The Phillies fired Gabe Kapler on Thursday, leaving them as one of eight major league teams searching for a manager at the moment. Fellow National League clubs in the Padres, Mets, Pirates, Giants and Cubs are in the same position, while the Royals and Angels are seeking new skippers in the AL. The question is: Which team has the most desirable job?
For starters, we can probably rule out the Pirates and Royals. Both teams have been hamstrung by low payrolls, with notoriously penny-pinching ownership holding back Pittsburgh and Kansas City (a team whose ownership is in transition) coming off its second 100-loss season in a row. Neither team looks as if it’ll contend in the immediate future, and the same may apply to the Giants, though they are a club with big-spending capabilities and promising president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi at the helm. On the other hand, the rest of the league’s manager-needy organizations look to have decent odds of pushing for relevance sooner than later.
The Phillies just wrapped up their eighth consecutive non-playoff season, but with 81 wins, they weren’t exactly a basement dweller. Kapler’s successor will be taking over a team with big-time talent on hand (Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto and Aaron Nola, to name a few) and the spending power to amply address its most obvious weaknesses this offseason.
Like the Phillies, the Padres have been suffering for too long. They’re fresh off their 13th straight year without a playoff berth, but they’re another team with front-line talent (Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Chris Paddack). Moreover, the Padres remain loaded on the farm, and owner Ron Fowler has made it clear it’s time to start winning in 2020.
The Mets also have no shortage of top-line players, including ace Jacob deGrom and NL Rookie of the Year favorite Pete Alonso. However, their managerial position is probably the most pressure-packed of all the openings. Previous skipper Mickey Callaway oversaw an 86-win team in 2019, but he dealt with scrutiny from the media, fans and general manager Brodie Van Wagenen from start to finish.
There’s also high expectations in Chicago, where even an exemplary record over five years wasn’t enough to keep Joe Maddon employed. The Cubs and president of baseball ops Theo Epstein gave Maddon the boot even though he helped them break a 108-year World Series drought in 2016 and led them to an overall 471-339 regular-season record with four playoff berths during his reign. But the Cubs, another financially well-off club with enviable high-end talent (Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Hendricks, for example), saw enough of Maddon after a late-season collapse and a non-playoff showing in 2019. Maddon’s replacement will be inheriting an 84-win team that will have playoff expectations for next year.
The Angels, who seem like the favorites to land Maddon next, are another franchise with a sense of urgency to win in 2020. Despite the presence of the game’s best player, center fielder Mike Trout, they haven’t gone to the playoffs since 2014. The Halos haven’t even won a playoff game since October 2009, just a few months after drafting Trout. With fourth-year general manager Billy Eppler set to enter the last season of his contract in 2020, it’s imperative for him to get this hire right (his previous selection of Brad Ausmus didn’t work out). Otherwise, he and the Angels’ next manager could be out a year from now.
That’s a basic overview of where the sport’s manager-less teams stand heading into the offseason. There are more factors you could consider, of course. Which job looks the most appealing to you?
(Poll link for app users)
Oops picked Angels but meant Phillies oh well
Joe Maddon…?
Padres.
Imagine thinking Mets or Padres, oof. Two worst, most volatile front offices in the game.
Tatis for shields – Paddack for Rodney ya Padres are the worst FO in the game . Lmao cmon
Rizzo for Cashner.
Matt Bush instead of Verlander.
I think to get the puds going, they need to fire Bud Black.
Those were under both the previous ownership group and previous front office
Fire bud black ?
Get over the Shields for Tatis Jr trade. At the time of the trade Tatis wasn’t even on the top 100 MLB minors league or the White Sox top 30 minor league lists.
If Preller was smart he would have never signed Shields and just outbid the White Sox for Tatis in the first place
Enjoy Tatis while you can. He won’t be around long with all that flopping around to field ground balls.
Lmao you still bitter we stole him from you guys
Padres are on the cusp. They need the right manager and some legit veteran arms. A lefty hitting outfielder wouldn’t hurt.
The team that perpetually spends all their money on busts?
Dodgers
Dodgers? Did they fire Roberts and I missed that news?
Firing Roberts would be a mistake. Under Roberts, the Dodgers have won four division titles and back-to-back World Series berths.
That is consistency any of these other teams would gladly take.
The current Dodgers remind me of the Bobby Cox era Braves. Cox was a FINE regular season manager, but the Braves needed a different human at the helm in the postseason.
