MLB rumors: One team leaning no on Glasnow, Kimbrel new home, Craig Counsell's awkward flight

mlb rumors: one team leaning no on glasnow, kimbrel new home, craig counsell's awkward flight

MLB rumors: One team leaning no on Glasnow, Kimbrel new home, Craig Counsell’s awkward flight

Craig Counsell’s ‘awkward’ flight that wasn’t really awkward

The first big free agent of the offseason was manager Craig Counsell. His contract with the Milwaukee Brewers had run out at the end of this past season. He was heavily linked to the New York Mets since the team hired former Brewers president David Stearns. Then, Counsell interviewed with the Cleveland Guardians for their manager position left vacant after the retirement of Terry Francona.

But it was the Chicago Cubs who hired Counsell in a shocking move. The team had already had David Ross under contract, who was unceremoniously fired after reports indicated they had given Counsell the richest deal for a manager in MLB history. Making the move from the Brewers to an NL Central rival didn’t sit well with the Brewers or their fanbase.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal detailed what could be described as an “awkward” situation (subscription required). Counsell had taken a flight to the MLB Winter Meetings in Nashville. He just so happened to be on the same plane as Stearns, the current president of baseball operations for the Mets, and Pat Murphy, Counsell’s former bench coach and current manager for the Brewers.

While it may be viewed as “awkward,” Rosenthall said that that wasn’t the case, saying that “the three maintain strong relationships.”

After the announcement of Counsell’s move to become the Cubs manager, Brewers president Mark Attanasio voiced his displeasure. Attanasio said the Brewers didn’t lose Counsell, it was the manager who lost the team and the community.

At the time, Attanasio said that he was retaining the coaching staff for next season, which was a tell that one of them would be promoted to manager. Murphy, who had floated around as a managerial candidate over the years, was then selected to lead Milwaukee.

As for the Mets, they opted to go with Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza as their manager. This is the first managerial opportunity for Mendoza, who had been a sought-after candidate over the years.

Counsell’s first game back in Milwaukee as the Cubs skipper will be interesting due in part to the fan reaction. But when it comes to his relationship with Stearns and Murphy, it remains strong.

Craig Kimbrel close to a deal with Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles shocked the world last year when they finished with the best record and the No. 1 seed in the American League. Despite their early exit, the future is bright, and the Orioles are looking to build a contender. One area that they need to address is the bullpen, specifically at closer, with Felix Bautista expected to miss all of 2024 due to Tommy John surgery.

It appears they have their eyes set on a veteran closer to help fill in for next season.

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Orioles are “seriously engaged” with former Philadelphia Phillies reliever Craig Kimbrel. Sherman notes that Kimbrel would fill the closer role or become the set-up guy for Yennier Cano.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Orioles and Kimbrel were close to a deal.

Kimbrel has had his share of ups and downs in terms of production over the years, but he rebounded, starting with the Los Angeles Dodgers last year, and the Phillies this season.

Speaking of the Phillies, Kimbrel was named an All-Star for the ninth time and his first since 2021. But in the postseason, Kimbrel struggled, notably in the NLCS against the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he was credited for Philadelphia’s losses in Games 3 and 4.

In the regular season, Kimbrel recorded a 3.26 ERA, a 1.04 WHIP, 22 saves on 27 opportunities, 94 strikeouts, and 28 walks in 69.0 innings (71 games). In the postseason, Kimbrel was credited with a 6.00 ERA, a 1.83 WHIP, an 0-2 win-loss record, three saves on four opportunities, five strikeouts, and five walks in 6.0 innings.

The Orioles are looking to stay in contention in a tough AL East division. Bringing in Kimbrel does help solve their need at closer.

Why Reds may lean towards not trading for Tyler Glasnow

The baseball world is waiting for the San Diego Padres to trade outfielder Juan Soto. Besides Soto, there are other prominent players that are seemingly up for grabs on the trade market. For teams interested in starting pitching, one name that has become available is Tyler Glasnow of the Tampa Bay Rays. Given their payroll not being as large as other teams, they can only keep so many players.

So who would be interested in Glasnow? Well, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported on Tuesday night that the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds were in talks with the Rays for Glasnow, and a trade could be done after Shohei Ohtani makes his free agency decision.

When it comes to the Reds, they may be leaning toward “no” on a Glasnow trade. Why?

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal noted in a column that the Reds’ interest in Glasnow “hinges on how they view themselves for 2024,” (subscription required). Rosenthal says that the team’s best chance of competing may be in 2025 as their young players develop, so getting pitchers with years of control would be “more of a priority.”

Glasnow is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2024 season. So acquiring him would be sort of rush the team into contending in 2024.

However, Rosenthal writes that the Reds “might not be willing to meet” the Chicago White Sox’s demands for starting pitcher Dylan Cease, who is under team control through the 2025 season. But, he writes that the Reds have the farm system capable of moving on from prospects for trades.

It will be interesting to see where Glasnow winds up. From all accounts, it sounds like it could happen in the coming days, with Ohtani reportedly set to make his free agency decision before the end of the weekend, per Morosi.

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