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The Angels promoted Ric Wilson, making him their new scouting director, reports Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon says the team completed its initial round of interviews and will narrow the group of candidates "by early next week," according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski says he's "optimistic" about reaching a deal with Jhonny Peralta, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck. The Tigers have a $7MM option for the infielder's services in 2011. Now that Detroit is presumably out of the running for Adrian Beltre, Jon Heyman of SI.com says the Tigers look like real players for Adam Dunn (Twitter link). Remember Larry Bigbie, the former first rounder who played parts of six seasons in the major leagues? He's making a comeback and was recently named to Baseball America's 2010 All-Independent Leagues Team. The Marlins outrighted Jay Buente, according to Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (on Twitter). That means the 27-year-old righty is no longer on the 40-man roster.
Josh Willingham Hopes For Extension

If the Reds have a change of heart and do not exercise Gomes' option, they are obligated to release him. The soon-to-be 30-year-old hit .266/.327/.431 with 18 homers in 571 plate appearances.
Alderson was the A's GM for more than a decade and has since worked for the Padres and in the commissioner's office. He will meet at Citi Field with the Mets tomorrow. For more on the longtime executive, click here.

“If he had his druthers, he'd sign a deal that took him through this year and into the next couple years,” Sosnick said, adding that no discussions have taken place so far.

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THURSDAY, 7:50am: Blue Jays third base coach Brian Butterfield is also a finalist for the job, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. Butterfield has managed in the Yankees' minor league system, but never in the major leagues. He has been on Toronto's staff for nine years.

Reds To Increase Payroll Slightly
WEDNESDAY, 12:36pm: The Blue Jays’ exhaustive search for a new manager is nearing completion and the club appears to be choosing among three American League coaches who don’t have any managerial experience in the majors. Red Sox coaches DeMarlo Hale and John Farrell and Indians coach Sandy Alomar Jr. are finalists for the Blue Jays managerial opening, according to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com. Rob Bradford of WEEI.com confirms the list of names and says they are the three finalists to replace Cito Gaston.

The longest tenured Tiger is staying in Detroit. The Tigers announced that they signed Brandon Inge to a two-year extension with a club option for 2013. Inge's deal is worth $11.5MM, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck (on Twitter). The third baseman earns $5.5MM in 2011 and 2012 and will either earn $6MM or a $500K buyout in 2013. Inge's four-year $24MM deal expired after the season, and he soon began discussing a multi-year extension with the Tigers.
A few managerial openings have been filled since baseball's regular season ended, but there are still a handful of clubs looking for skippers. Here's the latest on some of the searches, with any new updates added to the top of the page throughout the evening:

Carl Crawford would fit on the Reds, who could use a leadoff hitter, but it appears that they'll stick with Gomes and within their budget.
After recently disclosing that the club will exercise their option on pitcher Bronson Arroyo, GM Walt Jocketty says that he "probably will" pick up Jonny Gomes' option for the 2011 season, writes John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The outfielder's option is worth $1.75MM and costs $200K as he (easily) exceeded 350 plate appearances.

Yankees Send Two To Indians, Complete Wood Deal

Burnett has turned in a 5.26 ERA this season, the worst of his career along with a 7.0 K/9 ratio, his lowest since 2001. While the Yankees won a World Series with Burnett, they are now saddled with paying him roughly $50MM over the final three years of his contract.
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Alderson Favorite For Mets GM Job
Pirates
Inge, 33, batted .247/.321/.397 last year with 13 homers. As usual, the ten-year veteran showed some power, struck out frequently and hit for a low average. According to UZR, Inge also played above-average defense for the sixth consecutive season. Though he no longer contributes behind the plate or in the outfield, Inge gives the Tigers excellent defense at the hot corner.
A Japanese team has shown a "strong interest" in acquiring Kenshin Kawakami from the Braves, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman. Bowman writes that a Japanese reporter indicated that the Yomiuri Giants and Nippon Ham Fighters are interested in Kawakami. But there may be an even more attractive Japanese suitor making a play for the Atlanta right-hander.

Josh Willingham isn’t eligible for free agency until after the 2011 season and if it were up to him, he’d push that date back a couple years. Agent Matt Sosnick told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that Willingham would like to sign a multi-year contract this offseason.
Sandy Alderson is “more than just a frontrunner” to become the next Mets GM, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The former A’s GM impressed the Mets and will likely win the job if the next phase of the interview process goes well.
In addition to the aforementioned Gomes and Arroyo, the Reds also hold options on two other players. Shortstop Orlando Cabrera has a $4MM option for 2011 but we learned earlier this week that the Reds will likely decline it. They also hold a $12.5MM option on Aaron Harang but they certainly won't pick it up.
Blue Jays

Brewers

Links for Wednesday, as the Yankees try to prolong their season...