Now THAT would be a progressive front office, one that hires a manager ONLY for post-season play.
If a guy is a great regular season manager but a bad postseason manager, it means he’s a bad manager who inherited a stacked roster.
Or that his front office gave him another suspect bullpen.
Dodgers glad they held onto “prospects “ now?
You play the game to win World Series.
What is getting your first World Series Championship since 1988 worth?
Prospects.. Prospects..
You play the game to make money for ownership. The WS certainly helps that but tend need cheap young labor to keep pockets lined at the top.
If you were a part owner of the Dodgers, you’d be singing a different tune. The Dodgers are owned by an investment group. The goal is profit, not a World Series. A consistent winner with a manageable payroll is a cash cow in LA. I don’t like it, but that’s how it is.
Firing Roberts and hiring Maddon would be a massive, massive gain.
@Mattimeo09
I agree. I just couldn’t figure why anyone would say Dodgers at this point in time.
White Sox hitting coach
All the young pitching the Padres have to go along with a pretty solid young-ish core is nice. The ballpark is beautiful, the city is great.
Outside of facing the Dodgers unlimited payroll, it is ideal.
Lots of good points, but I’m not sure I would trust Preller. He’s been a not-so-good GM, and I can’t help but feel Greene was scapegoated for Preller’s failings.
Explain not-so-good-GM. He created the best farm system out of nothing. While it has t shown in wins yet, I think a lot of teams would like to be in the Padres position. Also, Padres fans had plenty of complaints about Greene. He was not just a scapegoat.
I think I can explain from a non-Padre fan… Crap contracts to Myers and Hosmer who they are definitely stuck with for the next few years, giving Manny $300 million was excessive, his farm has not’ really churned out the prospects everyone thought. Sure he has Tatis but has anyone in the outfield really shined yet? Their pitching prospects are okay, but nobody there is lighting the world on fire yet. Maybe next season? I think I heard that last year.
He’s clearly on the hot seat. His owner said this directly to the media. This team wasn’t supposed be dead last for the umpteenth time. They haven’t taken that next step.
Most of the prospects from his farm are still a year or two away. They haven’t really had the chance to “pan out” just yet. Only thing I’m really disappointed with as far the farm goes is the 2016 international signing spree. Not a single one of the guys who got big signing bonuses looks like they will provide surplus value on that investment. The gem of that splurge now looks to be Luis Patiño, who only signed for (I believe) $300k.
A GM that signs Eric Hosmer to that contract is good? People talk about the Belt contract as bad, but Hosmer’s is twice as bad. How smart was it to spend such a huge proportion of a team’s assets on one guy like Macahado?
Yeah, they have interesting prospects, but there’s no guarantee any will be much more than MLB average. They aren’t going to win much until they get better pitching. That great farm system,. which should have translated to improvement this season, still finished last in the NLW, with the 3rd worst record in the NL. Do you really think Preller has been better than not-so-good?
Remember, he cooked the books on the deal with Boston. I can’t think he’s someone viewed as honest or trustworthy.
“giving Manny $300 million was excessive”
White Sox offer $250 million guaranteed with easily reachable incentives to take it over $300 million and they’re considered cheap.
Make up your minds people!
@jekporkins
Paddack is pretty dang good. Lamet is good when healthy. Lots still coming in, as they have the most prospect depth in baseball. Let’s wait and see.
More like Dombrowski cooked the books on the deal with SD. How many pitches has Anderson Espinoza thrown in an actual game the past 3 years?
If those incentives the White Sox were offering were so easily reachable why didn’t they just guarantee $300m from the start?
Again, that’s what I heard last year.
To protect themselves in case of an injury.
And don’t forget to play the “great weather”card, the ultimate fall back for a bad sports town.
San Francisco is in my opinion the best combination of Stability, somewhat competitive, big budgets and a smart GM. Phillies, Padres and Angels could all see their GM gone if they disappoint next season and it’s not uncommon for a manager to be replaced by the replacement.
Mets and Cubs have good cases too but the extreme scrutiny in those places and the unrealistic at times expectations would turn me at least away.
I agree, except about the Mets. Not sure that working for the Wilpons and BVW is all that desirable. The Giants have had only 4 managers since 1986. I would have to believe that whoever takes that job will still be around when they’re good again.
I think that is because they had some horrid GM/FO types. Bobby Evans was 10 times better Spec Richardson. Evans left Farhan with some minor league talent to work with.
