GM - Managerial Changes/ Speculation

[Frayed Knot]

Edgy DC wrote: Reports are surfacing that Tal Smith and Ed Wade could possibly go shortly after the sale of the Astros is complete.

Confirmed.
Asst GM David Gottfried runs things for now (winter meetings are next week) although he is not a candidate for the permanent position.
Tal Smith was with the Houston Colt 45s starting in 1960 and has worked (non-continuously) for them for many of the years since including the last 17 consecutive seasons.

Noble went as far to say that Bobby could get 3-5 extra wins out of a group of players than other managers could, which could be the difference between making and not making the playoffs.

But, but, but Chass insists he actually gets 10 fewer wins out of a team on account of everyone else trying so much harder to beat him.

IIRC there was a Noble piece one time where he was asked why he didn't get a quote from Valentine on whatever was that column's subject. His answer was that he didn't bother because he had no confidence that the manager's answer was going to be truthful.
Certainly harsh - even if quite possibly accurate - but at least, as mentioned above, Marty didn't seem to let that stuff get in the way of the nuts and bolts of his writing.

[Frayed Knot]

Ron Washington gets a bump from the Rangers. Nice to see that making the WS twice in a row has its rewards.

Also find it interesting that the details of Ventura's contract with the ChiSox still haven't been made public. At least that's how it's still being listed over at Cot's Contracts - they list it only as a "multi-year" deal with no specifics - and that place usually seems to have all the info as is up to date.
Cot's, btw, looks like it's now under the 'Baseball Prospectus' umbrella.

TEAM	2011 Mgr	STATUS	2012 Mgr
RED SOX	Terry Francona - since 2004	Option not picked up	Bobby Valentine - 2 year deal
YANX	Joe Girardi - since 2008	Signed thru 2013	Same
ORIOLES	Buck Showalter - since 2010	Signed thru 2013	Same
RAYS	Joe Maddon - Since 2006	Signed thru 2012	Same
BLUE JAYS	John Farrell - Hired Oct �10	Signed thru 2013	Same
TIGERS	Jim Leyland - Since 2006	Signed thru 2012	Same
WHITE SOX	Ozzie Guillen - since 2004	Contract terminated via mutual consent	Robin Ventura - "multi-year" contract
TWINS	Ron Gardenhire - Since 2002	Signed thru 2013	Same
ROYALS	Ned Yost - Since May �10	Signed thru 2012	Same
INDIANS	Manny Acta - Since 2010	Signed thru 2012 + 2013 option	Same
RANGERS	Ron Washington - Since 2007	Signed thru 2012	Extended thru 2014
MARINERS	Eric Wedge - first season	Signed thru 2013	Same
A�s	Bob Melvin - hired June �11	Signed thru 2014	Same
ANGELS	Mike Scioscia - since 2000	Signed thru 2018	Same
METS	Terry Collins - first season	Option picked up thru 2013	Same
BRAVES	Fredi Gonzalez - first season	Signed thru 2013	Same
MARLINS	Jack McKeon - since 6/20/11	Not re-hired for 2012	Ozzie Guillen - signed thru 2015
NATIONALS	Davey Johnson - took over 6/26/11	Signed w/org but not as manager	Option picked up for 2012
PHILLIES	Charlie Manual - since 2005	Signed thru 2013	Same
CUBS	Mike Quadde - since 2010	Signed thru 1012 - Fired	Dale Sveum - 3 year deal thru 2014
BREWERS	Ron Roenicke - first season	Signed thru 2012 + �13 option	Same
PIRATES	Clint Hurdle - first season	Signed thru 2013	Same
CARDINALS	Tony LaRussa - since 1996	Retired	Mike Matheny - 2 yrs + 2014 option
REDS	Dusty Baker - since 2008	Signed thru 2012	Same
ASTROS	Brad Mills - since 2010	Signed thru 2012 w/option for �13	Same
DODGERS	Don Mattingly - first season	Signed thru 2013	Same
DIAMONDBACKS	Kirk Gibson - hired Aug �10	Signed thru 2012 + �13 option	New deal thru '14 w/options for '15 & '16
GIANTS	Bruce Bochy - since 2007	Signed thru 2012	Same
PADRES	Bud Black - since 2007	Signed thru 2013 + options for �14 & �15	Same
ROCKIES	Jim Tracy - since May �09	Signed thru 2013	Same

[Frayed Knot]

One of the things Red Sox Nation didn't like as the talk of hiring Bobby V started to swirl this past off-season was that so many of them KNEW going into the managerial search that whoever they hired was simply going to be an interim choice until the inevitable Joe Maddon signing which was slated to happen just as soon as he became free at the end of 2012.

Yeah, but as the red-highlighted news below indicates, that's not going to happen is it?

TEAM	2011 Mgr	STATUS	2012 Mgr
RED SOX	Terry Francona - since 2004	Option not picked up	Bobby Valentine - 2 year deal
YANX	Joe Girardi - since 2008	Signed thru 2013	Same
ORIOLES	Buck Showalter - since 2010	Signed thru 2013	Same
RAYS	Joe Maddon - Since 2006	Signed thru 2012	Signed to extension thru 2015
BLUE JAYS	John Farrell - Hired Oct �10	Signed thru 2013	Same
TIGERS	Jim Leyland - Since 2006	Signed thru 2012	Same
WHITE SOX	Ozzie Guillen - since 2004	Contract terminated via mutual consent	Robin Ventura - "multi-year" contract
TWINS	Ron Gardenhire - Since 2002	Signed thru 2013	Same
ROYALS	Ned Yost - Since May �10	Signed thru 2012	Same
INDIANS	Manny Acta - Since 2010	Signed thru 2012 + 2013 option	Same
RANGERS	Ron Washington - Since 2007	Signed thru 2012	Extended thru 2014
MARINERS	Eric Wedge - first season	Signed thru 2013	Same
A�s	Bob Melvin - hired June �11	Signed thru 2014	Same
ANGELS	Mike Scioscia - since 2000	Signed thru 2018	Same
METS	Terry Collins - first season	Option picked up thru 2013	Same
BRAVES	Fredi Gonzalez - first season	Signed thru 2013	Same
MARLINS	Jack McKeon - since 6/20/11	Not re-hired for 2012	Ozzie Guillen - signed thru 2015
NATIONALS	Davey Johnson - took over 6/26/11	Signed w/org but not as manager	Option picked up for 2012
PHILLIES	Charlie Manual - since 2005	Signed thru 2013	Same
CUBS	Mike Quadde - since 2010	Signed thru 1012 - Fired	Dale Sveum - 3 year deal thru 2014
BREWERS	Ron Roenicke - first season	Signed thru 2012 + �13 option	Same
PIRATES	Clint Hurdle - first season	Signed thru 2013	Same
CARDINALS	Tony LaRussa - since 1996	Retired	Mike Matheny - 2 yrs + 2014 option
REDS	Dusty Baker - since 2008	Signed thru 2012	Same
ASTROS	Brad Mills - since 2010	Signed thru 2012 w/option for �13	Same
DODGERS	Don Mattingly - first season	Signed thru 2013	Same
DIAMONDBACKS	Kirk Gibson - hired Aug �10	Signed thru 2012 + �13 option	New deal thru '14 w/options for '15 & '16
GIANTS	Bruce Bochy - since 2007	Signed thru 2012	Same
PADRES	Bud Black - since 2007	Signed thru 2013 + options for �14 & �15	Same
ROCKIES	Jim Tracy - since May �09	Signed thru 2013	Same