FIVE UNDER FIRE
Boone, Rojas among managers heading into season on hot seat
Tis the time of year when hope springs eternal in baseball, and for those teams with the highest of expectations, like the Yankees, Mets, White Sox, Astros and Angels, also come the hottest of manager seats. Taking them one at a time, starting with our locals:
AARON BOONE, YANKEES
He’s in the final year of a four-year contract, having failed to make it to the World Series despite one of the three highest payrolls in baseball (this year they’re presently No. 2 behind the Dodgers) — and what’s most telling about how hot his seat might be is that there has been zero discussion about an extension. Brian Cashman has not wavered in his confidence in Boone since hiring him with no previous managerial experience in 2017, but Hal Steinbrenner could not have been pleased when the Yankees, with the highest payroll in baseball last year at $109 million, were ousted by his hometown $28.3 million Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS. Boone should have no trouble winning the AL East this year after the defending champion Rays embarked on another payroll purge by letting go of two of their top three starting pitchers, Charlie Morton (via free agency) and Blake Snell (trade). While the Yankees’ rotation may have its question marks after Gerrit Cole, the Rays are now planning on using “Openers” on just about every day Tyler Glasnow isn’t pitching. The only other team in the division with postseason aspirations — the Blue Jays — spent $189 million this winter, bolstering the lineup with George Springer and Marcus Semien, but have even more rotation issues than the Yankees and Rays. The American League as a whole is decidedly weaker than the NL, with no super teams, which is why the onus is on Boone to get the Yankees to the World Series. In Yankeeland, anything less than the World Series is always considered a disappointment, but since they haven’t been there since 2009, this year, with the payroll still hovering at $200 million, it’s become imperative.
LUIS ROJAS, METS
Amid all the chaos in the front office along with the change of ownership, Rojas was given a pass this winter for what could only be considered a disappointing (26-34) rookie season as Mets skipper. Sandy Alderson didn’t hire him and Steve Cohen probably didn’t know much about him and both decided he deserved more than one year to prove his managerial chops. At the same time, however, they greatly improved his team, bringing in significant up-the-middle upgrades in catcher James McCann and shortstop Francisco Lindor, lengthening the rotation behind Jacob deGrom with Carlos Carrasco and Taijuan Walker, adding bench depth in Albert Almora and Kevin Pillar, and fortifying the bullpen with Trevor May and Aaron Loup. We do not know yet about Cohen’s patience level, but even though the three-peat NL East champion Braves also spent a ton of money on improvements this winter, one suspects the new owner is going to be extremely unsatisfied if the Mets don’t at least get into the postseason — no easy task playing in the toughest division in baseball.
TONY LA RUSSA, WHITE SOX
On the south side of Chicago, the time is now for the sunshine boys, Jerry Reinsdorf and La Russa. The five-year rebuilding plan is over and after a winter of uncharacteristic spending — $54 million for closer Liam Hendriks, $30 million for veteran starter Lance Lynn, $8 million for outfielder Adam Eaton — there is much anticipation for getting Reinsdorf, the White Sox’s 85-year-old owner, to one more World Series. Between their splashy offseason moves adding to 2020 AL MVP Jose Abreu and their exciting young nucleus of staff ace Lucas Giolito, shortstop Tim Anderson, third baseman Yoan Moncada, second baseman Nick Madrigal and outfielders Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert, the White Sox are everybody’s on-paper favorite to unseat the Twins as AL Central champs. But amid all that sunshine there are clouds of concern, starting with the 76-year-old La Russa being coaxed out of Hall of Fame retirement by Reinsdorf. It’s been ten years since La Russa, old school in many ways, last managed and it figures to be a constant test to see how he relates to today’s players. To get to the World Series, La Russa is probably going to need two more dependable starting pitchers to emerge from among Dylan Cease, Reynaldo Lopez, Carlos Rodon and comeback hopeful Michael Kopech — and for all his talent, center fielder Robert struggled mightily with the breaking ball after a fast start last year. Nursing him along will be another challenge for La Russa.
DUSTY BAKER, ASTROS
The other codger in the managing fraternity, 71-year-old Dusty was the feelgood story of last year, guiding the Astros into the postseason in the face of universal disdain for his team because of the cheating scandal, and then pushing the Rays to seven games in the ALCS. But the hard truth is the Astros are nowhere near the power team that Baker’s predecessor A.J. Hinch twice took to the World Series. As it was, they made it into the postseason with a losing record last year as most of their key players — Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Yuli Gurriel and Josh Reddick — had down years. Maybe they all come back this season, but now George Springer has left as a free agent and that’s a huge loss both from a production and leadership standpoint. With Justin Verlander gone for the season with Tommy John surgery, Baker is going to need for middle rotation starters Jose Urquidy and Framber Valdez to both take it up a notch and also hope Zack Greinke has enough left to still be a formidable No. 1. All big ifs. Still, for all their flaws the Astros remain the best team on paper in the weak AL West. But for owner Jim Crane they’ll probably have to do a lot more than just winning a weak division to bring back Baker for another year.
JOE MADDON, ANGELS
This is an interesting case. Owner Arte Moreno, frustrated that the Angels, with the sixth highest payroll in baseball, experienced their fifth straight losing season. So he fired his general manager Billy Eppler and replaced him with Perry Minasian, who has inherited Maddon, in the second year of a three-year/$12 million contract. The reason the Angels have been unable to get Mike Trout to the World Series remains the same — a decided lack of quality starting pitching — which Minasian was not able to adequately address this winter. (All you need to know is the biggest excitement in Angel camp so far was Shohei Ohtani reportedly hitting 97 MPH against a couple of minor leaguers this week.) Ohtani, who is being penciled in as a once-a-week starter and a DH the rest of the time, may finally be able to stay injury free as a productive two-way player, but in all likelihood the Angels still aren’t making the postseason this year. And if so, then what does Moreno — who probably doesn’t want to hear any more about the Angels starting pitching — do? Maddon’s industry high salary probably keeps him safe for one more year, but the owner clearly wants to see Trout playing October baseball at the Big A. Now.