MLB: 3 managers that should be on the hot seat
With two and a half months in the books, MLB teams are starting to realize who they are. The playoff contenders and the bottom dwellers are starting to consider putting out the ‘For Sale’ signs. Teams in the middle will be looking at the next few weeks as they determine their direction for the rest of the year.
It is also the time of year when managers start to end up on the hot seat. Teams that had high expectations that are not meeting their projections are going to start to look to make changes. Teams in the basement may look to another voice, especially if the manager has been at the helm for an extended period of time.
Three MLB managers that should be on the hot seat
Those changes may typically occur at the end of the year, but that does not mean that a manager or three will not be fired during the regular season. If those teams do not turn their seasons around, pink slips could be in the future.
Let’s take a look at three MLB managers that should be on the hot seat.
Aaron Boone
Aaron Boone has seemingly been immune from the hot seat, but that may change this season.
Although the New York Yankees were a flawed team heading into the season, expectations remained high. The Yankees were expected to be a playoff team, contending for a spot in the postseason no matter what issues the team may have. With a lineup that has the potential to be as fearsome as any in MLB, a true ace in Gerrit Cole, and what was expected to be a strong bullpen, anything less than a playoff spot would be a failure.
Right now, that is what the Yankees are staring down. They would be out of the postseason if the playoff started, doomed by a lineup that has not hit for much of the season and a starting rotation that has disappointed. Although it is difficult to lay those failures upon Boone, he has done nothing to inspire the confidence that he will turn the season around.
Changes could be coming if the New York Yankees miss the postseason. Those changes could begin on the bench, where Aaron Boone’s seat is getting hotter.
Charlie Montoyo
On the positive side, the Toronto Blue Jays ended their five game losing streak on Saturday. However, the way they did so does not inspire much confidence.
After reaching the postseason in 2020, this was supposed to be the season that the Blue Jays took that next step forward. Their young lineup had gained valuable experience even if they were swept in the Wild Card round. The pitching staff was supposed to take a step forward, especially with their pitching prospects being ready to contribute. The Blue Jays were supposed to put MLB on notice that they were not going away.
But that has not been the case as the Blue Jays find themselves under .500 and are fading in the AL East. The lineup has taken that step forward that everyone envisioned, but the rotation and bullpen have taken a major step back. Those struggles may come down on the head of manager Charlie Montoyo.
Montoyo is in a tough spot. He has the respect of the clubhouse and there is a great deal of communication between he and the players. And Montoyo can only send out the arms that he has. But the Blue Jays’ disappointing 2021 season may come down on him before the end of the year.
The Toronto Blue Jays were expected to compete in 2021. If they remain under .500, Charlie Montoyo may join the ranks of the unemployed.
Torey Lovullo
The Arizona Diamondbacks appeared to enter the 2021 season in MLB’s No Man’s Land. They clearly were not good enough to contend in the NL West, but they also did not appear to be one of the worst teams in MLB. It seemed as though they would hover around .500, a team without much of a direction.
Instead, the Diamondbacks have been the worst team in baseball. They are 20-52, 26 games out of first already. They are also ten games behind the Rockies, a team that was expected to be the worst team in the majors. The Diamondbacks have already set the MLB record for the most consecutive losses on the road, and given how tough the NL West has been, that streak may not end soon.
Torey Lovullo has had some success with the Diamondbacks. The franchise finished over .500 in each of his first three seasons, reaching the playoffs in 2017. Given the pandemic shortened season in 2020, the team’s struggles that year could be overlooked. But that is not the case this season.
It would be one thing if the Diamondbacks were in fourth, a bit below .500 as they struggled in a division that could end up with three playoff teams. But the fact that they are the worst team in the game, are that far behind the dysfunctional Rockies, and have been historically dismal on the road is not going Lovullo any favors.
Torey Lovullo has to be the favorite to be the first manager fired this season. His hot seat is only going to get hotter as the losses pile up.