The A’s, Blue Jays and Red Sox are interested in Hanley Ramirez

By Craig CalcaterraJul 24, 2012, 11:37 AM EST
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This morning we heard that the Marlins are making Hanley Ramirez available. Bob Nightengale reports that he’s in demand:

He’d represent an upgrade for the A’s, no doubt. At least if you don’t think Brandon Inge is gonna carry that team offensively. In Boston and Toronto he’d make more sense as a shortstop.  In all cases, he’s a gamble: will the change of scenery make him what he once was? Or will he be a $31.5 million+ bust?

Phillies promote Chris Young to pitching coach position

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By Craig CalcaterraNov 14, 2018, 1:01 PM EST
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Chris Young joined the Phillies as their assistant pitching coach last offseason. This offseason he’s getting a promotion: the Phillies just named as their main (um, top? lead? alpha?) pitching coach for the 2019 season. He replaces Rick Kranitz.

Ken Rosenthal, who reported the promotion, says that the Phillies didn’t necessarily want to shake up their pitching coach situation, but that since several clubs wanted to hire Young away, it was either promote him to the top job or lose him. That’s bad news for Kranitz, but he remains under contract for 2019 and will, in the meantime, be allowed to interview elsewhere.

The Phillies pitching staff ranked 11th in runs allowed in the National League in 2018. They were tenth the year before that, but some early season uncertainty and mismanagement by Gabe Kapler and a late season collapse served to hide what was, for most of the season, a bit of a better staff than the year before. The Phillies obviously credit Young for that and want to keep him in the fold.