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It’s been nearly four years since a Major League Baseball team fired a manager around the midseason mark. The last time it happened was in July 2018 when the St. Louis Cardinals fired Mike Matheny after 93 games. Mike Shildt would take over on a temporary basis before later being given the full-time position; He would keep that post until the end of last season.
Teams that have made changes since then have either waited until the final weeks of the season or until the start of the offseason, presumably to minimize the organizational upheaval and distraction that comes with firing a manager. Still, unless the practice is outright banned – and why should that be? — it seems only a matter of time before a manager gets his docket before he can change his office calendar to September.
While no one wants to see another person lose their job, the possibility of being a premier league skipper is an unfortunate reality. That’s why we’ve highlighted five managers below who we think could have their seats warmer over the next few months – and who could simply oust Matheny and become the latest skipper to be canned in the summer. (Note that managers are listed in ascending order of perceived safety.)
Girardi may not have concerns about his job security, but we do. The Phillies have added too much star-level talent to find themselves on the outside and looking for another postseason. Of course, it’s not his fault he’s been handed a flawed roster, particularly on defense and the metropolitan area; However, it’s rarely a good sign when players speak openly about their team’s low energy levels, nor does it bode well for Girardi’s long-term job prospects that the Phillies made several changes to his coaching staff at the end of last season. The Phillies have been on a downtrend for about a month; If that doesn’t change soon, the identity of the person tasked with compiling statements could change.
Martinez is not too far from delivering the 2019 World Series to the Nationals. Unfortunately, he’s not too far from the end of the guaranteed portion of his contract, which ends with the 2022 season. The Nationals are one of the worst teams in the Majors, and they’re nearing turning points on several different fronts, including whether they’ll extend or trade star outfielder Juan Soto. They must make similar decisions about their Brain Trust, particularly Martinez and Executive Mike Rizzo, both of whom have option calls due by the All-Star Game. In other words, Martinez isn’t far from revealing anything about his future in DC, either
3.David Bell, Red
If the Reds were inclined to fire Bell mid-season, they probably would have done so by now. Cincinnati eventually started the season with a 3-22 record, giving the front office plenty of time to rethink things. The Reds will have to make a decision about Bell at some point in the coming months as his contract only runs until the end of next season and teams are often reluctant to put their managers in lame duck situations.
4. Don Mattingly, Marlins
Believe it or not, Mattingly is the longest-serving manager in Marlins history — and it’s not particularly close. This is his seventh year at the helm, and he could finish the season with at least 400 more games under management than anyone in franchise history. So why is he on this list? Because the last reported information about his contract let it expire at the end of the year. Perhaps the Marlins and Mattingly have an understanding; If not, it stands to reason that his days in Miami could be numbered one way or another.
5. Scott Servais, Sailors
The Mariners have been one of the major disappointments at the team level. Oftentimes, teams in this predicament make a change somewhere on the coaching staff to try and ignite a spark. We don’t expect the Mariners to fire Servais just yet — he signed a multi-year extension last September — but if things continue to go wrong for Seattle, they may have little choice.
