The Pirates have extended the required $23.15 million qualifying offer for a one-year contract to second baseman Brandon Lowe. He has until November 17th to accept or reject it. Meanwhile, the team and Lowe can continue to negotiate on a long-term deal, although he can become an unrestricted free agent and command a much higher salary. Lowe, who hit 35 home runs and drove in 96 runners last season, is thought to be seeking a four-year contract worth as much as $30 million per season.
By extending the qualifying offer, the Pirates can be compensated with a compensatory draft pick if Lowe signs elsewhere.
Major League free agency began at 5 PM yesterday and the Pirates claimed outfielder Akil Baddoo off waivers from Milwaukee , but they lost reliever Isaac Mattson on a waiver claim by Seattle. Baddoo was injured in spring training last year and spent the season in the minors. Mattson had a 5.35 ERA with the Pirates, spending the season shuttling back and forth between Pittsburgh and Indianapolis.
Pitcher Mitch Keller and catcher/first baseman Endy Rodriguez were both activated from the sixty-day injured list yesterday.
MLB
Four former managers and four executives were nominated yesterday for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The managers are Dusty Baker, Bruce Bochy, Lou Pinella, and Joe Maddon. The executives are Sandy Alderson, Brian Sabean, Ted Turner, and Bill White.
THE CANDIDATES:
The eight candidates for Contemporary Baseball Era Committee consideration for the Class of 2027:
Source: MLB.com)
- Sandy Alderson became the Athletics general manager at age 35 and built the team that won three American League pennants and a World Series title from 1988-90. Alderson later worked in the Commissioner’s Office as executive vice president for baseball operations before serving in the front office of the Padres and the Mets, where he led both franchises to Postseason berths.
- Dusty Baker managed the Giants, Cubs, Reds, Nationals and Astros for 26 seasons, totaling 13 Postseason appearances, 10 first-place finishes and the 2022 World Series title. A three-time Manager of the Year Award winner (1993, 1997, 2000) and three-time runner-up, Baker led his teams to the Postseason in each of his final eight seasons as a manager. He was a two-time All-Star as a player over a 19-year career that featured a World Series win with the 1981 Dodgers.
- Bruce Bochy managed the Padres, Giants and Rangers over 28 seasons, amassing 2,252 wins and leading his clubs to nine Postseason berths, six first-place finishes and four World Series titles. The 1996 National League Manager of the Year, Bochy finished in the top three of the MOY voting seven times. Bochy, who played nine seasons in the big leagues as a catcher, is one of only six managers in history with at least four World Series wins.
- Joe Maddon managed the Angels, Rays and Cubs over 19 seasons, winning 1,382 games while leading his team to the Postseason eight times. A three-time Manager of the Year Award winner, Maddon led the Rays to their first American League pennant and first winning season in franchise history in 2008 and skippered the Cubs to their first World Series win in 108 years in 2016.
- Lou Piniella managed 23 seasons for the Yankees, Reds, Mariners, Devil Rays and Cubs, winning 1,835 games. Piniella skippered the Reds to the 1990 World Series title and led the 2001 Mariners to an American League record 116 victories. Piniella guided his clubs to seven Postseason appearances and was named Manager of the Year in his league three times (1995, 2001, 2008) following an 18-year playing career that saw him hit .291 and take home World Series rings with the 1977-78 Yankees.
- Brian Sabean joined the Yankees front office after a stint as head coach at the University of Tampa and helped sign and develop many of the players who powered New York to four World Series titles from 1996-2000. Joining the Giants early in the new decade, he became the team’s general manager following the 1996 season and built the teams that won three World Series titles from 2010-14. His 18 years as general manager of the Giants marked the longest tenure by a GM in franchise history.
- Ted Turner purchased the Atlanta Braves in 1976 and quickly established the team on the national level by putting their games on his WTBS television station, which was beamed to cable providers across the country and established a new template for distribution. Turner led the team as the Braves became a dynasty, winning 14 straight division titles (1991-2005) in completed seasons, an MLB record.
Bill White served as the president of the National League from 1989-94 following a successful career as a player and broadcaster. An eight-time All-Star and seven-time Gold Glove Award-winning first baseman, White presided over the addition of the Marlins and the Rockies to the NL and helped consolidate both the American and National leagues under one administrative umbrella. He was named the Hall of Fame’s Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award winner in
