Which teams, front offices and managers are feeling the most pressure? Insiders are participating
As the February sun shines down on all of baseball and the rankings show everyone is undefeated, it’s easy to melt into a zen state of spring training nirvana. But there is one question in our annual spring survey that brings us back to life. That’s the part where we ask our voters – a panel of 31 executives, former executives, coaches and scouts – which teams, front offices and managers are feeling the most pressure. As always, they had some thoughts!
BRIAN CASHMAN, AARON BOONE AND THE YANKEES (16 VOTES): Does it sometimes feel like Brian Cashman has been the Yankees general manager since the days of Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford? In reality it has only been 26 years. But in the final fourteen, the Yankees forgot to do the one thing they’ve done more than any franchise ever: win the World Series. So if this vote reveals anything, it’s that Cashman and his manager, Aaron Boone, may want to reroute the path to the Canyon of Heroes because their job security could depend on it. … “I love Cash,” said a National League executive. “He’s been there longer than anyone else. But that team will have to make a statement.”
OLIVER MARMOL AND THE CARDINALS (12 VOTES): The good news for the Cardinals: Our voters had mostly good things to say about an offseason that saw them add Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson to their rotation – and add depth to their bullpen with Andrew Kittredge and Keynan Middleton. … The bad news for the Cardinals: Their entire rotation could be 33 or older — and we heard a lot of concerns about their manager, Oli Marmol, and his ability to navigate the storms of this ship. … “They would be at the top of my list of teams most likely to make a change (of managers),” said a rival NL manager. “I would just say this: Don’t sleep on the job Yadi (Molina) did as manager (Puerto Rico) in the Caribbean Series.”
AJ PRELLER/FRONT OFFICE ADDRESS (10 VOTES): Last year, a rival executive on this same turf made a bold prediction: If the Padres don’t win their division, in a season when the Dodgers were in such obvious reshuffling mode, “it’s going to be an exciting time. ” Well… maybe not. The Padres increased the payroll to $255 million, replenished the lineup and still played 18 games behind the Dodgers. But even after that debris settled, Preller’s head hadn’t rolled anywhere. But now the stakes seem even higher. The Padres missed that window to take on the Dodgers… beloved owner Peter Seidler lost his battle with cancer… they cut payroll by almost $100 million… and Juan Soto is 2,500 miles from the Gaslamp Quarter. So our voters sent a message that it’s time for Preller to get very nervous. … “They spent all that money,” said an American League executive. “And what do they have to show for it?”
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Four other teams are feeling the heat
Busy? Dave Roberts looks calm, cool and collected this spring. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA Today)
They didn’t make it into the medal standings. But these four teams also caught the attention of some voters.
DAVE ROBERTS/DODGERS (FIVE VOICES): When your team spends over a billion dollars on free agents, so does the manager to have to win? Five voters highly recommend that for Dave Roberts in Chavez Ravine. One voter’s opinion:
“They have to get to the World Series or they can make a change.”
FARHAN ZAIDI/GIANS (FOUR VOICES): Are the Giants starting to feel like your fisherman buddy who can’t stop telling you about the size of all the big fish he catches? it didn’t roll in? It seems like it sometimes, every time another standout wriggles out of their net.
So there were obvious questions about whether this team’s lack of star power could catch up with president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi.
PERRY MINASIAN/ENGLISH (FOUR VOICES): It’s hard to see how it’s fair to pin the Angels’ problems on their GM, Perry Minasian, given all the dysfunction emanating from the owner’s box. But four voters thought Minasian could pay the price after all.
JOHN SCHNEIDER/BLUE JAYS LEADERSHIP (FOUR VOICES): And finally, there are the Blue Jays. The good news is that they have made the playoffs two years in a row under their extremely likable manager, John Schneider. The bad news is that they have been dismissed twice without winning a game.
The good news is that they pursued both Shohei Ohtani and Soto this past winter. The bad news is that their entire offseason has turned into a huge swing-and-miss.
So the pressure is real. And our voters were split on who squirmed more: Schneider or this front office. But if a frustrating winter leads to a frustrating summer, we might find out.
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(Photo of Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman: William Perlman/Newsday RM via Getty Images)