by As the white sock continue to search for a new manager, one prominent name yet to be brought into the mix is Joe Maddon. The former Rays/Cubs/Angels captain told the Cubs Talk podcast (on NBC Sports Chicago, shoutout to Tim Stebbins) that “I have not heard of [the White Sox] absolutely“, although Maddon would”of course… be interested” in the chat with the team. Maddon has yet to be publicly linked to any of the managerial vacancies open this winter, though he has remained in the news due to a publicity tour for his upcoming book.
For a White Sox team reportedly hoping to replace Tony La Russa with another experienced manager, Maddon would seem like an intriguing candidate on paper, given his long and successful track record and previous ties to Chicago. However, of the four candidates so far linked to the Red Sox job, two (Ron Washington and Ozzie Guillen) have previous major league managerial experience, while the other two (Royals bench coach Pedro Grifol , and Astros bench coach Joe Espada) would be the first. -Time of captains at the MLB level.
More from the Central AL…
- There is a mutual interest between the guardians Y austin hedges in a meeting, Guards president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti told The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Paul Hoynes and other reporters. Hedges is scheduled for free agency this winter and was once again one of the strongest defensive receivers in the game. For a Guardians team that has prioritized glove work and calls behind the plate, this has been enough to secure regular playing time for Hedges, despite his lack of production as a hitter. Hedges has hit just .189/.247/.331 in career plate appearances in 2001 with San Diego and Cleveland – his 54 wRC+ is the lowest of any player in baseball (minimum 2000 PA) since inception of the 2015 season. The Guardians have perspective bo naylor knocking on the door and another veteran receiver in lucas maile up to arbitration control, although Maile is not a candidate for the tender. Hedges’ price tag shouldn’t be too prohibitive, which could allow Cleveland to create some competition in spring training and perhaps make Maile the outsider even if he were offered a contract.
- the Twins they are looking for a new head coach this offseason, once again looking to fill a position that has been a revolving door for the organization. As La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune points out, the Twins have already had three head coaches since 2016, and there have been plenty of other personnel changes in the strength and conditioning departments. While it’s common for teams to go through some personnel changes on a regular basis, the lack of consistency stands out when it comes to the Twins, as they were plagued by injuries throughout the season.
