The Phillies, Blue Jays, Angels and Rangers must decide what to do with their interim managers. The Marlins need to find a replacement for Don Mattingly. The White Sox and Royals almost certainly will make changes in the dugout; and then there are the Astros, a 102-win team with a manager, Dusty Baker, and general manager, James Click, unsigned beyond this season.
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‘Tis the season for upheaval in baseball, and those are only the clubs known to be in flux. Hardly anyone anticipated the Cardinals would dismiss Mike Shildt at the end of last season, or that Bob Melvin would leave the A’s for the Padres. Philosophical differences (the reason the Cardinals gave for firing Shildt), contractual disputes and even postseason failures all could prompt additional changes.
As the managerial merry-go-round begins to spin, a number of former managers want another shot. Shildt is one. Joe Maddon and Joe Girardi, both fired this season, are two others. Bruce Bochy told me, “I’m not ruling anything out.” A’s bench coach Brad Ausmus said he still has interest in managing. Some in the game believe Mike Scioscia would pursue the right opening. Braves coaches Ron Washington and Walt Weiss surely would love to manage again, too.
A win-now team such as the Rangers or White Sox likely would prefer a manager with experience, and second chances — and third and fourth — hardly are unprecedented in this sport. Baker and the Mets’ Buck Showalter are with their fifth clubs. Joe Torre did not become a major success until the Yankees gave him his fourth opportunity.
Other teams might finally be willing to anoint Astros bench coach Joe Espada, who has interviewed for at least eight managerial positions, or Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro, who has interviewed for at least five. Before ESPN analyst Eduardo Pérez resigned as Puerto Rico’s general manager for the World Baseball Classic, citing differences with the commonwealth’s baseball federation, his plan was for Espada to manage the club and Red Sox first base coach Ramón Vázquez to be bench coach. That way, if Espada got a major-league job, Pérez would have had a ready-made replacement. Instead, Puerto Rico on Thursday named Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina to manage its WBC team.
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Espada and Quatraro are not the only former or current coaches who will draw consideration. Among the others people in the game mention (and this is by no means a complete list): Pérez, who coached previously with the Marlins and Astros; Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough; Pirates bench coach Don Kelly; Red Sox bench coach Will Venable; and Phillies third base coach Dusty Wathan.
The coming wave of changes will renew the scrutiny on baseball’s minority hiring. The Blue Jays’ firing of Charlie Montoyo left the league with five permanent managers who are minorities — Baker, who is Black; the Dodgers’ Dave Roberts, who is Black and Japanese; and the Red Sox’s Alex Cora, Cardinals’ Oli Marmol and Nationals’ Dave Martinez, all of whom are Latino (the Rangers’ Tony Beasley, who is Black, and White Sox’s Miguel Cairo, who is Latino, are serving as interims).
The Tigers’ firing of GM Al Avila, meanwhile, left the sport without a Latino GM. Chicago White Sox executive vice-president Ken Williams is the only Black leader of baseball operations for any club. Marlins GM Kim Ng is the only woman and Asian-American in a general manager position. Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, who is of Pakistani descent, is the only other minority in a lead decision-making role.
Here’s an assessment of the eight teams currently facing decisions, based on information gathered from major-league sources and leading off with the most fascinating and bizarre situation in the sport:
Houston Astros
Does anyone else find it odd that Click and Baker are not certain to return when their three-year partnership has resulted in an ALCS appearance, a World Series appearance and an expectation the team again will play deep into October?
Good. I thought maybe I was missing something.
To understand the situation in Houston, go back to Jan. 13, 2020, and owner Jim Crane’s firings of GM Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch in the wake of the team’s penalties for illegal sign stealing. Crane hired Baker, a veteran manager, 16 days later, and Click, a first-time GM, five days after that. Usually, the GM comes first, then they pick the manager. But Crane needed the stability Baker could offer before he could worry about the GM.
In the three years since, the Astros have won the most regular-season games in the American League. And yet, their internal dynamics are fragile. Baker and Click occasionally clash over the GM’s desire for a more analytical approach. The bigger problem, though, appears to be between Crane and Click.
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Crane is difficult, demanding and heavily involved in baseball operations, acting almost as an owner/GM. He said he had no knowledge of the Astros’ illegal sign stealing in 2017 and 2018, and some in the organization believe he took a more active role because he did not want to get blind-sided and embarrassed again. In any case, Crane does not trust Click the way he trusted Luhnow, with whom he worked for eight seasons, enduring a painful rebuild and then enjoying great, albeit tainted, success. Crane also is more inclined to act quickly and boldly than Click, who came from the Rays, a more frugal, deliberate operation.
None of Click’s transactions has been particularly flashy — Crane handles major signings — but most qualified as solid. Click acquired Phil Maton, a quality reliever, and catcher/first baseman Yainer Diaz, the Astros’ No. 3 prospect, for center fielder Myles Straw, who has the lowest OPS in the majors with the Guardians. Click also hit on a number of other bullpen moves, a minor trade for Brooks Raley, a bigger one for Kendall Graveman and Rafael Montero, and the free-agent signings of Ryne Stanek and Héctor Neris. His in-season haul this year, however — utility Mauricio Dubón, catcher Christian Vázquez, designated hitter Trey Mancini and lefty reliever Will Smith — was decidedly modest.
