CLEVELAND - Indians general manager Mark Shapiro gave the Orioles permission to interview Hall of Famer Eddie Murray, Cleveland's hitting coach, for their managerial opening.
Murray, a first baseman for Baltimore from 1977-88, completed his second season. Murray is not yet under contract with Cleveland for a third year, but Shapiro said Murray has been asked to rejoin Eric Wedge's staff.
"Eddie did a great job," Shapiro said.
The Orioles fired Mike Hargrove on Monday after their fourth straight losing season. Shapiro said he was contacted by Baltimore on Tuesday.
Before joining the Indians, one of the five teams he played with, Murray was on Baltimore's coaching staff from 1998-2001.
ANGELS: Reliever Brendan Donnelly had surgery on his right elbow and left knee.
The right-hander will begin rehabilitation in 10-14 days.
MARINERS: GM Pat Gillick, whose teams have won the most games during the past four seasons, resigned his front-office position and will become an adviser to the team.
Gillick, 66, will remain GM until a replacement is found. His resignation comes after Seattle failed to make the postseason for the second year in a row.
METS: Pitching coach Vern Ruhle was fired.
PHILLIES: Two coaching changes were made. Former outfielder Milt Thompson (first-base coach) and Mick Billmeyer (catching instructor) were hired.
ROCKIES: Right-hander Jose Jimenez and left-hander Jesus Sanchez declined their outright assignment to Triple A Colorado Springs and became free agents.
ROYALS: Minor-league catching instructor Brian Poldberg was made bullpen coach.
Poldberg replaces Tom Gamboa, who was fired less than two hours after the season ended.
LEGAL NEWS: A state appeals court threw out a $94-million punitive damage award to the families of three ironworkers killed when a crane collapsed during the construction of Milwaukee's Miller Park.
The judges voted 2-1 that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of America did not intentionally cause the three deaths, nor was its conduct certain to cause injury.
The court left intact a $27-million award for compensatory damages for the 1999 collapse.
