Team USA had begun to put together an impressive powerhouse of a lineup for the World Baseball Classic. All they needed was to figure out a coaching staff.
That process began on Friday. According to Jon Morosi, Mark DeRosa has been tabbed as the manager for Team USA in the upcoming tournament.
Mark DeRosa to lead Team USA in World Baseball Classic
DeRosa had spent parts of 16 years in the majors, primarily as a utility infielder. He was a part of six different playoff teams, although he advanced out of the first round only once. DeRosa had a solid .268/.340/.412 batting line in his 4094 plate appearances, hitting an even 100 homers and 196 doubles.
After his playing days ended, he immediately went into broadcasting, working as a studio analyst for MLB Network. He also did voice work for the MLB: The Show franchise from 2018 through 2021.
His lack of coaching experience makes him an odd choice to manage Team USA. In theory, they could have brought in someone with more experience, either as a coach or having actually managed, to run the team. While it could be a chance for DeRosa to audition for a managerial role in the majors, he is a somewhat curious choice, especially given the high expectations for the roster.
In the end, one has to wonder how much the managerial role will matter. Team USA already has an impressive roster with seven players having confirmed. Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, Pete Alonso, Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Areanado, and Trevor Story will all be part of the roster. All DeRosa will need to do is just let his stars play and handle the bullpen. And the coaching staff can handle that.
Mark DeRosa is set to manage Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Despite his lack of experience, he will have high expectations.