MLB notes: Dickey will wind up somewhere other than Atlanta in 2018
ATLANTA— The Atlanta Braves have declined their $8-million (U.S.) option on 42-year-old knuckleballer R.A. Dickey for 2018 and exercised their option on catcher Tyler Flowers.
Dickey, who pitched in Toronto from 2013 to 2016, was the Braves’ most consistent starter this season, going 10-10 with a 4.26 ERA in 31 starts. He said at the end of the season he would meet with his family before deciding if he would pitch in 2018.
Flowers, 31, will return for his third season with Atlanta after hitting a career-best .281 with 12 homers and 49 RBIs. He had arthroscopic surgery on his left wrist Oct. 9 and is expected to be ready for spring training.
HINSKE A HIT: Former Blue Jay Eric Hinske has been hired to be the Los Angeles Angels’ new hitting coach.
Hinske spent the past four seasons on the Chicago Cubs’ coaching staff, including three straight years as the assistant hitting coach on three playoff teams.
He played 12 big-league seasons with seven franchises after winning the AL rookie of the year award with Toronto in 2002. A corner infielder and outfielder, he won World Series titles with Boston in 2007 and with the New York Yankees in 2009.
He also made the World Series with Tampa Bay in 2008, joining former Angels hitting coach Don Baylor as the only players to reach the Series in three straight seasons with three different teams.
The Angels parted ways with hitting coach Dave Hansen nearly three weeks ago, shortly after their third straight non-playoff season ended. The Angels’ 1,314 hits were the second-fewest in the majors, and their .243 batting average was third-worst.
NATS EYE MARTINEZ: Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez is expected to interview for the Washington Nationals’ managerial opening, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
Martinez, 53, has interviewed for several managerial vacancies since at least 2010 and was a candidate for the Nationals’ gig in 2013 when Washington ended up hiring Matt Williams. Two years later, the Nationals fired Williams and hired Dusty Baker. Washington won consecutive National League East Division titles, but lost to the Cubs in the division series both years.
Baker was informed he wasn’t returning for a third season on Friday.
A former outfielder and first baseman, the bilingual Martinez played 16 seasons in the majors. He has served as Joe Maddon’s bench coach since the 2008 season, first with the Rays before joining him in Chicago on the Cubs bench in 2015.
FRICK FINALISTS: Bob Costas, Al Michaels and Joe Buck are among the finalists for the Hall of Fame’s 2018 Ford Frick Award for excellence in baseball broadcasting.
Don Drysdale, Dizzy Dean, Joe Morgan and Pee Wee Reese, a quartet in the Hall of Fame for their playing careers, also are among the finalists, the Hall said Monday.
Buddy Blattner also is on the ballot, which rotates among national broadcasters (the 2018 ballot), early voices (next in 2019) and team-specific announcers (2020). Voting will be conducted by 11 living winners and four broadcast historians/columnists. The winner will be announced Dec. 13.