It would be a great place for anyone looking to grow with a team. They have some promising young talent led by Bart. Sabean is back to doing what he does best, finding young pitchers. For a team that is willing to spend on players, they have a lot of money coming off the books.
San Francisco is going to stink for the next couple of years. The Dodgers aren’t going anywhere, the Diamondbacks are young and the Padres are loaded with quality young players. What do the Giants have right now? They are more likely to go young or bring in a caretaker Manager.
The Giants didn’t stink this year in my world.
They got third place and everyone predicted last. They have a team in transition, but for 2020 they only have $111,432,777 in salaries before arbitration. The following season is less than $100 million.
They have stocked the farm, going from dead last to middle of the pack in one season. They have four top prospects cruising through the system, and Bart and Ramos will without a doubt be up by September.
They also have an ownership team that is willing to pull out a checkbook at the slightest blink of an eye. Their GM/President has been a godsend thus far.
I’m totally biased as a Giants fan, but I am excited for next year and especially 2021.
Giants are coming back, and sooner than many think. They’ve laid the groundwork with a smart new FO. Farhan will put it together.
Refused to trade Bumgarner and Smith and are now about to watch them leave for…
Wait for it…
NOTHING!
Pretty sure they get a compensatory pick.
… which is much less than they could have gotten by trading Bumgarner at the deadline.
@tieran711, I agree with you on the Giants. stability, smart president, money, let’s see what he brings in player wise this winter to help the club. Bring back Dusty Baker to manage.
What? The San Francisco Giants job is one of the worst gigs. This franchise is in the beginning stages of a massive organizational rebuild. Which means who ever comes in will lose a lot games in the next 3 years. Risky for a field manger. Philadelphia, Chicago, New York , Anaheim and San Diego are way better jobs and subsequently will get the top tier candidates. The Giants gig is a bottom tier job
You are delusional. SF is one of the wealthiest teams in baseball, and unlike some other teams with wealthy owners, the Giants are willing to spend, and spend beyond the luxury tax level if need be.
“Risky for a field manger.”? Unlike teams like Philadelphia, NY, and SD, the Giants don’t scapegoat managers. They have had only 4 managers since 1986, so whomever takes that gig will probably still be around when they are good again. If you knew anything about history you would know the SF managers job is one of the most stable jobs in baseball.
They are absolutely not “in the beginning stages of a massive organizational rebuild.”They do not rebuild. They have been retooling for 2 years now, and have greatly improved the farm system. They have money coming off the books and are not far from some vets retiring or moving on.
Your post smacks of some personal animus you seem to have for the Giants. I’m guessing they eliminated/defeated your favorite team in a PS playoff or WS and it’s clouding your objectivity.
You sound like a Fool…retooling for 2 yrs huh?. The Giants are in fact rebuilding and are clearly 3-4 years away from even being relevant. Their farm system , while slightly improved is still weak. The 25 roster is a mess of old broken down overpaid players. As far as your insinuation that there is some sort of potential job security in SF , what is that based on ? Past hires? Farhan Zaidi hires and fires now. Who knows what job security if any is there. Lastly ,my team plays tomorrow. What were you babbling about my team being defeated ,Your guess is wrong. Im a card carrying Yankee fan from New Jersey. And I stand by what I wrote earlier. Outta the 8 available MLB managerial jobs , the Giants job is a lower tier job. New guy will lose a bunch of games for the next 2 maybe 3 years. Cranky self entitled Veterans who can’t play anymore and a FO that is doing a massive organizational rebuild.
Can’t believe KC isn’t top 3….
Well, maybe if you like fountains. And BBQ.
The fans are so passionate, but the Front Office’s complete reliance on the farm system is not ideal for a manager.
One of the best for job security. Dayton Moore is extremely optimistic and loyal sometime to a fault.
I’m very optimistic about the future for the Royals because of the two Pitching prospects that made it to AA this year, one year after they were drafted : Kowar and singer (And singer didn’t even pitch in the minors last year. They basically let him take the summer off due to dealing with the nagging hamstring injury + All the work he had put in during his year with Florida as their ace). Kowar pitched with Lexington & helped them win a championship. another two of 2018’s draft picks, Lynch and , Helped Wilmington win a championship this year.
I’d also rather have a roster of homegrown players (Including pitching) then have an aging rotation with pitching from other teams. Though, sometimes you do get lucky & a rule 5 draft choice becomes good & worth keeping ( brad keller) But that’s the exception.
