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MLB WINTER MEETINGSDecember 4, 2007Joe MaddonNASHVILLE, TENNESSEE Q. Joe, what's an ideal bullpen in your mind? JOE MADDON: Ideal bullpen in my mind, I've talked about this jump street. I like the idea of having four relief pitchers that you can you use when you're even or ahead. Too many times you get relief pitchers that if you get behind by a little bit, they're pretty good and if you get ahead by many runs they're pretty good, but the guys that can pitch in this close game with the one, two, three run lead or even, I think those are the kind of guys that really get you to the promised land. The way I've always described it was that looking for even -- part of that is four so you can sustain a winning streak. I mean, if you get hot and all of a sudden you're using the same guys, two, three days in a row and you only have two reliable people, it's hard to sustain four, five or plus game winning streaks. We can talk about starting pitching with that. If you have four guys like even or ahead, those guys can interact with the season, that's with a legitimate starting rotation you have a chance to win. I mean, win all the way through, get to the playoffs, et cetera. Q. What are you thinking about rightfield right now? JOE MADDON: Well, you know, we're talking Johnny, of course and Rocco, of course. Rocco is the issue. We're still not exactly sure what he's going to be able to do yet, and once we're able to answer that question, then we can be able a little bit more specific, I think. Jon Gomes, I still have a lot of faith in him. I think specifically Jon against left-handed pitching does a nice job. Obviously, what I'm talking about there if we could possibly acquire someone, I don't know exactly how, a left-handed hitting rightfielder, either a platoon situation as a rightfielder, platoon situation possibly rightfielder and DH. These are all possibilities. Rightfield I see Gomez, I see Rocco, and I see a new guy. Q. If Rocky is healthy, do you think he is a rightfielder? JOE MADDON: I think he's capable, absolutely. Yes, I think he can play rightfield. His athleticism plays. His arm definitely plays there. Getting used to the ball -- the corner guys have to get used to the ball moving toward the line, either the left or rightfielder. The ball always moves towards the line. You have to mentally anticipate differently than you do in centerfield or if you're a leftfielder, you have to anticipate differently than you do in rightfield. The big issue with Rocco, what he can do for us offensively. If he gets his 500 at bats or whatever, he's going put up some severe numbers. Gosh, if we can get him well and see him play that many times, it would make it very good. Q. You were very pleased with way he handled the DH. Not so many players can jump into that. Is that what you would prefer? JOE MADDON: We've -- we thought from last year if Rocco could at least come back as almost an everyday DH, that would be great because he does handle it well. He keeps himself prepared in between at bats. A lot of young guys don't like it. He's okay with it. So he's got the mentality that plays in that role, also which definitely matters. Yes, he's definitely a candidate to DH on a consistent basis. If that's the case, you're looking for Gomes and a left-handed hitting rightfielder to rotate back and forth. I'm good with all that. John Gomes, when he's probably the best base runner on the team, he plays with the kind of enthusiasm that we're looking for everyday. I think he cares. All that stuff matters. Sometimes that stuff goes overlooked, and you don't really talk about it enough. But when you get in meetings, you're always hearing about makeup and camaraderie and accountability, all these words that are very important beyond arm strength and whatever. I think Jon provides us with that, also. So, again, we're looking to augment that position, if it's a platoon, I'm good with that. Rocky is the key. Whatever Rocco can do kind of defines everything else that we want to do. Q. Three solid starters now, and obviously some of those guys finished the year last year made some impressions where they might be high or low. Are you at the point now where the losers or the guys who don't fill the fourth and fifth spot will be looked at in roles at the Major League level or automatically get kicked back? JOE MADDON: They don't automatically get kicked back. They could somehow -- depends on how the bullpen eventually sets up, and, of course, you got injuries in and Spring Training to go through. Some of these guys can roll back into the bullpen, middle or long kind of guys. If you don't make the rotation, it doesn't necessarily mean you're going back to AAA. If that does happen that way because we're strong just major league-wise in the bullpen, that totally gives you those spare parts you're looking for during the course of the year because things are going to break down. If you can have seven or eight starters, the five you have and the three in AAA, that's kind of a blessing right there. We'd love to be able to say we have that problem. We are stockpiling the pitchers. Those guys had some really good competition at the end of the of last year. Jackson, Sonnanstine, Howell, then you've got Talbot, Niemann knocking on the door. The