As soon as he took over as D'Backs GM, Kevin Towers vowed to improve the Arizona bullpen. The team's relievers posted a 5.74 ERA last year, so Towers has a challenge ahead. The D'Backs play in Chase Field, a park so hitter-friendly the organization is considering ways to help pitchers. In particular,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], Chase Field is homer-friendly and has consistently been among the best launching pads in the game.
On this date 27 years ago, the Padres signed Sandy Alomar Jr. as an amateur free agent. Now, the former catcher is one of four finalists for the Blue Jays managerial opening. Here are today's links as we take in a matchup between two Cy Young Award winners...

Jocketty: Reds "Probably Will" Pick Up Gomes' Option

"It's going to increase a little bit," Jocketty said.
Early in the season, I suggested the 2009 All-Star was headed for a $4-6MM guarantee, but Inge did considerably better than that. The extension gives Scott Boras one less potential destination for Adrian Beltre, the best player on this year's free agent third base market.

Multiple Japanese Teams Interested In Kawakami

Butterfield, Hale, Farrell, Alomar Jr. Finalists For Jays
Don't expect a major offseason spending spree from the reigning NL Central champs, but the Reds are boosting payroll for the 2011 season. Cincinnati opened the 2010 season with a $76MM payroll and GM Walt Jocketty told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon to expect the team to spend more next year.
Willingham, who earned $4.6MM this year, would be happy to accept a one-year deal. He’d get a raise through arbitration, so his 2011 salary could approach $7MM. Willingham missed the last six weeks of the season to undergo surgery on the meniscus in his left knee. He ranked 5th among MLB outfielders (min. 400 PAs) in on base percentage (.389) and tenth in OPS (.848). The 30-year-old can hit, but injuries have limited Willingham in each of the past few seasons.
Javier Vazquez: Of all the pitchers who switched to the American League last offseason, Vazquez suffered perhaps the most drastic setback. After finishing fourth in NL Cy Young voting in 2009, the 34-year-old pitched so poorly this season that he lost his spot in the Yankees' starting rotation. Even taking into account his first two up-and-down years with the Expos, Vazquez's career NL numbers (4.02 ERA, 8.1 K/9, 2.3 BB/9) are better across the board than his AL totals (4.65, 7.9, 2.7). Vazquez won't be back in the Bronx, and his best shot at decreasing his 2010 longball rate (1.8 HR/9) and returning to form might come in the NL. Kevin Millwood: We heard earlier this year that Millwood could seek a pitcher-friendly environment for 2011, after years of pitching in Baltimore and Texas. The move makes sense for the right-hander; he still has some value as a veteran innings eater, but could potentially be much more than that in a park like Petco in San Diego. We don't know what kind of contract the 35-year-old will be seeking, so it's possible he could be too expensive for a team like the Padres. For what it's worth though, San Diego was thought to have interest in Milwood in August. Jeremy Bonderman: One of the youngest arms on the open market, Bonderman could be an interesting fourth or fifth starter for a team willing to take a flier on him. Though his 4.89 career ERA is uninspiring, he's a former first-round pick and will turn 28 next week. His career peripherals suggest that he still has potential, and he strikes me as the type of pitcher who would benefit from the tutelage of a pitching coach like the Cardinals' Dave Duncan. The Cards may re-sign Jake Westbrook or look elsewhere for starting pitching, but St. Louis isn't the only possible landing spot for the long-time Tiger, who could benefit from a change of scenery. Bruce Chen: The 33-year-old journeyman has experienced an unusual major league career, playing for six National League teams before arriving in Boston in 2003. Since then, he has played for four different American League clubs. Chen's career numbers are relatively similar in both leagues, but coming off a successful season in Kansas City, perhaps a return to the NL could be in the cards. While the left-hander has lost some velocity on his fastball since he last played in the Senior Circuit, he's gotten by relying more on flyball outs and less on strikeouts. For a team in a pitcher's park, Chen could be a worthwhile back-of-the-rotation addition Rich Harden: Although a healthy season would help Harden's stock more than changing leagues would, moving to the National League certainly wouldn't hurt. While the right-hander excelled in Oakland when he was healthy, his second stint in the AL wasn't as impressive; his 5.58 ERA for the Rangers this year was by far a career-worst. Still, like Bonderman, Harden is relatively young, turning just 29 next month. He also had stretches of dominance in his time with the Cubs in 2008 and 2009, striking out 11 batters per nine innings and posting a 3.31 ERA in 212 innings over the two years. Again, health is the big concern with Harden, but an NL team may feel more comfortable taking the risk than an AL one would.