Agree. A new manager is looking to be around at least 5 years unless a total collapse happens, and if the playoffs happens a few times (minors look exciting) we could be looking at a manager who could stay for over 10 years. Job security for sure.
Yeah, that dumpster fire they call the ownership/FO for the Mets makes that managing job real desirable..
If it’s about job security, and you want owners that are into a lot turnover for the manager. you could do a lot worse than the Royals, Giants, or Cubs. Not sure I would trust teams like the Phillies, or Angels that fire their guys after 1 or 2 seasons. If Ausmus was that bad, why did they hire him in the first place?
Because their crystal ball was a little clouded that day? I seriously doubt they hired him because they didn’t think he could do the job…
@HubcapDiamondStarHalo
Hey it’s not like Ausmus had never managed before. If they didn’t know what Ausmus was all about shame on them. No, it wasn’t that they thought he couldn’t do the job, it’s that they want the new shiny object on the market, Maddon.
Remember this poll is about the most desirable managing situation. If Moreno wants to fire Ausmus just so he can hire Maddon, that’s his right. I just wouldn’t call that a desirable situation, especially for a guy like Ausmus.
The Angels fired a guy after one season who replaced the previous manager who held the position for 19 years. Ausmus was fired after one year because Arte Moreno was getting tired of losing and they knew that Maddon would be available.
So do you want to work for a guy, that fires someone after 1 season, because he hopes to land the big name guy? I guess if you’re Joe Maddon it’s a good team to go to, but the poll wasn’t couched in terms of, ‘if you were Joe Maddon’. It’s kind of like the girlfriend that dumps a guy as soon as someone she perceives as better comes along. Not what I would call “desirable” for the average guy that wants to manage.
Well maybe that makes sense if you interpret the poll question as asking which position may lead to the most longevity. But I think no MLB manager worth his salt will have job security as a primary concern. These guys are high achievers/risk takers who are all aiming for a World Series title.
That is the most sensible interpretation of the poll question here – what is the most desirable situation as far as potential for achieving a WS win in the next “x” number of years.
How did you infer that it was only about longevity? It’s definitely about the WS win, but you stand a much better chance at winning a WS, if you don’t have an impatient owner firing you after 1 or 2 seasons. Potential longevity is an important consideration.
What I’ve been saying is stability is desirable along with several other factors like ownership’s willingness to spend, and how good the FO has performed
The factors involved are actually many and complex. For instince I don’t see working for the Wilpons and BVW as desirable at all, especially after seeing the transactions of BVW. Likewise for Preller in SD.
But again, If it’s between still being around as, say, the Giant’s manager after 5 years, when they might be good enough to get to the WS, versus a job with an impatient owner that might fire me after 2 seasons because I didn’t win the WS, I think the Giant’s job is more desirable. You may feel differently, but whatever.
The Cubs and Phillies can probably outspend them, but Padres have the best outlook with controllable, young talent and a loaded farm.
Cubs Phils Pads is cartainly my top 3. all have had less than stallar GMing the last few years, but each is just a few moves from being very good (with the added caveat that i mean in a year or two in SD’s case)
“There’s also high expectations” is a pretty bad grammatical problem
Duly noted but I’m not hatin’.
I really hope the Royals pick Carlos Beltran as their next manager. I’m not sure he’d be interested in a rebuilding team though.
probably not, but I wonder how well he would manage a bullpen…The royals bullpen was a huge problem this year & managing it better would have Made a difference between 59 wins and say…getting 4 more wins.
Ozzie G. to the Angels. There’s your spark.
giuliani as your dinner guest!
angels all the way!
100% agree. A front row seat to watch a few years of Mike Trout everyday? Sign me up.
Dodgers should drop Dave Roberts. What a bonehead
Who the hell thinks the Padres is the best? They are a mess.
Pirates, Mets and Padres should be the bottom 3 and not even close. How is anyone voting for them??? Insanity.
Padres will make it back to the postseason before the Royals or Giants do.
The Padres are the Padres. They will circle the drain for nine out of ten years, then have one or two magical seasons where they run up to first or second in the division, but it won’t last and they go back to the cellar. Don’t believe me? Go look at their win/loss record for the last thirty years. It’s in the water.
pirates picker
Saying the Padres will make it before the Royals or Giants isn’t saying much. They are all miles away.