Click, 44, has succeeded in not screwing up a good thing, which is not always as easy as it looks. And keep in mind, he’s working with a manager he inherited, a manager with his own ideas, a manager who draws credibility from his 2,089 career regular-season victories, ninth on the all-time list. Baker, 73, wants to keep going, too, even if he wins his first World Series as a manager. “People are all, wouldn’t you want to go out on top?” Baker told me last year. “No … I need two in a row.”
Baker, who tends to rely on his instincts and experience, probably would be a handful for any of today’s data-driven GMs. But he is not a total dinosaur, closed off from all information. His pitching coaches help create game plans and shape pitching decisions. Espada, his bench coach, also serves as a strategic resource. And, lest anyone forget, Baker just keeps winning. For all he has accomplished, for all the leadership he provided the organization coming out of the sign-stealing scandal, he deserves to go out on his own terms. Crane couldn’t justify parting with him, even if he wanted to.
So what happens? If Crane parts with Click, prospective GMs might think twice about taking the Astros’ job, knowing they, too, would be unable to choose their own manager, and that Click, for all his success, somehow could not satisfy the owner. The best solution might be to keep the entire group together, but the Astros seem to be approaching a breaking point. An early departure in the postseason might serve as an impetus for Crane to effect change.
Texas Rangers
In 2006, pitcher Chris Young had just completed his first season with the Padres when then-CEO Sandy Alderson took an ill-fated stand with Bochy, declining to give him a contract extension and allowing him to seek other work. Bochy jumped to the Giants and won three World Series, all while Young was in the middle of his 13-year playing career.
Young, 43, is now the Rangers’ general manager and lead decision-maker following the club’s dismissal of president of baseball operations Jon Daniels. The Rangers also need a new manager, and teams often go for the opposite of what they had before. One of Chris Woodward’s problems, in the Rangers’ view, was that he wasn’t a strong enough presence, didn’t hold players accountable. Beasley, his interim replacement, doesn’t appear to be a long-term solution — the team is 15-26 under him after going 51-63 under Woodward.
Enter Bochy?
The Rangers are expected to consider Quatraro, Venable and others, but as they continue to ramp up their payroll, an experienced manager probably would be a better fit than a first-timer. Bochy, meanwhile, likely would see the Rangers as an attractive team on the rise. He has a prior relationship with Young. And after three seasons away from the dugout, he might be itching to return.
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While Young is at it, he might want to reunite with another of his former superiors — Dayton Moore, whom the Royals recently fired as president of baseball operations. Young, who pitched for the Royals from 2015 to 2017, could use a veteran hand in the front office to replace what the Rangers lost with Daniels.
Chicago White Sox
Rather than pursue Cora or AJ Hinch after the 2020 season, the White Sox — er, owner Jerry Reinsdorf — hired Tony La Russa. Two years later, the overwhelming expectation is that La Russa will not return, though the team does not plan to address the matter until after the regular season is over.
The White Sox, just as they were when they hired La Russa, are a win-now club. Only now, their competitive window might be starting to close, increasing the team’s urgency to find an experienced, plug-and-play manager.
Dylan Cease is under club control for the next three seasons, but Lucas Giolito is eligible for free agency after 2023, and Lance Lynn and Liam Hendriks will be, too, if the White Sox decline their respective club options. Meanwhile, a number of players who were once thought to be bargains long-term — Yoán Moncada, Tim Anderson, Eloy Jiménez, Luis Robert — are becoming more pricey.
The White Sox’s defense ranks near the bottom of the league according to the publicly available metrics. Their lineup remains too right-handed and full of too many DH types. And save for Oscar Colás, a left-handed corner outfield prospect who is expected to make his debut next season, their farm system is relatively thin. All this, at a time when the Guardians are deep in young talent, and the Tigers and Royals figure to start showing improvement.
Could a Bochy or Walt Weiss fix all this? Unclear.
Los Angeles Angels
The pending sale of the club complicates things. Owner Arte Moreno might not allow GM Perry Minasian to sign a new manager to a multi-year contract, a scenario that could lead to interim manager Phil Nevin returning on a short-term deal.
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The Angels have performed worse under Nevin (43-57) than they did under Joe Maddon (27-29), but that is more a reflection of the team’s roster than Nevin’s managing. While Nevin, 51, occasionally loses his cool — he has been ejected four times and was suspended 10 games when the league deemed the Angels threw at the Mariners intentionally with warnings in place — he also brings a certain presence. Players respect him, and he has demonstrated a good feel for running a game, particularly with his bullpen management. Since the trade of Raisel Iglesias at the deadline, four different Angels relievers have earned saves.
Nevin, who managed more than 1,000 games in the minors, will remain a candidate for the permanent position even if the Angels conduct a full search. Minasian, from his tenure as the Braves’ assistant GM, is well-acquainted with Weiss and Washington, both of whom managed in the majors previously. The same goes for John Gibbons, who led the Blue Jays to the 2015 American League Championship Series during Minasian’s time in Toronto.
