Predicting the Biggest Scapegoats of the 2015 MLB Season
The blame game has become as big a part of sports as the competition itself in recent years. In the age of the Internet, coaches, players, fans and pundits are always looking to make scapegoats out of potential players and managers.
The 2015 MLB season shouldn't be any different, as there are a handful of candidates who could qualify as scapegoats for their respective teams.
Stephen Strasburg has been the main attraction for the Washington Nationals rotation, but with Max Scherzer now on the staff, the flame-throwing right-hander will be held to a higher standard this season.
Meanwhile, Brett Lawrie was included in the unpopular Josh Donaldson trade and will be a target for criticism if he struggles over the course of the year.
We'll look at those cases and a few more over the upcoming slides.
Let's get to it!
Brett Lawrie
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The Oakland A's were eliminated in a thrilling American League Wild Card Game last season, and general manager Billy Beane used the offseason to completely revamp his entire roster.
The biggest move of the winter involved the departure of Josh Donaldson. Donaldson posted a 147 wRC+ in 2013, followed by a 129 wRC+ last season. Over the last two seasons, the 29-year-old third baseman ranks behind only Mike Trout and Andrew McCutchen in WAR.
In return, the A's received a package of young players, headlined by fellow third baseman Brett Lawrie. Lawrie is much younger than Donaldson, but he hasn't been able to stay healthy over the course of his career.
Nick Ashbourne of SB Nation's Beyond the Box Score mentioned Lawrie's health concerns while he reviewed the trade back in November:
"Overall, Lawrie is an interesting kind of gamble. His defensive prowess gives him a high floor, and he does have some offensive upside. He could be a poor man's Donaldson, but quite a lot cheaper. Alternatively, he could be a constantly injured disappointment. More likely than not, he'll be an above-average starter that doesn't hit quite as much as you want and misses more time than you'd like.
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The most interesting aspect of the entire deal is that Donaldson, who is in the prime of his career, actually has more years of team control than Lawrie does. Beane dealt an affordable offensive force in his prime for a young player with a history of injuries and inconsistencies.
No pressure, Brett.
Lawrie struck out four times on 12 pitches in a game earlier this season, but he has managed to raise his average closer to .300 as the week has progressed. He'll be seen as the face of the new-look A's, and he will be criticized heavily if he can't replace some of Donaldson's production.
Fredi Gonzalez
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The Atlanta Braves don't figure to be contenders in 2015, despite a 5-1 start to the season. But that won't stop Braves fans from calling for manager Fredi Gonzalez's job if he continues to mismanage his roster.
Gonzalez is entering the final season of his existing contract after signing an extension in 2014. The 51-year-old skipper has the support of former Braves manager Bobby Cox and team president John Schuerholz, but he will obviously be fighting for his job under new president of baseball operations John Hart.
Before the 2015 season, Gonzalez had managed Atlanta to a 358-290 record over four seasons. He led the Braves to the NL East crown in 2013, but he couldn't stop the horrid end to 2014 after achieving a 52-43 record before the All-Star break.
Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors sums up Atlanta's position on Gonzalez quite well in the following quote:
"Word of a possible extension for Gonzalez will draw ire from some Braves fans, as Gonzalez has become somewhat of a polarizing figure among the Atlanta fan base; many felt that he should have been dismissed alongside now-former GM Frank Wren, who was fired in late September."
The Braves have started off strong, but Gonzalez flashed his questionable decision-making in the eighth inning of Sunday's 4-3 loss to the New York Mets.
With runners on second and third and one out, Gonzalez decided to intentionally walk Ruben Tejada to set up the lefty-lefty matchup of Andrew McKirahan and Daniel Murphy. Tejada is coming off of two straight seasons with a wRC+ of less than 100, while Murphy has been one of the better Mets hitters during his tenure in Queens. Not to mention, Murphy is a career .273 hitter against left-handers.
Murphy delivered with a sacrifice fly, which ended up being the winning run in the game. Gonzalez's decision could have worked out, but his conventional, by-the-book ideas on bullpen usage pushed him to pitch to a more dangerous hitter at a crucial point in the game.
The Braves may not make the playoffs, but that doesn't mean Gonzalez isn't managing for his job. More instances like the one mentioned above, and he might not be around in 2016.
Alex Rodriguez
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Alex Rodriguez might be the biggest scapegoat in MLB history.
The 39-year-old has brought plenty of that on himself. His performance-enhancing drug indiscretions have been well-documented. A-Rod has finally returned from last season's yearlong suspension, and he has looked good to begin 2015.
Rodriguez is hitting .300 through the season's first week with a homer and six RBI. He's been one of the bright spots on the New York Yankees thus far, as the Bronx crowd has given him a warm welcome back to the majors.
That good start on the heels of a productive spring has given Yankees fans plenty to be optimistic about, according to B/R's own Jacob Shafer:
"Rodriguez posted a .267/.377/.489 slash line and tied for the club lead with three home runs in the Grapefruit League.
Normally, that wouldn't turn too many heads, but A-Rod isn't normal. Now, he's given the Yankees cause for cautious optimism, something that seemed nearly unfathomable a few short months ago.
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But let's be serious for a second. That can all change in the blink of an eye.
You don't think that the New York media is ready to jump on A-Rod when he goes through his first 2-for-20 slump? Are the Yankees faithful going to give him a break if he strikes out with runners in scoring position in an important game?
It's New York, and this is Alex Rodriguez we're talking about.
Is it fair? Probably not, considering A-Rod's age and expectations entering the season. But when A-Rod goes through his first rough patch at the dish, don't be surprised when the boo-birds target him.
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Stephen Strasburg
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On paper, the Washington Nationals have assembled one of the best rotations baseball has seen in quite some time this offseason.
The Nats added Max Scherzer to an already-potent staff, which has made Washington one of the early favorites to win the 2015 World Series. Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Gio Gonzalez and Doug Fister should give the Nats a chance to win every fifth day.
Despite that sunny outlook, 2015 represents a crossroads for Strasburg.
With Scherzer now locked up as the team's ace and Zimmermann outperforming Strasburg last season, the former first-round pick has become a slightly forgotten man in Washington. Brandon Conner of FanSided discusses that point in the following quote:
"This of course begs the question: Why have Nats fans suddenly developed a case of amnesia when it comes to a player who was once thought of as the face of the franchise? Why have they been so willing to relegate him to the same level of consideration that (no offense intended) Doug Fister and Gio Gonzalez merit?
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With all eyes on the Strasburg/Matt Harvey showdown in the season's first week, Strasburg failed to get out of the fifth inning. He allowed nine hits and six runs (three earned) while walking three batters and plunking one.
Yeah, yeah. It's just one start, and Strasburg has Cy Young ability.
But with the lofty expectations the loaded rotation has brought with it, Strasburg is going to be expected to pitch like the ace he's supposed to be. If he and the Nats struggle early on, keep an eye on his reception with the home crowd.
Advanced stats courtesy of FanGraphs.
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