Mess? Because you hate them? How can you not look at that organization and see massive potential?
Dodgers.
The Mets should Interview their Triple A manager Tony DeFrancesco. He had a lot of these guys in the last two years at Las Vegas and Syracuse, has a lot of experience managing baseball especially at the AAA level (which Mickey Callaway obviously didn’t) and managed a lot of talent from the A’s AAA teams and the Astros AAA teams. He carries a .554 lifetime winning percentage over 14 seasons managing at that level. He’s managed Kiki Hernandez, Josh Donaldson, Carlos Correa, Yuli Gurriel, Alex Bregman, Jeff McNeil, Pete Alonso, and on and on. My guess is he would be inexpensive enough for the Wilpons. I don’t understand how if the Mets want to make a splash they would consider Mike Bell and Carlos Beltran who haven’t even coached first base at the big league level. That would be a belly flop, in my opinion, without talking to Tony D who is a naturally born New Yorker,and a hell of a manager.
I wish the Mets would give Wally Backman a shot. I love that guy.
If you haven’t seen it, look at “Playing for Peanuts” on YouTube.
Padres, you get to live for 5 years in San Diego until you get fired.
Face it, managers get fired everywhere now, you may as well enjoy your home for your stay.
When there’s nothing to offer but the weather, there’s nothing to offer.
How on gods green earth are the cubs number 1 in the poll? No money to spend according to ownership and holes all over the roster. A middling farm and albatross contracts. They will not be able to keep either of the bb’s. Enjoy another 108 years till your next title.
Agreed. That is a bad vice grip of a situation to be in. Budget already at max, a lot of money owed to players on the wrong side of 30, cost controlled players headed for high arb payouts and nearing free agency, and farm system not ready to plug the holes. Tough days for Cubs decision makers ahead.
The Cubs still have a ton of talent on their roster and were a late season collapse away from a playoff berth. You can take the Padres if you want, but the team with the best shot on this list of reaching the playoffs in 2020 is the Chicago Cubs. The Phillies or the Mets I suppose have a decent shot of stealing a WC depending on what happens with Rendon and Stras. But I can certainly see why people would vote for Chicago. You could do some interesting things with that team.
I guess because Farhan Zaidi came from the Dodgers who have swung and missed in the playoffs the last 7 years and before that the A’s who haven’t advanced in 11 plus years he is a “ Promising CEO”. Wow is this the same guy who stood pat at the trade dead line with Mad Bum and Harris? Yes he is very promising. I guess when you have those credentials you don’t need worry.
Who is Harris?
All that can be expected from the guy running the FO is to field a competitive team. Managers, and luck play roles. And players have to make plays. Plus the GM not only targets the guys he wants, but there’s no guarantee he’ll have success landing them. How many teams will be interested in signing Cole, and how many will actually get him?
But if a team is competitive year after year, like the Dodgers, that’s success for a FO. Nothing more can be asked
@crazylarry That’s one way of putting it. Another is he took a low-salary team like the A’s and turned them into contenders for a decade. He then went to LA and turned them into consistent playoff teams for seven years.
I would say the Phillies because of their core and deep pockets but they are such a mess and have an owner who appears to not have much of an idea what he’s doing. Gotta be the Cubs.
On the other hand, the owner (or managing partner) may be the only one who knows what he’s doing.
Maybe. But it’s hard to agree with that given how big of a circus the firing became and the fact that the GM and president still have jobs
least desirable place to manage: Milwaukee
Ace Degrom?
He only won 11 games!
(commence shooting
arrows at me).
Desirability is a tricky word. It all depends on what you are looking for in a job.
Are you looking for the best chance to win a division immediately? That’s probably the Phillies.
Are you looking for stability with regards to your employer? That’s probably the Giants, they’ve never had much manager turnover.
Are you looking for the high risk / high reward of a big time farm system? That’s probably the Padres.
Are you looking for a safe job without a lot of pressure? That’s probably the Royals.
Are you looking for the most overall talent? That’s probably the Cubs.
Are you looking for simply the biggest market? That’s probably the Mets.
Are you looking for simply the biggest market on the West Coast? That’s probably the Angels.
Are you looking for the hardest job available to test yourself? That’s probably the Pirates.
So it could really be any of them.
I didn’t even know the Royals had an opening… haha?
