Florida Marlins: 10 Potential Replacements for Edwin Rodriguez
June was not kind to Miami's hottest team in the Miami Heat and the same can now be said for the Florida Marlins. In a month known in baseball as the month teams are suppose to heat up, the Marlins have instead been distinguished and dried out.
On May 28th, the Fish were a 30-20 team that was mere couple of games behind the NL East favorite Phillies but there freefall is akin to a freefalling skydiver without a workable parachute. After enduring an eight game skid and ending it they are aiming to top that and are one game from matching that on Friday.
Now at the cellar of the NL East, joining the likes of the Washington Nationals and New York Mets who have stayed afloat without stars Ryan Zimmerman, Stephen Strasburg, Johan Santana, and David Wright, the Marlins have regressed and the prognosis for Edwin Rodriguez's job is not looking all to well.
Sure, Hanley Ramirez had a strong endorsement for the Marlins manager but if the one man who might be the cause of this skid is saying that (hitting .206 through 50 games), then you sure better get to hitting because E-Rod or any manager will be the fall guy for a team's debacle.
While the one year contract and impending entry into the new stadium were warning signs to Rodriguez's job security, this recent skid gets those alarms sounding for Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria who as recently as last week fired John Mallee when the team endured the eight game losing streak, is Rodriguez going to get the axe for this recent skid?
Probably not, granted they have been without Josh Johnson, their ace, and Hanley Ramirez's baseball soul has been abducted by aliens. Furthermore, the Marlins are going with perhaps the worse two starters in baseball in terms of ERA in Chris Volstad (6.07 ERA) and Javier Vazquez (7.09 ERA). I haven't seen many situations where teams fire both a hitting coach and pitching coach in the same season and keep their manager but if there were to be a next firing, pitching coach Randy St. Claire is on notice.
Why not both? The Marlins didn't do the clubhouse any favors when they were frustrated and disappointed at hitting coach John Mallee's firing and firing the manager mid season wouldn't be doing the clubhouse any favors, the next best fix would be the pitching coach, maybe a new one knows what to do horrific Vazquez-Volstad duo.
As for Edwin Rodriguez, his job security is at the hands of Jeffrey Loria, he could get the pink slip tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, or a week from now, the anniversary of his hiring (June 24th). But they're doesn't seem to be a long list of big name managers in the waiting who aren't with a team at this moment.
For what that long list may look like, here are the 10 possible names that could be in the Marlins sights...
Larry Bowa
1 of 10
Currenly working at MLB Network, Bowa could be one of Loria's panic switch options, by that I mean, mid-season replacement options.
Bowa was the Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach from 2007 to 2010, mostly under the helm of Joe Torre who retired last season.
Bowa has spent parts of six seasons as manager for both the San Diego Padres (1987, 1988) and Philadelphia Phillies (2001-2004), winning the NL Manager of the Year Award in 2001.
Bob Brenly
2 of 10
Brenly is currently a commentator for the Chicago Cubs, so he could be yet another possible panic switch option for Jeffrey Loria to target. Despite the job he has now, Brenly has interviewed for various managerial positions, most recently with the Brewers in 2009.
Brenly brings World Series experience to the table, having done that with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001, his first season as a MLB manager.
He composed a 303-262 record from 2001-2004 in Arizona, his only managerial gig to date.
Jim Fregosi
3 of 10
Fregosi's name was linked to the Marlins last offseason during their search for a manager but nothing materialized.
He would be a big name in terms of his pedigree which consists of 1,028 managerial wins in 2123 games (.484 win percentage), but he hasn't managed since 2000 and wouldn't be as big a name for Marlins fans to been crazy about.
Fregosi is currently a scout for the NL East rival Atlanta Braves.
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Ozzie Guillen
4 of 10
Ozzie Guillen would be Loria's dream, heck, he went as far as to discuss this with the White Sox in the offseason but had to compensate Chicago by giving up Logan Morrison, so obviously this was a dead end and still is.
The gentleman Ozzie Guillen is speaking with in the picture is none other than Jerry Reinsdorf, the owner of the White Sox who has kept him with the team despite GM Kenny Williams attempt to fire him.
Unless the White Sox miss out the playoffs and completely collapse, both unlikely, Ozzie is going to remain in the Windy City for the foreseeable future.
Nevertheless, Guillen remains as a potential replacement for E-Rod if he is canned.
Grady Little
5 of 10
Grady Little has lead each of his four teams (Boston and Los Angeles) to winning records but that hasn't been enough in either of those cases. He was replaced for Terry Francona in Boston and Joe Torre in Los Angeles.
Little has an impressive 358-290 (.552) record as manager and the fact he has managed in two big market teams should be enough for the big-name bill Loria wants to obtain.
Currently, Little isn't in any baseball related job, so he could be another panic switch option.
Jerry Manuel
6 of 10
I know, I know, Manuel was just manager of the Mets for what proved to be a disaster in New York but maybe that big name tag and the fact there are a fair share of Mets could either bring them to the ballpark or scare them away for more Marlins fans.
Manuel was a product of what still might be a bad home ballpark and various injuries so maybe his 149-175 over the last two seasons in Queens shouldn't be looked at as a bad marker for this job.
After all, Manuel did turn around the Mets back in 2008 when the team went 55-38 and nearly squeezed into the postseason if it weren't for the Marlins defeating them in the final game of the season for the second consecutive season to deny World Series aspirations.
So yes, indeed, this would be a panic switch option for Loria.
Tony Pena
7 of 10
From one former manager in the New York to a coach currently in New York and with the Yankees in Tony Pena.
Pena, 54, won the 2003 AL manager of the year award with the Royals and managed Kansas City for parts of three seasons before getting the pink slip in 2005 after a poor start out of the gates.
Pena's name would seem to be an option because he is with the Yankees but he would not be hired by the Marlins when he is currently in the Bronx, that said, this one is less likely to happen.
Bryan Price
8 of 10
Certainly not as big a name that Loria might want, but given the recent trend of his hirings in Girardi, Gonzalez, and even Edwin Rodriguez, he wouldn't mind taking a flyer on a rookie manager.
Price, is currently the pitching coach for the Reds and as a bonus he is bilingual. Price has history with the Marlins front office brass, mainly Larry Beinfest, as both were with Seattle in 2001. This connection could bring him to the Marlins for first gig as manager.
This might be an offseason hire by Loria if anything considering he is currently the pitching coach for a contending team but it wouldn't surprise me if this was ultimately the hire.
Willie Randolph
9 of 10
Randolph was the fall guy in 2008 when the other potential replacement on this list, Manuel, took over. Since then, he has had jobs with the Brewers and now Orioles as bench coach.
Out of all the candidates on this list, this would be perhaps the most experience option that the Marlins should choose to seriously explore. Randolph has complied a 302-253 record and led the Mets to the best times in the past decade.
With familiarity of the NL East, experience as manager in a big city, he would certainly fit the big name bill for Loria.
Considering the status of the Orioles, Randolph could jump over to a managerial job if the team grants him that chance.
Bobby Valentine
10 of 10
Valentine's name has been exhausted throughout when it comes to the Marlins managerial seat. But such move should be given a shot at happening despite the reports. If Loria really wanted him and he wants a big name then maybe he'll pry open his checkbook and give Valentine a bit more to entice him.
But, this name is perhaps at the bottom of the list because even though Loria wants him, the rest of the front office, "reportedly," doesn't creating uncertainly that this will ever happen.
Yet, Valentine has always been tagged for the Marlins job and will continue to be unless a new manager steps in at long last.
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