Nationals opening could be sweet gig
Teams filling managerial openings
As three of the five managerial openings this offseason have been filled in the last week, the new hires and those who will fill the others face varying situations.
The Detroit Tigers hired Ron Gardenhire on Oct. 20, the Boston Red Sox announced on the 22nd that they hired Alex Cora, who spent 2005-08 with the franchise as an infielder and is currently the Houston Astros bench coach, and the New York Mets have hired Cleveland Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway, according to a person with direct knowledge of the offer. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the hiring.
With front office influence only increasing, managers are more marginalized than their predecessors and perceived to be more fungible. So which situations are most desirable?
We rank the five jobs changing hands.
1. WASHINGTON NATIONALS
The franchise that has churned through six managers in 13 seasons — five in 10 years — would seem like the last place any selfrespecting baseball man would turn. And the Nationals’ last three managers — Davey Johnson, Matt Williams and Dusty Baker — ended up jobless despite taking the club to the playoffs, though the circumstances of their departures vary considerably.
Still, even with a unique organizational culture at the highest level, you have to have the horses to win. And for at least one more season, the Nationals’ barn is overflowing. They ranked fourth in the National League in runs and second in ERA and showcased their enviable organizational depth in a 97-win season in which Bryce Harper, Adam Eaton, Trea Turner and Jayson Werth all missed significant time with injuries.
While Harper might depart via free agency after 2018, the bigger key is the retaining of general manager Mike Rizzo, who has taken the public bullets during various episodes of dysfunction. He and his staff are largely responsible for the aforementioned depth; his departure would likely be the biggest threat to the organization’s continuity.
But right now, this is a readymade World Series club.
2. PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Seems a little aggressive? Well, the Phillies have two things going for them: Deep pockets and a virtually blank slate. They have just $25.5 million committed beyond 2018 — to outfielder Odubel Herrera — a relatively loaded farm system and, for now, low expectations.
As they’ve rebuilt, the Phillies have presumably been stuffing their pockets with cash: They’re in the second year of a 25-year, $2.5 billion TV deal.
A couple prizes from the vaunted free agent class of 2018 will make any manager smarter.
3. BOSTON RED SOX
So what’s the upside here? Boston’s previous manager, John Farrell, won a World Series in 2013 and consecutive division titles in 2016-17. For that, he lost his job.
Meanwhile, barring an opt-out, the club has $157 million invested in lefty David Price, who was not a viable starting pitcher this year because of a balky elbow. Cy Young Award candidate Chris Sale’s acquisition emptied much of the farm system.
A young core of position players — Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi and Rafael Devers, most notably — will keep the major league product strong. Yet if you’re a first-time manager such as Cora, the chance to win now will be accompanied by the superfluous headaches that managing in the Hub bring.
4. DETROIT TIGERS
There’s a lot to like about this gig: The rebuild is obvious. The stacking of young assets began in the summer. And the low expectations will buy plenty of space.
Still, for Gardenhire, this figures to be a slog. The Tigers will be retreating for a good while, as aging assets such as Miguel Cabrera (still due $184 million) and Jordan Zimmermann ($74 million) will crimp the payroll. It seems likely Gardenhire’s greatest impact here will be on an emerging young core.
5. NEW YORK METS
Callaway will find himself in a tight spot. The Nationals have at least one potentially dominant season in them. The Atlanta Braves are bursting with top prospects. And the Phillies won’t get any worse.
So just where do the Mets fit in in the NL East, three seasons removed from a World Series appearance?
Callaway inherits a 92-loss team but should get three seasons from Jacob de Grom and four from Noah Syndergaard. And there’s no payroll commitments beyond 2020.
But the farm system, after years of steady growth, has been compromised by graduations and trades and now ranks in the middle of the pack.
It’s certainly not a bad gig. But it also seems like the Mets could be stuck in no-man’s land.