The Friday Night Rumor Mill

With the firings of Sam Perlozzo and Jerry Narron and the surprising resignation of Mike Hargrove, it’s only natural that we start to wonder who will be the next manager to fall. The seemingly endless struggles of the Devil Rays, who have now lost 11 straight games, may call into question the future of Joe Maddon. There has been little talk about Maddon being fired up until now, but that could change shortly if the losses continue to pile up. If Maddon fails to survive the season, who would the Devil Rays turn to? There don’t seem to be any top-tier managerial candidates on their coaching staff, unless Silent George Hendrick (Tampa Bay’s first base coach) has changed his attitude about talking to the press… The Blue Jays’ John Gibbons always seems to be a candidate, but the precarious position of GM J.P. Ricciardi might actually help Gibbons’ future. Ricciardi’s recent criticism of A.J. Burnett has put the GM in the hot seat yet again. (How is it that Ricciardi is just now realizing that Burnett is as soft as tissue paper?) Perhaps the Jays will end up making a change in the front office while give Gibbons a reprieve for the balance of the season…

Another manager in jeopardy could be Colorado’s Clint Hurdle, though this week’s sweep of the Mets at Coors Field will surely help matters. Some Rockies observers believe the team is underachieving, in part because of Hurdle’s mismanagement of the bullpen. (Some folks wondered why LaTroy Hawkins wasn’t used as closer after the demotion of All-Star Brian Fuentes.) If Hurdle is fired, expect bench coach Jamie Quirk to become his replacement. Quirk, who has already interviewed for several managerial jobs in the past, is clearly ready to take the step from first lieutenant to skipper…

Here’s hoping the White Sox soon make a decision with regard to Mark Buerhle. If they can’t come to an agreement on the no-trade clause and sign him to an extension in the next two weeks, they should make every effort to trade their left-handed ace for a package of two to three prospects. Buerhle says that if he is traded, he will definitely test the free agent waters; that might hurt his value somewhat, but the lack of alternatives on the trade market should bring the Sox at least two solid minor leaguers in return. If Curt Schilling is out for an extended period of time, Boston remains a logical destination. In the National League, the Mets, Phillies, and Braves will all be lining up to talk to Kenny Williams about Buerhle…

Rumors persist that the Mets are talking to the Nationals about swapping outfield prospect Lastings Milledge for some relief help. Tall right-hander Jon Rauch, who would be closing games in Washington if not for the presence of Chad Cordero, is a name that draws interest from New York. Rauch would probably take over as Billy Wagner’s prime set-up man, relegating Aaron Heilman to a seventh-inning role at Shea Stadium. Milledge also remains the centerpiece to a possible trade with the White Sox for either Jose Contreras or Javier Vazquez. Contreras, in particular, might benefit from a move taking him out of the stacked AL Central and putting him in the lighter NL East…

If the Yankees fall completely out of the wild card race over the next three weeks—they’re just barely hanging onto contention at this point—they will then conduct a firesale in an effort to reload for 2008. The two principal players who could find themselves on the block are Bobby Abreu and Alex Rodriguez, assuming the latter waives his no-trade clause. Don’t be surprised if we eventually hear talk about both players going to the Dodgers for a package of four or five players, including LA outfield prospect Matt Kemp. The Dodgers need hitting badly; A-Rod would provide a much-needed power boost while Abreu’s ability to get on base would fit in nicely for an offense that is built on speed and on-base percentage. Where would A-Rod and Abreu play in the Dodgers’ lineup? Well, that’s easy. Rodriguez would play third for the balance of 2007, relegating Nomar Garciaparra to the bench or the trading block, before possibly moving back to shortstop in 2008. (That’s assuming that the Dodgers can sign A-Rod once he opts out.) As for Abreu, the Dodgers would likely play him in right field, freeing up Andre Ethier to move to center field as a replacement for the offensively inefficient Juan Pierre. Pierre’s .311 on-base percentage, which is the lowest of his career, is simply unacceptable. Abreu happens to be an eerily similar player to J.D. Drew, who played right field so productively for the Dodgers last season.