Though he didn’t play anywhere but left field in 2010, Willingham has experience in right field and at first base. Sosnick says his client’s flexible.
In December of 2008, the Yankees signed righthander A.J. Burnett to a five-year, $82.5MM deal mere days after signing C.C. Sabathia to an even heftier deal. Their respective performances in the last two games of the ALCS have been microcosms of their performances this season. Today, Sabathia allowed two runs and fanned seven batters across six innings of work. Meanwhile, Burnett surrendered five runs in six innings last night, putting the Yankees on the brink of elimination.
Meanwhile, John Gibbons has removed himself from the Pirates' search, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). ESPN.com's Buster Olney heard earlier today that the former Blue Jays manager was a serious candidate for the job.

So although there's no guarantee that starting pitchers will enjoy more success playing in the National League,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], here are five potential free agents who may benefit from signing with an NL club:
The Reds are expected to pick up the options for Jonny Gomes ($1.75MM) and Bronson Arroyo ($11MM), but they're expected to decline their half of the $4MM option for Orlando Cabrera. The club also has interest in re-signing Ramon Hernandez and Arthur Rhodes and will see key players such as Jay Bruce and Joey Votto head to arbitration.

Rangers managing partner Chuck Greenberg told Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he considers the Red Sox, Angels and Phillies three of baseball's model franchises. The Rangers do a lot of things right themselves and the Twins, Rockies and Rays win consistently without the benefit of massive payrolls. We can't ignore the Cardinals and Braves, who always seem to contend or the defending World Champions. You could make a case for a number of teams and you can vote for all 30 of them in today's poll:

Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.

Reports have suggested the team has interviewed Tim Wallach, Ron Roenicke, Pat Listach, Joey Cora, and Bob Melvin, whom Haudricourt thinks is the frontrunner (Twitter link). According to the club's GM, however, "some of the names (reported) are right and some aren't right."
Which team is baseball's model franchise?
The Brewers have interviewed eight candidates so far, and will cut the list of contenders down to four, GM Doug Melvin tells Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Potential Relievers For The Diamondbacks

The 35-year-old played for the Chunichi Dragons prior to signing with the Braves. In two big league seasons, he has appeared in 50 games for Atlanta, recording a 4.32 ERA over 243.2 innings. While his ERA ballooned to 5.15 this season, his peripherals (6.1 K/9, 3.3 BB/9, 1.0 HR/9) were nearly identical to his 2009 numbers.

Baseball sources tell Ken Gurnick of MLB.com that the Dodgers are likely to bring Trey Hillman aboard as their bench coach. Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald wonders if Kerry Wood could have made a difference for the BoSox. Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports that the Diamondbacks are expected to name Ray Montgomery their new scouting director. Montgomery has spent the last eight years in the Brewers organization. Bryce Harper will bat seventh in his Arizona Fall League debut tonight, according to the Nationals Baseball Media Relations department (via Twitter). The A's have announced several staff changes via press release. Gerald Perry has been welcomed back as hitting coach in place of Jim Skaalen. Joel Skinner, a longtime member of the Indians coaching staff, will take over as bench coach. Former bench coach Tye Waller will be reassigned as the first base coach. Waller replaces Todd Steverson who has been offered a position in the A's farm system. Mark McGwire is on the fence about returning as the Cards hitting coach, Tony La Russa told Joe Strauss of the Post-Dispatch. Former Angels scouting director Eddie Bane will join the Tigers scouting department, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law (on Twitter). MLB.com's Jason Beck introduces us to Tigers assistant GM Al Avila, the longtime Detroit exec who remains a GM candidate. The Tigers recently declined to let the Mets interview Avila. If you play fantasy baseball, head over to RotoAuthority, where Tim Dierkes examines the impact of Ted Lilly's new deal on the lefty's fantasy value. It doesn't look like Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima will become available to MLB teams this year, according to reports passed along by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker (Twitter link). Cubs GM Jim Hendry told MLB.com's Carrie Muskat that he will "absolutely" welcome Ryne Sandberg back to Chicago's minor league system if the Hall of Famer wants to continue working his way to the major leagues. Sandberg, a finalist for the Cubs major league job, was disappointed when the team hired Mike Quade. Brewers managerial candidate Pat Listach was pleased with his interview, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
Poll: Would The Yankees Do Burnett Deal Again?
Shive, who turns 25 next month, has not yet pitched above A-ball. He posted a 4.56 ERA with more walks than strikeouts between two levels this year after missing the entire 2009 campaign. Cusick, 24, hit .243/.318/.342 in the upper minors this year. He has split his time between second and third base since the Astros selected him in the tenth round of the 2007 draft. The Indians don't acquire much in the way of prospects, but they did save money in the deal.

Kawakami is entering the final season of a three-year, $23MM deal he signed with the Braves prior to the 2009 campaign. The unknown Japanese club interested in Kawakami is reportedly willing to pay Atlanta approximately $3MM of the righty's $6.67MM salary for 2011.

