Experiences surfaced final week that the Rangers had given permission for Donnie Ecker to interview with the White Sox about their managerial opening, however Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning Information (X hyperlink) wrote that Ecker is now not into consideration for the job. Ecker will as a substitute return for what’s going to presumably be his fourth season because the Rangers’ bench coach and offensive coordinator.
Ecker’s departure from the search may merely be attributable to a private desire to stay in Texas, reasonably than essentially an indication that the White Sox are getting any nearer to hiring their new skipper. SoxMachine’s James Fegan described the managerial search final week as nonetheless being in need of any official listing of finalists, regardless that the workforce had already eradicated some candidates whereas nonetheless aiming to talk to another names working for groups nonetheless alive within the playoffs. Dodgers coaches Clayton McCullough and Danny Lehmann are two names linked to the Sox which may match this description, although a variety of names are rumored to be on Chicago’s listing. A lot of the rumored candidates (like Ecker) can be first-time managers on the large league degree, although Skip Schumaker and Phil Nevin each have previous expertise operating MLB golf equipment.
Extra from each the AL and NL Central…
- A pair of IL stints attributable to proper knee irritation restricted to Lance Lynn to simply two begins over the past two months of the season, however Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Put up-Dispatch writes that Lynn is feeling higher “and expects to have a standard offseason of preparation.” That is excellent news for Lynn as he heads into his 14th Main League season, and regardless of the knee points, Lynn nonetheless had a strong 3.84 ERA over 117 1/3 innings for the Cardinals. For the reason that Playing cards are planning to chop payroll in a rebuild yr, it isn’t a assure that Lynn’s $12MM membership choice ($1MM buyout) will likely be exercised, although St. Louis might be extra prone to decide up the choice after which store Lynn on the commerce market this winter.
- In different Cardinals information, Goold stories that longtime entrance workplace staffer Matt Slater is leaving the group. Slater has been with the workforce since 2007 working as a scout, director of participant personnel, and (for the final seven seasons) as a particular assistant to the GM in a participant procurement capability. These roles meant that Slater was straight concerned within the acquisition of a number of notable Playing cards gamers, and Goold notes that Slater was notably influential within the workforce’s worldwide scouting practices. This resume drew Slater some consideration from the Tigers and Phillies in previous GM searches, and he in all probability shouldn’t have a lot hassle touchdown a brand new gig with one other workforce.
- The Pirates have employed Kevin Tenenbaum to guide their analytics division because the membership’s new VP of analysis and growth, in line with reporter John Dreker (X hyperlink). The 32-year-old Tenenbaum has spent the final seven seasons in Cleveland’s R&D division, working because the director in 2022 after which VP of the Guardians’ analytics workforce this previous season. This expertise with one other lower-spending workforce is unquestionably of curiosity to the Pirates, particularly given the Guards have been much more constantly aggressive than the Bucs have lately regardless of working with typically comparative payroll.
