MLB Managers on the Hot Seat as 2015 Season Hits Home Stretch
Matt Williams is just one of an array of managers who should be brushing up their resumes as the 2015 MLB season hits the home stretch.
The skippers who ended up on this hot-seat list fall into two general categories. The first is made up of guys such as Williams who have guided clubs that have seriously underachieved in 2015. The second group consists of interim managers, such as Pat Murphy of the San Diego Padres, who haven't exactly been pressing all the right buttons as they try to prove they're ready to handle the job on a full-time basis.
One similarity that nearly all the managers share is that their respective clubs are in bad spots in the standings. However, there is still room here for one man in charge of a team that is currently in first place.
Pat Murphy, San Diego Padres
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The San Diego Padres have been treading water ever since Pat Murphy took the reins in the middle of June.
When Murphy was elevated from Triple-A manager to interim skipper, the Pads were sporting a 32-34 record. A couple of months later, the club is 61-62. As Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reported, that record isn't likely to earn Murphy an invite back for 2016.
"The players like Murphy, but the Padres haven't shown great progression during his time as interim manager," Cafardo wrote. "His return as the permanent manager is very much in question."
One positive for Murphy is that the Padres, who have underperformed for much of the season, finally appear to be trending in a positive direction. In their last 11 contests, they have racked up nine wins.
Dan Jennings, Miami Marlins
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Dan Jennings hasn't found much success since making the unusual transition from the front office to the dugout. When the Miami Marlins' general manager took over as the manager back in the middle of May, the Fish were 16-22. Now, the Marlins are the owners of the third-worst record in baseball: 50-73.
According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the "expectation" is that Jennings will return to an executive role at season's end. Such a move could lead to yet another unusual turn of events in Miami: As Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe explained, Jennings would likely be tasked with selecting the next manager of the Marlins—again.
Pete Mackanin, Philadelphia Phillies
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Of the three interim managers on this list, Pete Mackanin has built the most compelling case to keep his job on a full-time basis.
Despite the club's summer sell-off, the Philadelphia Phillies have been playing respectable ball since mid-July. Philadelphia is 20-12 since the All-Star break after a 3-14 start under Mackanin. According to Ryan Howard, Mackanin is easy to play for.
"He's always been a guy to try to keep things relaxed and loose, communicate with guys and keep them as loose as he can," Howard said, via Bill Evans of NJ.com.
Ultimately, Mackanin's win-loss record might not be the determining factor in whether he gets another crack in 2016. This offseason, there will be all sorts of moving pieces in Philadelphia. Andy MacPhail, who takes over as team president at the end of the season, has yet to decide on the fate of current general manager Ruben Amaro Jr., as Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports noted. If Amaro is shown the door, Mackanin could also find himself out of a job.
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Brad Ausmus, Detroit Tigers
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Brad Ausmus is safe—at least for now.
Executive vice president of baseball operations and general manager Al Avila has already told the Detroit Tigers manager that he won't be going anywhere between now and the end of the season, according to Chris McCosky of the Detroit News.
But whether Ausmus is still in the dugout when 2016 rolls around remains to be seen, as McCosky noted:
"I am not worried about that," Ausmus said. "There's nothing I can do about it. I get along very well with Al, so I am not concerned with that. There's really nothing for me to worry about. I mean, what am I going to do?"
Even if Ausmus doesn't want to admit it, there are two primary factors playing against him. The first is that the Tigers have been one of the biggest disappointments in baseball under his watch in 2015. With a 59-63 record, Detroit is a non-factor in the American League Central, trailing the Kansas City Royals by a staggering 15 games.
The second problem for the second-year manager is that Avila is not the exec who hired him. That distinction belongs to Dave Dombrowski, who was recently kicked to the curb. With Avila now leading the front office, it's not out of the question that he'll install his own manager in 2016.
Don Mattingly, Los Angeles Dodgers
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The bullpen is not only threatening to sink the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015 but could also end up costing Don Mattingly his job.