The Mets have the best starting pitching of the jobs open. The Padres have the best young talent. I’m not sure how desirable the Cubs job is because I’m not sure which direction the front office is going to go. Their lineup has issues & their bullpen is a mess. If they decide to trade Bryant or Baez, that makes the job less desirable
The padres MIGHT have the best young talent. And remember, even if they do have some talent that pans out, they finished dead last and have a long way to go.
I voted Angels. You’re inheriting Trout and Ohtani, and you’ve got an owner that spends. If you’re confident in your abilities, you’re not looking at the previous guys tenure here. Ausmus was only let go it seems because they’re gaga for Maddon.
KC, SF, SD and Chicago are all decent gigs.
PHI, NYM and PITT though? Not the most appealing.
Would not have said Giants last year but they have Money,New Young Players that established themselves and coming up soon,some older guys who are going to be ushered out and a Stable Hierarchy and Fans who show up. Cubs next because who can lose with that Lineup? Oh Maddon can,that’s right
Their lineup has been crap for two years going.
This is crazy talk. The Giants job is awful. They’re in the middle of a massive rebuild. Whoever takes that job is gonna lose a lot of games in the next 3 years. They are 4-5 years away from being relevant. Why would someone take that job when they could take a job w/ the Cubs, Phillies, Mets or Angels?
“Why would someone take that job when they could take a job w/ the Cubs, Phillies, Mets or Angels?”
Because in 4 years, when in your words they could be relevant, you would probably still have a job. Take the job with the Phillies, Mets or Angels, and you’re 2, or 3 years out of job if you haven’t gotten to the WS. If you want to win a WS, a stable job situation is your best bet.
The Cubs job I could see. Stable, with talent currently on the roster in a great city.
The Mets have to be one of the most undesirable situations. The Wilpons won’t spend money. And then you’re working for a front FO run by guy getting on-the-job training. Do you want to work for a guy who’s most questionable acquisition was Kevin Pillar, or the guy that traded Kelenic for Cano?
cubs are kinda over, and due for a major rebuild/overhaul. Also, Theo’s lack of loyalty to managers has to be a red flag. If he cans Maddon, who did nothing but win, what hope does anyone have of keeping the job? It’s a no-win situation at Wrigley.
I think a lot of Cubs fans are voting in favor of the Cubs job. From a non-Cubs fan, I don’t think that opening is particularly appealing. The expectations are going to be ridiculously hard to live up to, and their cheap, young core isn’t going to be cheap and young very much longer.
I’m sure a lot of Mets’ fans are voting the Mets’ job, Phillies’ fans voting the Phillies’ job, and so on, I think too many fans are thinking too narrowly as well, Such as focusing heavily on the potential of prospects and short range evaluations, while ignoring issues like stability, FO efficacy, and team spending. And I don’t see expectations as a huge negative.
Though not a Cubs fan, I see the Cubs job as more desirable than most. It has been stable. They haven’t fired guys after 1 or 2 years. Though Theo has had his missteps, which GM hasn’t? he took 2 different teams to WS wins. There is a lot of talent on the roster now. I don’t see them winning the WS in the next year or 2, but I think they’ve got a better chance than teams like the Mets, Padres, Giants, and Angels.
The Padres, by far, have the best intangibles for any potential manager – a laid back fan base and local media, the best city in the MLB to live in, a top 3 stadium (including player/manager amenities), and an ownership that is pretty invested in winning. The line up is a glass half full/half empty proposition though – obviously they were not very good in ’19, but on the flip side, their was a lot of guys playing substantially below their ability level, and a lot of first and second year players showing a great deal of volatility. A few sensible additions, and a manager that can get the best out of (at least most of) his players, and the team could be very competitive in ’20 – and has several waves of talented reinforcements coming up through the minors for years after.
I’m not saying it’s the *best* overall landing spot, but I could see it being number one on a number of managers’ lists, for guys that hate the media circus that comes with LA, Chicago or New York.
The pirates are in an interesting off-season. They have a chance for a reset. They were a team decimated by injuries last season and had coaches that were not very quick to change philosophies with current trends. Those coaches have been removed and they kept the new hitting coaches that seemed to be making some positive changes for some of the hitters there. If the pirates are hoping to bring the fans back they really need to take the new TV contract they signed and inject that money into payroll…hard to compete with a 75-80 mil. payroll.
The Phillies are following the dysfunctional path of the Orioles. They have a general manager in name only and the owner makes the decisions. Showalter would fit right in to that mix. He has years of experience in a screwed up organization.