Cardinals assistant will talk to Pirates
St. Louis Cardinals first-base coach Stubby Clapp has emerged as a candidate for the Pirates managerial opening, according to a source. MLB Network reported that Clapp, 46, will interview for the job and the Post-Gazette was able to confirm the report.
Clapp spent 11 years in the Cardinals organization as a minor league player and made his big-league debut June 2001. Clapp has managed on the Class AAA level for the Cardinals. Clapp led the Memphis Redbirds to consecutive Pacific Coast League titles in 2017 and 2018. Clapp was the PCL manager of the year in 2017.
The Cardinals promoted Clapp to their big-league staff in 2019. Clapp was in the running for the Texas Rangers job that Chris Woodward got in 2019.
Jeff Bannister held the Rangers job and is also a candidate for the Pirates job for 2020. Bannister and Clapp, along with Oakland Athletics bench coach Ryan Christenson, A’s quality control coach Mark Kotsay, and Minnesota Twins bench coach Derek Shelton are candidates that have are linked with the Pirates opening. The Pirates expect to talk to a wide range of potential managers.
Yankees
CC Sabathia walked into Yankee Stadium’s interview room with his left arm in a sling Friday, 16 hours after shuffling off the mound in pain after the 58,692nd and final pitch of his major league career. That powerful left shoulder — which earned six All-Star appearances, the 2007 AL Cy Young Award and possibly a spot in the Hall of Fame — finally had given out. “I think it’s just kind of fitting,” he said. “I threw until I couldn’t anymore.”
Braves
First baseman Freddie Freeman had arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow after a nagging injury that limited him late in the season and into playoffs. Freeman had the procedure in New York. Dr. David Altchek cleaned out the entire right elbow joint, removing three fragmented loose bodies and cleaning up numerous bone spur formations in the slugger’s elbow. Freeman is expected to be recovered in time for the start of spring training in February.