other fellas coming up behind that. There's a lot of competition going for those couple spots. That's a good thing for us obviously because you turn back the clock two years and what we going through at that particular time. Q. What does the strong bullpen do for an offense? JOE MADDON: It bolsters it. The thing that happens -- it happened to us often last year, you would gain a lead late and you would lose it, and then you're talking about the mental side of things where you have to go in after the game and lick your wounds and console each other and come back the next day in an attempt to get the lead again into the seventh and eighth inning. You lose it again, then you have that vicious cycle in regard to the group. The bullpen, I just think the bullpen can actually define whether or not you're going to win in the playoffs in the World Series. I can go back to my experience with the angles. If you look at the starting rotation, it was okay. You look at the bullpen, it was exemplary. That's the difference. I think if you have a strong bullpen to go with a good staff, which I believe we have -- talking about starting rotation this is the group that can get you late into the year. I believe that. Q. When will you know about Rocco? Will it be -- could it be March 30th? You have to see him on the field? You have to see him in games, in a lot of games? JOE MADDON: Honestly, that's a really good question. First of all, we just have to have like the go-ahead from the doctors that this is the correct tack to take and this is how we're going to approach it. That's primary to get direction from the medical people. Once we have that, to get him on the field in Spring Training and see how this all plays out and see if this plan they talked about is actually going to work. You're right, it may go right down to like the day before opening game. It may. I'm not disputing that that's a definite possibility. But I like to believe that maybe by the middle of spring training. You know, staying with the specific plan based on information, I think we should have an idea, okay, maybe this is going to work or not going to work. Then you're really going to have to jump and do something else. Q. It's not like any one doctor or one word means you go from "no go" to "go." He still has to go out on the field and be cable a be able to play and play two days in. JOE MADDON: Theory versus reality. We're going to be told, "This is what you should do." We're going to try to do that. Then the reality is whether Rocco can withstand and put up with it and how he feels. Yeah, I agree with all that, and like you were saying, by the middle of Spring Training, I would like to be able to think we have a pretty good feel. Q. Any reports on how Rocky is doing with Mr. Miaki out there? JOE MADDON: Mr. Mazerowski? He started. I know he's begun, and I don't know exactly how it's going yet. But he's begun the quest. Q. How much will that play into, or will it play in at all, Andru was telling us you're going to do what's best for Longoria. Aki's ability to go to second. Does that factor into that decision with bringing Longoria up? JOE MADDON: We're pretty much committed to the fact that Aki is going to go there. The other side of it is when we believe Evan is going to be ready to do his thing. If we perceive at the end of Spring Training we feel it's good about bringing Evan up and doing it at that particular time, we shall; otherwise, if we think he needs some more time, we don't want to bump Aki back and forth. The conversation is right now our conventional wisdom is to put him at 2nd base, leave him there even if we don't feel Evan is ready to start the season, and go try to make and match at third base so we're not bumping Aki all over the place. Q. Who would you mix and match with? JOE MADDON: We're not specific on that yet. That would be something that if we really have to pursue, I think now and towards Spring Training somebody that we feel more comfortable with in regard to playing on a more consistent basis if that scenario plays out. Q. Have you told Aki that? JOE MADDON: We told him he's definitely going to 2nd. I don't know that we necessarily said that "If Evan is not ready, we're still going to want you to start." I don't know that that was part of the conversation or not, but the biggest thing he does know is that he's going to play 2nd base. Q. Joe, you've always talked about you like the division you're in because of the challenge it presents and there's nothing quite like that division. JOE MADDON: Yes. Q. On what level does it register that that division being what it is could now be adding Santana? JOE MADDON: The division -- what I've always talked about is the fact that in order for us to be the best, we have to beat the best. I believe the best exists in that division on an annual basis. Santana obviously makes the division that much more difficult. There's no question about that. But again that's fine. I'm seriously fine. I think Garza is going to make our group better, and, as you get the rest of our guys coming up, we're going to be in a situation the next couple years to show five starting pitchers that are some or most of them are homegrown, some are acquisitions but relatively young, all with plus arms in a division that we can compete on a nightly basis. I'm