Baseball: Mike Maddux, a wanted man, has offer from Texas Rangers
The Texas Rangers have extended a contract offer to pitching coach Mike Maddux, who is considering potential opportunities with other clubs before deciding if he will stay with the Rangers.
Maddux has expressed a desire to stay in Arlington, where he has presided over the pitching staff since Nolan Ryan wooed him from Milwaukee after the 2008 season, and would likely have to be overwhelmed to leave.
Maddux and his wife have a home in Tarrant County, and his two daughters live in the area.
His decision is expected soon. The Rangers are compiling a list of potential replacements, and Triple A pitching coach Brad Holman would likely considered.
The Rangers have been to the postseason four times and played beyond Game 162 once more in Maddux’s seven seasons. The Rangers have posted the American League’s sixth-best ERA (4.06) in that span and have gone 612-523. Only two teams – the New York Yankees and Los Angels Angels – have won more games in the AL.
Yet, there is a temporary impasse.
Maddux signed a one-year extension last October, but in the final week of the month after all open positions across baseball had been filled. Coaches were given permission to seek other jobs as the Rangers searched for a manager before settling on Jeff Banister on Oct. 17, 2014, and before Banister met with the holdovers from Ron Washington’s staff.
The Rangers ranked 13th in ERA (4.24) this season as they struggled at times without Yu Darvish and Derek Holland, and with a bullpen that was woeful in the first half. The Rangers had the league’s worst ERA (4.51) though the July 31 trade deadline, but posted the fourth-best mark (3.78) over the final two months and rode pitching to the AL West title.
Several teams have vacancies, including the Detroit Tigers after pitching coach Jeff Jones retired. Washington, Miami, Arizona, Seattle and the Angels also have openings
Were the Mariners to hire Tim Bogar, the Rangers’ bench coach and interim manager in 2014, as their manager, Maddux could be a fit on that coaching staff.
General manager Jon Daniels said last week that he expected each of the six coaches invited back for 2016 to return. Bullpen coach Andy Hawkins, who worked with Maddux the past seven seasons, left Friday in the hopes of landing a job as a pitching coach, and the Rangers and hitting coach Dave Magadan parted ways.
Triple A hitting coach Justin Mashore spent the entire AL Division Series with the Rangers and appears to be a strong candidate to replace Magadan.
Yankees’ Tanaka has surgery for bone spur
New York Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka has undergone arthroscopic surgery to remove a bone spur from his right elbow.
The team said Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek operated on Tanaka at the Hospital for Special Surgery on Tuesday and that typical recovery time includes six weeks of exercise and strengthening, followed by a throwing program.
The Yankees added that the injury dates from when Tanaka pitched in Japan; he signed with New York before the 2014 season.
Tanaka was diagnosed with a partially torn elbow ligament in 2014 and decided against surgery. He was 12-7 with a 3.51 ERA in 24 starts this year and lost to Houston in the AL wild-card game.
Tanaka was on the disabled list from April 23 to June 3 with right wrist tendinitis and a forearm strain, then missed a September start because of a strained right hamstring.