La Russa decides to leave D-backs
Hall of Famer was team’s chief baseball analyst this season.
Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa is leaving the Arizona Diamondbacks organization.
La Russa served as chief baseball officer from 2015 to 2016 and became chief baseball analyst when the new regime of general manager Mike Hazen and manager Torey Lovullo arrived last spring.
La Russa said in a statement the job was “more demanding than I realized.” He said with the current leadership in place, the Diamondbacks can expect winning baseball for years to come.
Diamondbacks managing general partner Ken Kendrick said La Russa played a significant role in putting the franchise on the path to success.
Hazen said La Russa was of great value to him personally and he’s “very appreciative for all he has done here and the manner in which he handled the transition.”
Twins won’t pick up Perkins’ $6.5M option
The Minnesota Twins have told reliever Glen Perkins they will decline their $6.5 million option on his contract for 2018 and pay him a $700,000 buyout.
The Twins announced the decision Wednesday, moving Perkins closer to retirement.
The 34-year-old three-time All-Star will become a free agent able to sign with any team, including the Twins, but the lefty has said he’s not interested in pitching elsewhere. Perkins played at Stillwater High School outside the Twin Cities and the University of Minnesota before the Twins drafted him in the first round in 2004.
With 120 saves, Perkins is third on the franchise’s alltime list. His career ERA is 3.88 over 624⅓ innings and 12 major league seasons. He pitched in only 10 games the past two years because of shoulder trouble. Perkins returned in August from an arduous rehabilitation over a 16-month absence, finishing a Sept. 30 game with a tearful final out.
“That was a cool moment,” Perkins said afterward, his voice cracking. “If that’s it, I’ll remember that for the rest of my life.”
Cubs manager Maddon want staff to return
After surviving some choppy moments to reach the National League Championship Series for a third consecutive season, manager Joe Maddon wants his staff to return intact next season.
“The staff has done a great job,” Maddon said Wednesday. “Our staff has been awesome, and they’re tight, a tightly knit group. There’s a lot of synergy involved. No one knows everything. Everybody helps everybody.”
Maddon extended his support to advance scouting coordinators Nate Heim and Tom Hottovy and Jeremy Greenhouse, the assistant director of research and development.
“(They don’t withhold) saying something to me that they have on their mind, which I really appreciate,” Maddon said. “They don’t feel like they can’t say it, and that’s one thing I wanted to build, that kind of method. Don’t hold back. Just say it. You know you can. There’s nothing held against you for doing it. There are some places that is the case.”
Maddon dismissed speculation about Jim Hickey, his pitching coach with the Rays and a South Side native, joining his staff.
“I have talked to Hick, (but) purely how he’s doing,” Maddon said. “It surprised me and a lot of us (when Hickey and the Rays parted ways after 10 seasons).