not worried about Santana. God bless it. I'm not worried about what the Yankees are doing. I'm worried about what we're doing right now. I really focus there. If we do the right things, I believe we'll be able to compete with these people. I know people think I'm nuts and you're supposed to spend X-amount dollars to do something like that. I like what we're doing, how we're doing it. I believe in what we're doing, and I can see it getting better, and now it's up to us to stop -- part of us we have to stop talking about lack of experience and just start playing. I really want to start that this year. It's not about when the Red Sox beat us or the Yankees or Toronto beat us. I don't want it to be lack of experience. We just got beat tonight. We got to move this thing along. The youngsters, we're young and we have lacked experience, but now we've gained some experience over the last two years. Now is the time to start making this thing work a little bit. I love the American League East. I don't want to play anywhere else. Q. Joe, talk a little bit about your catchers. Catching is so important to a team with a young staff with a lot of different looks and lot of different things. Talk about your catchers and how important they are to the success of your team. JOE MADDON: It's very important. You're absolutely right. Right now Navi is a starting catcher, and we do a lot of work with him at the end of the last season. He really came on offensively, but the quantum leap we want to see is defensively calling a game. Moving behind the plate. He does a pretty good job of blocking pitches. We like to see him receive balls on the corner better than he has in the past. Taking charge of the staff communication-wise. We have a ways to go. You're right. It's vital in regard to the development of Kazmir, Shields, Garza, Jackson, et cetera. We spent a lot of time with them in the second half last year. We began the tutorial this winter. Bobby Ramos has been in touch with them a couple times. That was one of the edicts I laid down going into the off-season. I wanted that taken care of there. He knows he's got to come into Spring Training ready to perform and play. I always challenged Navi to get involved with the workouts and have these pitchers see he wants to catch them and be with them and talk to them. That is vital in our development. The backside of it, Shawn Riggans coming off an injury right now. Juan Salas has not had any big league experience. Josh Paul is not with us right now. We do lack experience there. No question. We have to accelerate the learning curve behind the plate. We talk a lot about it and trying to address it. Q. Joe, we know obviously the nuts and bolts of the additions and subtractions over the last I guess it's been a week. How is your team different now than it was say last Monday? JOE MADDON: From the first trade we're better defensively. Bartlett really gives us part of our puzzle, whatever you want to call it. He augments us through the middle. I talked to Hill on the phone. I really, really enjoyed my conversation with him. The things I read about him. He's totally into the team and game. He took two stolen bases away from us last year by putting the knee on the bag and blocking us. I hated him. I kind of embrace it. Can't wait for him to do that for us. Garza makes us better on the mound. This is a trade, I think, situation where for both sides has a potential to work out well. We're getting something that we want, and I think the Twins are getting something that they want. So it puts Gomes in a more prominent role right now, and this X-man that's coming in as the left-handed hitting guy and, of course, Rocky we talked about. It makes those people more prominent. We have to pick up Delmon's RBIs and throwing from rightfield. Defensively did a lot of things well for us, also. The tradeoff there is they get a pretty good young offensive outfielder and we've improved our defense and pitching staff. With Elijah, that's a situation there where it's probably good for him also to get a fresh start somewhere else. I had an opportunity to speak with him when I was in the Dominican Republic. I talked with him about 15, 20 minutes. He seems to be doing pretty well and improving in some ways, and, listen, I just wish him the best. For us right now we felt it was the best thing for our group. We got a really nice left-handed pitcher, Gibson, who our scouts really liked a lot. The dynamic has change a little bit in that regard. We like the additions a lot. Q. David Price, Nashville-area kid, what are some of the things you like about him? JOE MADDON: I got to meet him last year for the first time on this. He did a side piece for us. I was really -- first of all, I was impressed with him. When you speak to this young man, he's very quiet, but you can see there's a brightness about him and a lot of self-confidence. I liked his delivery -- there's a little funk in his delivery, little deception that I liked. The quality of his pitches are very good. I repeated his delivery very well. I could see where this guy with throw strikes. I like to believe he's the kind guy we're looking for. Also, I'm talking about personality-wise. He's got this athleticism about him, and personality-wise, him, as he stands on his own, I really like the entire package. Our