Manager Roundup: Blue Jays, Brewers, Pirates
Five FA Pitchers Who Could Benefit From The NL

The difference may be negligible for certain players, but each year there are usually a few pitchers who switch leagues and immediately see their numbers rise or fall accordingly. After being dealt from the Indians to the Cardinals this season, for instance, Jake Westbrook posted a 3.48 ERA and 6.6 K/9, compared to his Cleveland marks of 4.65 and 5.1.

Towers will be looking for relievers this winter and he may be inclined to pick up pitchers who keep the ball on the ground. Here are some options the D'Backs may consider:

While the relative strength of the National League compared to the American League is debatable, it's hard to deny that the Senior Circuit is more appealing to pitchers. Replacing the pitcher in the lineup with a designated hitter makes AL lineups more potent, as this year's offensive statistics showed - five of baseball's top six run-scoring teams in 2010 play in the Junior Circuit.
Jon Heyman of SI.com confirms that Alderson is the favorite and reports that the Mets seem unlikely to hire him in tandem with another executive. Logan White of the Dodgers, Josh Byrnes, Allard Baird of the Red Sox, Rick Hahn of the White Sox and Dana Brown of the Blue Jays are also candidates for the job.
Jamey Wright - The 35-year-old strikes out just 4.3 batters per nine innings, but his 62% ground ball rate placed him eighth among major league relievers with at least 20 innings pitched. Wright will be available as a free agent. Ronald Belisario - Belisario, who turns 28 in December, followed up his sensational rookie season (8.2 K/9, 2.04 ERA in 2009) with a disappointing year. He ran into personal problems and posted a 5.04 ERA. He still struck out twice as many batters as he walked and his 61% ground ball rate ranked tenth among big league relievers, so the D'Backs could have interest in trading for the promising righty. Bobby Jenks - Jenks is a non-tender candidate, so he could become a free agent within six weeks. The D'Backs coud use an ace reliever and Jenks boasts a 58% ground ball rate. Carlos Torres - A starter in the White Sox system, the right-hander just spent his third season at Triple-A. Torres, who turns 28 tomorrow, provides depth for the White Sox, but hasn't done much in two big league cameos. He limited opponents to 7.0 H/9 this year and posted a 48% ground ball rate. Chaz Roe - Roe, a 2005 first rounder, posted a 5.98 ERA at Triple-A and allowed 210 hits in 158 innings. The 24-year-old struggled as a starter, but the D'Backs could try to pry him away from the Rockies and hope that his 49% ground ball rate (14th in the PCL) translates to success in their 'pen.
Poll: Baseball's Model Franchise
We know that DeMarlo Hale, John Farrell, Sandy Alomar Jr., and Brian Butterfield are considered finalists for the Blue Jays job. MLB Network's Peter Gammons spoke to multiple GMs who believe that it's only a matter of time until Toronto hires Farrell (Twitter link). Shi Davidi of the Canadian Press (via Twitter) is also hearing that Farrell could be the Jays' man, though nothing is certain yet.

Odds & Ends: Angels, Mets, Peralta, Dunn, Bigbie
The Yankees sent righty Andrew Shive and infielder Matt Cusick to Cleveland to complete the Kerry Wood trade, according to Marc Carig of the Star Ledger (on Twitter). Wood, who pitched two scoreless innings last night, has provided manager Joe Girardi with a stable bridge to Mariano Rivera since the Yankees acquired him July 31st.
Not only did Wood post a 0.69 ERA with 10.7 K/9 in 24 regular season appearances, he has been outstanding in the playoffs. Wood has allowed one run in six playoff games and has struck out seven. If there's one blemish on the righty's Yankee record, it's that he allowed 18 walks in 26 regular season innings.

The Pirates haven't interviewed any managerial candidates in a week and GM Neal Huntington tells Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he's considering additional interviews. Biertempfel suggests the Pirates may be waiting to interview Yankees coach Tony Pena.
Given the opportunity, would the Yankees make the same deal with Burnett again?
The Brewers will conduct second interviews with the four finalists, and they expect the process to last another week to ten days.

The Blue Jays are expected to decide among the candidates within the week, according to McAdam and Bradford. Hale managed in the Rangers system and coached with the Red Sox for five years and Farrell has been the Red Sox pitching coach for four years. Alomar has worked as a bullpen coach and is now Cleveland’s first base coach.
"He'd be open to doing anything he could for the team,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych]," Sosnick said. "They could use him out of the bullpen."

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Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Wood, D'Backs, A's

Tigers, Inge Agree To Two-Year Extension
Butterfield could be a leading candidate to become the Orioles' third base coach if he's not hired by the Jays, writes MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli.