Gabe Kapler was fired by the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday. He becomes one of seven MLB managers fired since the end of the regular season. He joins Mickey Callaway, Clint Hurdle, Joe Maddon, Andy Green, Ned Yost, and Brad Ausmus on the unemployment line to begin the offseason. With the retirement of longtime San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy, over a quarter of the leagues, teams will be looking for a new manager.
With eight new managers for next year, 18 of the 30 MLB teams will have a manager who has spent less than three years on the job. In comparison, only nine General Managers will have less than three years on the job to start next season. Two of the managers fired this offseason, Gabe Kapler and Mickey Callaway, had only managed their teams for two years. Brad Ausmus was fired as the manager of the Los Angeles Angels after only one season in charge.
Who is safe?
As more managers are fired earlier into their tenures, the overwhelming question is becoming, is any manager safe? After the Los Angeles Dodgers exit from the playoffs in the NLDS last night, is Dave Roberts’ position safe? Will AJ Hinch’s position with the Astros remain safe if they fail to advance to the ALCS or beyond?
Now, more than ever, managers are being viewed as the scapegoat if their team struggles. Gabe Kapler was fired despite injuries to seven of his top eight relievers. Brad Ausmus took control of the team that employs Mike Trout, the best baseball player on the planet. Ausmus failed to make the playoffs as did his predecessor Mike Scioscia. Joe Maddon broke the Curse of the Billy Goat just three years ago, only to be fired the first time his Cubs team missed the playoffs.
Fair or not, managers, not GMs or Owners, are viewed as the problem. Even as some teams refuse to spend more money to improve their squads, the blame always falls on the manager. As MLB Owners and GMs look for every advantage possible for their team, managers will continue to come and go. But with seven MLB managers fired in the past week, three of whom remained in the playoff hunt into September, the question remains. Is anyone safe?
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