people believe it's not going to be long before he's with us. I'm okay with that thought. Q. How much different will it be for you as a manager this year and the style of managing? Will you be able to unabashedly go out and try to win instead of protecting youngsters as you had to in the past? JOE MADDON: That's probably true. We're talking about I don't want us to be about a lack of experience anymore. I want us to be about going out and trying to win on a nightly basis. Carl has been around. B.J. is turning into a young professional very quickly. The rightfielders are professional. You look at Carlos was brought to our team. See what Aki has done. Evan Longoria, when he arrives, the conversation I went out to dinner with him in the Arizona fall league during that time, very impressive. Again you can talk about his skills if you want. This guy is a major league caliber person, and I think he's going to fit in well with the major league clubhouse quickly. He gets it. He understands it. I like the way he is. He's going to fit in very quickly. I thought Navi made some great strides. You go to Kaz and Shields and Wheels in the bullpen and Percy out there, it's an entirely different -- I can just visualize these guys walking around the clubhouse, and it feels different just thinking about it with all these different personalities and how far we've come over two years in regard to talked about building relationships, talked about building trust, and now I believe we have the kind of people that make those kind of thoughts work, and without trust, I don't think anything works. I think we're get to go that point right now. Q. If you covered this already, I apologize. The last deal you consummated essentially packaging part of the future for a new future. Could you just discuss that deal? JOE MADDON: Yeah. That's a deal we felt was good for both sides. We really needed to shore up our defense, particularly in the middle at shortstop and we have targeted Bartlett for awhile. We've liked Garza for awhile, also. I have not had a chance to see him pitch live. I saw the video. Our guys really liked him a lot. Plus the youngster, this guy is very impressive also. In order to get all those things, you got to give something up. Outfield is one of our strong points. We felt as though they wanted Dunn in the situation. We dealt him. We see it as a move that's good for both sides. Q. You now has have an interesting rotation, Kazmir, Shields, Garza, Price on the horizon. JOE MADDON: It's nice. Q. Can you talk about what you have to look forward to? JOE MADDON: That's all wonderful in theory. I agree with you a hundred percent. That stuff has to play out. Those guys have to do it on an annual basis. We're competing in a very difficult division. We want to see consistent growth. We want to see guys constantly moving upward in their growth, and again you talk about these names and all of a sudden, people expect it's going to happen just like that (indicating). I still seeing this as a slow progressive situation, but I do see progress. I think over a period of time over the next couple years, yes, those names together can be very interesting. There's other guys coming up behind them, too. So we're excited about our pitching big time. I think you guys haven't talked about I want to say Percival. First of all, I felt about getting Troy in the organization I thought was a big move for us. Some of you guys had a chance to visit with him already, feel the kind of presence that he generates, and that's going to be so important within our group. One thing about Percival, I always felt being with him as long as I was, one of the most accountable people I've ever been around as a closer. Who is more accountable than a closer? This guy, your never know the next day whether he blew it or saved it. If things go poorly, he would never point his finger at somebody else. He will never do that. He's going to be great within the clubhouse, and also I think every bullpen needs an anchor. This guy truly has anchored it in the past. He's going to refer to it as his bullpen. You'll hear him say that most. He believes it and means it. We can use that. I think Percival is going to add an awful lot to our situation, and I'm really excited ed about that. Q. Looking beyond just the pitching staff, too, enforce things, quote-unquote, in the clubhouse with position players if that need arises? JOE MADDON: It's going to come down to accountability again. If anybody is attempting to go pass something along or -- there's going to be no finger pointing whatsoever. It's going to be taken care of very quickly, and, yes, his reach is going to extend beyond the pitching staff. No question. Q. One final thought from me. Elijah's talents have never been questioned. How difficult was it for you guys to -- I don't know whether you call it give up, but move on from him? JOE MADDON: It's not easy because you're right. He could be exceptional. He could be exceptional for many years. Again, you have to at some point make a decision. My hope is that he does very well. My hope is he becomes a very good player, that he makes the all star team and helps the Nationals get to the point of playing in the World Series. That would be ideal. At some point you got to make these kind of decisions, and based on being around the thing all the time within the clubhouse and within the group, and we felt it was the right thing to do at this particular moment. I do wish him well. Q. Thank you. Based on the addition of Percival and the subtractions you made, you kind of refer to the dynamic being different. Is it important to get the clubhouse dynamic different, that it sounds like the character maybe -- JOE MADDON: Has been elevated? We talked about -- I thought kind of the tipping point with that last season was the addition of Dan Wheeler at that particular moment. When Danny came in, he came in, Balfour came in, and all of a sudden, the bullpen got better and Carlos was doing so well. He was arriving at the point of becoming what he became last year. B.J., all these guys, all this stuff started to tip in our favor. I'm talking about the interpersonal relationships in the clubhouse, the trust among each other, the improvement in say the defined character and improvement within our group. Guys just hanging together better. It just started happening right around August. By the end of the season, a lot of guys were already talking eagerly about this coming year. So that was the tipping point for me. Right around that time last year in regard to even our clubhouse. Now you're talking about the additions we made and even some of the additions we may continue to make over the course of the next couple months, the guys were talking about I believe are the kind of guys that are going to contribute to the kind of clubhouse I believe is necessary. I get the argument the chicken and the egg. Does winning breed chemistry or does chemistry create winning? I was a horrible chemistry student. I was awful. I always believed in the baseball sense working in the instructional league and minor league with the Angels, watching that thing grow there, I was very cognizant of the personality and how you put them together and the working environment that you created. I believe you can create something that generates this group that eventually wins on the field. I believe that. Of course, it can work the other way. Based on the economics and the situation that we are in, I think it's wiser to attempt to work it from the way we are. And I can see it coming together. Q. Would someone like Carl, would you call upon -- he's kind of always been successful and kind of does his own thing and leads by example. Is he one of the guys you might call in your office and maybe try to get a little something else from him in the clubhouse? JOE MADDON: Actually, you know, I've had a lot of conversations with Carl about that even up to this point. With Carl, I just enjoy our conversations. With him I would prefer -- my conclusion I would prefer it just happen naturally without an attempt to try to nurture verbally. He's the kind of a fella that when he's ready to do that, when he knows it's time, he'll know something within him I've arrived at this point he's going to speak up and do it. I believe that's going to happen with Carl. He's not the kind of guy that you try to guide along or nurture along or coach along to do those things. I think he's more comfortable with this -- because he's very instinctive about everything he does. I would much prefer to rely on his instincts. Whenever he wants to do that, I think he shall, but it's not going to require coaxing from me to get that done. Q. On top of that, he's probably the one guy in the clubhouse who has seen the most losing, too? JOE MADDON: Yes. I know he's tired of it as much as anybody. But I do know this: At the end of the last season, listening to him and listening to what he had to say and even like reading some of the things and even during the uniform unveiling the stage, he was very positive and very good and I really -- I appreciated it, but I also took it as a sign to him that he believes that this thing is starting to flip, too, in a positive way. Carl is a great. He's a great litmus test for this entire situation. He's been there through all the negative situation. If he can see the light at the end of the tunnel being a positive thing, then I would be encouraged by that. Q. Joe, from what you've seen and heard of David Price, how quickly do you feel like he can come in and help you? JOE MADDON: He can come quickly. Again, I've never seen the man pitch. Only what I've heard. I've seen him in the workout situation. I really do rely on our scouts and our minor league people and people that are -- our entire organization. I'm hearing he can come quickly. I've heard it's possible within this next year. That's what I've heard. Now, we'll find out. That's up to him. If it doesn't happen, that's no big deal. If it doesn't happen this year, it's no big deal. A guy like him, you really want to make sure. That's one thing the organization has done in the past, we've had a tendency to maybe rush people along to the point where you do do that -- when you inflict damage on somebody's psyche or their confidence because you rushed them too quickly, that is really difficult to get back. When a guy like this you really want to make sure that you've measured this correctly and moved him along at the right pace because you never want to see him take a step backward. Q. At the same time, it's not like you guys are devoid of arms. JOE MADDON: Exactly. He's going to show us or tell us when he's ready to be here, and I have a lot of confidence. He is the real deal. There's no doubt in my mind he's going to be very successful. When that clock will begin, I'm not quite sure. Q. Thank you. JOE MADDON: You're welcome. Q. He probably start in AA? JOE MADDON: I don't even know. Again, I stay out of that, the developmental side of things. I won't even have an opinion. They ask me, I might tell them what I think, but I'd much prefer that people that work that end of it, decide whether they want to start him. Q. What would you suggest? JOE MADDON: I don't know. I haven't seen him pitch. I really don't. He sat out for awhile. To me it's going to be based on command. Look what we did with Evan. Who is more polished than Evan? Like where he is right now. I've been involved developmentally-speaking for a long time. I do believe in the developmental process. Every guy kind of tells you when they're ready to move. You just got to place them and really pay attention. For me the threat there is to place them too high. Even if it's a little bit too low, it's better than placing them too high in the beginning because you can always move them as he goes along. Q. I know you still got some things to do lineup-wise in the off-season. Do you feel like you're finally to the point where you're going to have an everyday lineup? If today was the starting opening day, what would be your lineup? JOE MADDON: Position-wise you go Navi, Carlos, Aki, Jason, I don't know. I really -- I mean X, and then based on the people we have right now, it would be C.C., B.J., of course, and either Gomes playing rightfield or Rocco playing rightfield and the other guy DH'g based on what we have right now. We had a couple more weeks, maybe even a couple more days, we might be able to fill in those blanks a little bit more efficiently. As of right now, that's -- the biggest -- the biggest concern right now is kind like the five hole because we were so successful with Aki, Carl, Carlos, B.J., Delmon. Then Brendan Harris in the 6 hole. I think that's covered. If Longoria is there, I think the 6th hole is covered. I would not want to put a lot of pressure on him early. I could see him starting in the 6th or 7th hole. Who is going to hit 5 is really going to matter. As the game is in progress, of course, you could pinch-hit. Navi starts the bottom, Bartlett more than likely towards the bottom at the beginning. I guess 5, 6, and 7 are kind of the nebulous spots right now. Just don't know exactly how that is going to shake. Q. If you get that lefty hitter you're looking for, do you still go with the three lefties and come back with another lefty? JOE MADDON: I think I would. Our lefties hit lefties. First of all, Carlos needs to stay in the 3 hole, and I love B.J. in the 4. Aki hits lefties better than righties. There was no issue for me. We talked about this. The issue was who is in the bullpen. And we could sit here and talk who is the dominant lefthanders in the bullpen in the American League? How many are there? For me that was not an issue. I was not concerned about stacking them at that particular time. It worked well. It worked very nicely. To me -- then it comes down to B.J. because B.J. was a big part of Carlos's success last year. I really believe that. A huge part of it. I could see B.J. putting up some killer numbers. We've got to get somebody to sit behind B.J. B.J. is going to take a pitch, too. If we don't get somebody there to get him a strike, his on-base percentage might be up real high, but his run production comes down if we don't have anybody to sit behind him. Q. In your perfect world is that left-handed hitter, outfielder, potential 5 hitter a guy with some pop, guy to give you 25, 30 homers or more of an average -- former Angel? JOE MADDON: I like -- you know, little power would be nice. Like 15, 20 homeruns would be nice. I like the idea of contact, you know -- RBI mentality, I guess the best way. That's what Delmon had. He had 14 homers last year. But Delmon had this real knack to drive in a run. Single to the opposite field with two strikes. Somebody that forces them to honor B.J. is really important. That's how I look at it. And if it's an outfielder, if it's solely an outfielder, that's fine. If it's a third baseman/outfielder, that's fine, too. Something with a little bit of versatility, that would be great if that were available. It's got to be -- it should be left-handed -- as you shake out right now, I really need to see Jon to get an opportunity. Gomes, again, you guys heard me talk all the time about playing it hard, running hard at first and third. Just giving it a great effort on a nightly basis. Never question his effort. I want more of that. Q. What do you make of the plans for the new stadium? JOE MADDON: I saw the plans on line. I haven't seen them in person. They're spectacular. I think it's a very interesting idea. I think it would be quite popular, and I'm eager to see it in person like the conceptual drawings, et cetera, because it would be great for the entire area, obviously, and I think it would be well received and well accepted. It's very interesting concept. Like a lot of the things that we do. Q. Like what? JOE MADDON: A lot of things that we do. End of FastScripts |
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