So far, the relief crew has racked up the third-worst ERA in the National League. Those late-innings problems are one of the primary reasons why the Dodgers hold just a 1.5-game edge over the San Francisco Giants in the NL West race.
According to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com), the Dodgers have a payroll of nearly $300 million, including luxury-tax commitments. For such an expensive roster, missing out on October just isn't acceptable. But right now, such a scenario is entirely possible.
The recent hiring of new third base coach Ron Roenicke has also led to speculation about Mattingly's job security. The former manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, Roenicke provides the Dodgers with an in-house option should team brass decide to pull the plug on Mattingly's tenure.
As Mattingly explained to Mark Saxon of ESPN.com, all of his attention is on the task at hand.
"All I care about is winning. This is a pretty good job to have. I'm sure a lot of guys would like it," Mattingly said. "That's always the case. Those things are so far down the road, you just worry about winning games. We're in a pennant race."
Unfortunately for Mattingly, the Dodgers, who are mired in a four-game losing skid, haven't been doing much winning as of late.
Lloyd McClendon, Seattle Mariners
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A trendy pick to win the AL West before the season began, the Seattle Mariners are closer to the cellar than first place as September looms.
That's a bad look for manager Lloyd McClendon and general manager Jack Zduriencik. As Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reported, one "Mariners insider" said that both McClendon and Zduriencik are in danger of getting canned. Of those two, Zduriencik appears to be more likely to get a pink slip.
The exec has been running the show at Safeco Field since October 2008, and the M's have yet to make a postseason appearance during his tenure. Of course, if Zduriencik gets the boot, there's always the possibility the next GM will decide to send McClendon out of town too.
Robin Ventura, Chicago White Sox
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Now in his fourth season at the helm on the South Side, Robin Ventura has yet to manage a playoff contest.
With the Chicago White Sox (58-63) wallowing in fourth place in the AL Central, the club is facing an uphill battle to break that streak in 2015. The most ominous sign for Ventura is that his best season came during his rookie year. Here's a look at where Chicago has finished in the standings during Ventura's reign:
- 2012: Second place
- 2013: Fifth place
- 2014: Fourth place
Even with that subpar track record, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn won't be jettisoning Ventura before the conclusion of the season, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.
According to Sullivan, Hahn admitted the season was "disappointing" but believes there's still time to turn things around. Hahn is correct in that assessment, because so far no team has taken hold of the second wild-card spot. The White Sox are five games under .500 but also just 4.5 games out of a postseason berth.
Bryan Price, Cincinnati Reds
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All it takes is one look at the standings to see that Bryan Price is in a bad spot.
Losers of eight in a row and 13 of their last 16 contests, the Cincinnati Reds are now stuck in last place in the NL Central—an alarming 25.5 games from the top spot.
While there's no debating that the Reds have spiraled into a full-on tailspin, the epic slide is not all on Price. After all, the front office has traded away some big-time contributors this summer, with starters Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake headlining that list.
As Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe explained, the fire sale might actually be what saves Price. Cafardo wrote, "If the decision were made now, it appears he would return." If Price does return, 2016 could be a make-or-break season for the manager because his contract runs out at the end of the year.
Matt Williams, Washington Nationals
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No team has disappointed more in 2015 than the Washington Nationals, who are 61-61.
With the club five games adrift of the New York Mets in the NL East hunt, Matt Williams is not a popular figure in the nation's capital. The problems for him are twofold. According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the first issue is that the skipper is just no fun to deal with.
"It's said to be an 'unhappy scene' around the Nats, as manager Matt Williams has not been well-received by many players, who find him 'not loose' and 'never relaxed,'" Heyman wrote.
Those personality quirks could be forgiven if Washington were racking up wins, but right now, that's far from the case. And one of the central causes behind all the losing is Williams' in-game decision-making. As Heyman reported, players have been questioning Williams' bullpen management since October.
There's still time for Williams and the Nats to salvage the season. But at the moment, things are looking bleak—both for the club's playoff chances and for his job status.
If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.
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