Philadelphia Phillies
Just over a week ago, I took what I believed was a nice, classy approach to the not-so-nice, not-so-classy invective Phillies fans spewed at me for months after I wrote nothing would change if the team fired Joe Girardi as manager.
Obviously, things did change, so a mea culpa was appropriate. But egads, now look at the Phillies! They’ve lost five straight and 10 of 13, and they’re in danger of losing their near-certain wild-card berth to the headless — I mean, Hader-less — Brewers. Naturally, some of their ever-patient fans are holding me responsible for their reprise of 1964, too.
Not to worry. For the sake of this discussion, I’m going to assume this is all a fever dream, even as the Phillies author their latest nightmare. They were 22-29 under Girardi. For all their current troubles, they are 61-43 under Rob Thomson. If they hold on, Thomson still might get down-ballot votes for NL Manager of the Year. Of course, if they blow this, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski might have no choice but to find another manager.
Cora, whom Dombrowski hired in Boston, would be an intriguing target, and he also would fit for the White Sox and Marlins, among others. But Cora recently told the Boston Globe, “No question. Yes, I’m back next year.” So, barring the sudden availability of some other current big-name manager, Dombrowski would need to choose from the retreads or take a shot with a first-timer. Not the greatest options.
Thomson, 59, was a Phillies coach for four-plus seasons. The transition from coach to manager with the same club can be perilous; the relationships with players invariably change. Thomson, however, has the respect of the Phillies’ veterans, and his player-development background helped him connect with the team’s youngsters. It all sounded great a week ago. It still might turn out great. But the Phillies have this way of rewriting their narratives in macabre fashion.
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And this, dear readers, is why you can’t have nice things.
Toronto Blue Jays
John Schneider, who replaced Montoyo, is sort of the AL version of Thomson, only his team hasn’t collapsed. The Jays were 46-42 under Montoyo. They’re 41-27 under Schneider. And while Thomson’s hire qualified as something of a surprise, Schneider’s ascent seemed almost inevitable.
Schneider, 42, was the Jays’ 13th-round pick as a catcher in 2002. He retired after 2007 to become a minor-league coach and joined the major-league staff in 2019. His stints managing Blue Jays stars such as Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the minors gives him enhanced credibility with those players.
Displaying a firm hand, Schneider dropped Bichette to seventh in the order on Aug. 16, then moved him up to third after the shortstop began to revive. And just Wednesday night, he called out Guerrero for getting thrown out at second after failing to run hard, saying, “That’s inexcusable.”
Schneider, like Thomson, also has showed a deft hand running a bullpen. Jays president Mark Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins preach culture and collaboration. Atkins, speaking to reporters in Toronto on Tuesday, described Schneider as “certainly a long-term fit.”
Kansas City Royals
Mike Matheny is held in high regard by the club’s decision-makers, but the most prominent of those decision-makers, Moore, is now out of a job. Additional changes are likely, and few would be surprised if those changes include Matheny, even though the Royals in March exercised the manager’s club option for 2023.
In three seasons under Matheny, the Royals have gone 26-34, 74-88 and, with six games to play, 63-93. Some with the team have wondered if Matheny’s relentless intensity is too much for a young club. New chairman and CEO John Sherman has spoken of the need for “more data-driven decisions,” and that desire likely extends to the manager’s office.
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Sherman’s choice of general manager J.J. Picollo to replace Moore would seem to suggest the new owner values stability. Royals bench coach Pedro Grifol would be a leading candidate to replace Matheny, if the team again wanted to stay in-house. Sherman, though, clearly wants the team to think as progressively as the Al Central champion Guardians, for whom he previously was a minority investor. Someone like Quatraro, who was Cleveland’s hitting coach from 2014 to 2016 before joining the Rays as third base and then bench coach, would appear a logical fit.
Miami Marlins
Might this be the spot for Espada? The Marlins are unlikely to spend on a proven manager, and likely would prefer a candidate who speaks both Spanish and English. Espada, who worked for the Marlins from 2006 to 2013 and lives in Jupiter, Fla., would be one of several such candidates, along with former White Sox manager Rick Renteria, Yankees third base coach Luis Rojas and ESPN’s Pérez.
The Marlins, 65-91, will finish with a losing record for the 12th straight full season (Mattingly’s finest achievement as manager was in the shortened 2020 season, when he led the team to a 31-29 record after an early-season outbreak of COVID-19, then a sweep of the Cubs in the wild-card round of the expanded playoffs). Some of Mattingly’s coaches have been informed they can seek other work, which is standard when a new manager is about to be hired. The dismissal of Gary Denbo as vice president of player development and scouting in July might lead to more significant organizational changes as well.
Whatever the Marlins do, the identity of their manager will barely matter unless they fix their offense, which ranks 28th in the majors, ahead of only the A’s and Tigers, in runs per game. The Marlins need to do a better job developing hitters, trading for hitters and signing free-agent hitters. Aaron Judge has only five fewer homers than their top five “sluggers” combined.
(Top photo of James Click and Dusty Baker: Bob Levey / Getty Images)
