In Phoenix, Nick Piecoro writes the D-backs after firing GM Dave Stewart and manager Chip Hale are MLB’s “most volatile franchise,” as they “will be going on their fourth regime in the past six-plus years.” This distinction “has not gone unnoticed” by rival execs, many of whom “sound skeptical of the opportunity.” Some believe the team may have to "fight perception issues on multiple fronts, namely that they are too reactionary ... and that they interfere and/or meddle with the baseball operations staff.” Anonymous execs “sounded highly unlikely to have interest” in the D-backs’ job. Others “sounded unsure, raising questions about everything from the reporting structure to the personalities" of President & CEO Derrick Hall and Managing General Partner Ken Kendrick (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 10/5).
TIGHTEN THE PURSE STRINGS: In Detroit, Lynn Henning notes the Tigers payroll was pushing $210M this season, which left the franchise “paying somewhere in the vicinity” of $4M in taxes. The “problem is that penalties grow in subsequent years.” The Tigers are not in a market that can “sustain maximum payrolls, particularly after their attendance this year fell more than 500,000 shy of the figure they now know they can reach: 3 million.” Unless the Ilitch family, which owns the team, has “decided differently, a Tigers front office understands it must pare salaries” ahead of ’17 (DETROIT NEWS, 10/5).
MORE BUCKS FOR THE BUCS: In Pittsburgh, Paul Zeise writes the "first thing that needs to be done” to get the Pirates back to the playoffs is to “make a commitment to increase the budget for the payroll, and then ... actually increase the budget.” An increased payroll will give Senior VP & GM Neal Huntington the “ability to go out and sign guys who can help the Pirates win.” If there “aren’t any players available Huntington believes can help the Pirates win, he can save the money until the trade deadline -- but he needs to have some more resources to work with because this shoestring budget is holding the Pirates back” (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 10/5).
