There are already a number of clubs looking for a new manager or heading into the offseason with an uncertain managerial situation. We take a look at which of the open gigs is the most appealing for prospective candidates.
5. Kansas City Royals
Pros
- Talented core of position players
- Easier path to postseason in AL Central
Cons
- Consistently a lower payroll team
- Struggle to develop young starting pitching
After a failed three-year marriage with Mike Matheny, it might behoove the Royals to find a younger manager for the stable of homegrown talent that will look to lead the franchise back to the postseason for the first time since 2015. This hire is the first big test for new general manager JJ Picollo after replacing longtime executive Dayton Moore.
Whoever takes over will inherit a talented group of position players. Bobby Witt Jr. looks like a future AL MVP candidate. Vinnie Pasquantino, Drew Waters, and MJ Melendez all showed flashes in 2022 and could form the next great core, similar to what the Royals had when they contended in 2014-15. The Royals also have an easier path to the postseason playing in the consistently pedestrian AL Central.
However, Kansas City needs to bolster the pitching staff. Outside of Brady Singer’s breakout campaign in 2022, the team’s young arms have failed to show much development thus far. Perhaps a new coaching staff will be able to unlock more potential from the group of Kris Bubic, Brad Keller, and Daniel Lynch.
4. Miami Marlins
Pros
- Great young starting pitchers
- Live in Miami
Cons
- Very tough division
- Questions about ownership’s desire to win
After the Marlins and longtime manager Don Mattingly agreed to part ways, a new skipper will inherit a group of young and electric starting pitchers who could form one of the best rotations in baseball as early as next season. Sandy Alcantara will likely win his first NL Cy Young after posting a 2.28 ERA over an MLB-high 228 2/3 innings in 2022. He’s under contract through at least 2026 on a team-friendly deal. Pablo Lopez is arbitration-eligible through 2024, Jesus Luzardo is under team control until 2026, and Edward Cabrera can’t test free agency until at least 2028.
Of the cities on this list, Miami is by far the most desirable place to work and live. The weather is warm year-round and there’s no state income tax in Florida. If it was just about geography, the Marlins would be No. 1 here.
But they’re not, and that’s partly because the NL East was arguably the best division in baseball this season. No other division produced two 100-win clubs, and three out of the six postseason teams in the Senior Circuit call the NL East home. The Marlins have never won the division, and they have only made the playoffs once since 2003. That lack of success can be tied to the ownership group’s wishy-washy approach to winning. Derek Jeter left the front office because he didn’t believe the group was committed to fielding the best product. Will the new manager be able to stomach not always getting the financial support to compete?
3. Texas Rangers
Pros
- Ownership prepared to spend
- No state income tax for contract purposes
- Strong veteran presence with Semien and Seager
- Emerging talent in Lowe and Heim
Cons
- Have to contend with Astros, Mariners in AL West
- Thin starting rotation
The Rangers are seeking some stability after firing manager Chris Woodward and president of baseball operations Jon Daniels. General manager Chris Young will look to put his stamp on the franchise.
The Rangers made their intentions known last offseason when they handed Corey Seager and Marcus Semien a combined $500 million. Texas also inked Jon Gray in an effort to bolster the rotation but struggled to prevent runs in 2022. The lineup looks strong entering next season with the emergence of Nathaniel Lowe, Jonah Heim, and Adolis Garcia behind Seager and Semien. The lack of state income tax in Texas should enable management to remain aggressive in adding payroll if ownership continues to approve increased spending.
But Texas will have to find a way to topple the Astros, who have owned the division for the last half-decade. The Mariners also appear to possess staying power. Whoever ends up managing the Rangers will have a hard time keeping them competitive if the franchise doesn’t make a concerted effort to bolster a rotation that was 25th in ERA and 26th in fWAR this past season.
The Rangers have some important pieces in place, and with the right moves on the pitching front, they could easily be in the thick of a pennant race as soon as next season.
2. Chicago White Sox
Pros
- Solid young core with veteran talent
- Primed for bounce-back after a tough year
- Easier path to postseason in AL Central
Cons
- Pressure to win right away
- Injury-prone stars
The White Sox are looking for a new skipper after Tony La Russa stepped down due to health concerns. The opportunity to manage a club that was just a perceived World Series contender on the heels of back-to-back trips to the playoffs doesn’t come up often. Young stars such as Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, Dylan Cease, and Michael Kopech aren’t going anywhere for a while, and the team has plenty of talented veterans to help the young core get back into the postseason.
But Chicago was one of the most disappointing clubs in the majors in 2022, finishing with a .500 record in arguably the weakest division in baseball. Injuries played a big role: Robert, Jimenez, Kopech, Lance Lynn, Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada, and Yasmani Grandal all missed significant time. It’s hard to imagine the White Sox having that much bad luck two years in a row. Good health coupled with playing in the underwhelming AL Central should be a recipe for a bounce-back campaign.
There will also be a lot of pressure on the next skipper for immediate results. Owner Jerry Reinsdorf invested a lot of money in the team; the White Sox had the seventh-highest payroll this season and they’re projected to be in the top 10 again in 2023. Chicago’s young stars are very talented, but the likes of Jimenez, Robert, Kopech, and Moncada have struggled to stay healthy . Although the managing gig is very attractive, there are some red flags.
1. Toronto Blue Jays
Pros
- Several young, established stars
- Formidable one-two punch atop rotation
- Ownership committed to a sustained winner
Cons
- Play in MLB’s most difficult division
- Young stars inching closer to free agency
- Questionable investments in pitching
It seems very likely the Blue Jays will remove manager John Schneider’s interim tag. However, GM Ross Atkins said he needs more time to review the 42-year-old’s future despite some high praise that followed the team’s memorable playoff collapse. Should Toronto decide to look elsewhere, this would easily be the most desirable managing vacancy.
Toronto has a fantastic core and the team is coming off back-to-back 90-plus-win campaigns for the first time since capturing the World Series in 1992-93. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, George Springer, Alek Manoah, Kevin Gausman, Alejandro Kirk, and Jordan Romano are either under contract or team control for years. Ownership has also given the front office the green light to add talent. Springer, Gausman, Hyun Jin Ryu, and the now-departed Marcus Semien are a few of the premium players the Blue Jays signed in recent years, while the team brought in Matt Chapman and Jose Berrios via trades.
But playing in the AL East is no easy task. The Blue Jays missed the postseason in 2021 despite 91 victories and were only a wild-card club this year. The Red Sox and Orioles will likely improve in 2023, which could mean a five-horse race for the division title. At least a more balanced schedule is good news for the AL East powerhouses.
Meanwhile, Toronto’s front office needs to look at extensions for Guerrero and Bichette, as the star duo is arbitration-eligible through 2025. The payroll will only go up from here. That’s why the money the Blue Jays spent on Ryu, Yusei Kikuchi, and potentially Berrios (if he doesn’t recapture his All-Star form) could be an issue.