they would be better off without him, despite his success out of the bullpen and the fact that they owed him $11 million for 2016. The Braves signed Jackson just through this season, so it's unlikely that he will become anything more of an innings eater for them. However, it's possible that they could put him through trade waivers and deal him, as they don't owe him a penny of the Cubs contract, and he could help a contender down the stretch out of the bullpen. If they were to make a move, it would have to come before August 31, the waiver trade deadline. On the season, Jackson is 2-1 with a 3.19 ERA (2.88 FIP) in 31 innings, posting a 23 to 12 strikeout-to-walk ratio. His 120 ERA+ is the highest it has been since 2011 with the Cardinals. --Devan Fink
The Philadelphia Phillies appear motivated to move second baseman Chase Utley before the August 31 waiver trade deadline. Many rumors have circulated as to which teams are interested in trading for him. Here is the latest regarding Utley.
According to multiple reports, the Cubs, Angels, Yankees, Giants, and Dodgers have been mentioned as the likeliest destinations for Utley. The Astros are also receiving "credible buzz" about being in on him, as Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly reported this evening. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that executives involved in discussions for Utley believe that he will choose to go to either the Cubs or the Angels. Utley has 10-and-5 no-trade rights, meaning that because he has spent at least 10 years in the Major Leagues and at least five with the same team (Philadelphia), he can block a trade to any team. Therefore, the Phillies and Utley must come to a consensus as to where he will go before he is ultimately dealt. Utley has drawn appeal from more teams than just those in need for a second baseman. The Astros, for instance, are definitely fine out at second, but could use an upgrade out at first base. Utley can play first or possibly designated hitter, which has allowed more clubs to come into play for trade discussion. The 36-year-old Utley is signed just through this season, but has a vesting option for 2016 if he reaches 500 plate appearances this year (which is pretty much guaranteed not to vest due to disabled list time). On the season, Utley is hitting .208/.276/.313 in 272 plate appearances. Since coming off the disabled list on August 7, he's hitting .500/.478/.682 in six games. --Devan Fink
The Texas Rangers acquired first baseman Mike Napoli and cash from the Boston Red Sox for a player to be named later or cash considerations, the teams announced. Rob Bradford of WEEI.com first reported Texas' acquisition of Napoli.
The 33-year-old Napoli did not garner much interest at the non-waiver trade deadline due to poor play. However, as he has played better in the past few weeks, it sparked a trade. Napoli heads back to Texas, where he spent the 2011 and 2012 seasons, to be a right-handed hitter off their bench and platoon at first base. Against left-handed pitching, the Rangers are have a dismal 84 wRC+, 24th in the big leagues. Mitch Moreland, the Rangers' left-handed starting first baseman, has been especially bad against southpaws, with a .672 OPS in 103 plate appearances against them. Napoli, on the other hand, has a .845 OPS against them, making him a perfect platoon partner. A free agent at the end of the season, Napoli made $16 million in 2014. Most, if not all of his remaining salary, will likely be picked up by the Red Sox in the trade. Overall, this season, Napoli is hitting a .207/.307/.386/.693 clip in 378 plate appearances with 13 home runs and 40 RBIs. Over the past 28 days, Napoli is hitting .258/.347/.500/.847 with three bombs and 10 runs driven in. --Devan Fink |
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