With the 2019 season winding down, teams already out of the postseason picture are planning for next season. But a very few are also considering whether to make a change in the dugout and start searching for a new manager. The San Diego Padres have gotten things started with a little more than a week left in the regular season by firing Andy Green after almost four years as their field manager.
In the wake of this move, we asked ESPN.com's David Schoenfield and Bradford Doolittle for their evaluations of what's going on in San Diego, which other managers might get the ax and who they think are some of the best available candidates for the Padres' job -- or any others that come up in the next few weeks.
Why do you think the Padres fired Green now?
Schoenfield: The Padres' three highest-paid players are Manny Machado, Eric Hosmer and Wil Myers. Machado and Hosmer are being paid superstar money. Machado has a 106 OPS+ and leads the National League in grounding into double plays. Hosmer has a 98 OPS+. Myers has a 95 OPS+. Alas, you can't fire Machado, Hosmer and Myers, so goodbye, Andy Green.
Doolittle: Ultimately, things were trending the wrong direction for a team that has spent a lot of money to flip from rebuilding to contention. The Padres were .500 at the All-Star break; they're 16 under since and lately just haven't been very competitive. Plus, I suspect the Padres see some interesting managerial candidates becoming available in the next week or two.
Who will be the next Padres manager?
Schoenfield: We've been hearing about all this San Diego talent for several years now and finally saw some of it shine in the majors in 2019, most notably with Fernando Tatis Jr. and Chris Paddack. But the Padres clearly think the development time is over and it's now time to start winning. So it wouldn't surprise me to see them go after a "proven" winner like Joe Girardi or Joe Maddon. Otherwise, look for them to raid somebody from a winning organization -- like Astros bench coach Joe Espada or Yankees bench coach Josh Bard. Raul Ibanez, currently a special assistant for the Dodgers, is a former player often pegged as a future manager.
Doolittle: If all those folks already shoveling dirt on Maddon in Chicago are correct, he's got to be the guy, right? Think of the 2019 Padres as the 2014 Cubs, and isn't that the perfect situation for Maddon to step into? He would raise the profile of the entire organization and generate buzz at just the moment when the Padres are ready to move to the next level.
Which other managers are on the hot seat heading into the final week?
Schoenfield: Obviously, Maddon tops the list, especially as the Cubs continue to falter down the stretch. Marlins manager Don Mattingly had appeared to be on the list -- even he suggested his tenure in Miami might be over -- but Derek Jeter just gave him a contract extension. It has been a complete disaster of a season for the Pirates for many reasons, so they might replace Clint Hurdle. Gabe Kapler has been unable to get the Phillies over the hump and he might end up being the fall guy for a disappointing non-playoff season there.
Doolittle: Maddon, Hurdle, Kapler and the Mets' Mickey Callaway. Possibly Scott Servais of the Mariners, though he just got an extension last year.
Who is one person you want to see get a managing job this offseason?
Schoenfield: Ibanez certainly was one of the most respected, likable players in the game and will no doubt get an opportunity to manage at some point if he wants it. Espada is the kind of baseball lifer you would love to see get the chance to manage. The Puerto Rico native spent 10 years playing in the minor leagues and subsequently coached in the minors, served as a pro scout, was third-base coach for the Marlins for four years, has managed in winter ball and now sits alongside AJ Hinch in Houston. He's paid his dues.
Doolittle: I have long thought that Manny Acta deserves another shot at a managing gig. Smart, creative, a good communicator, solid experience. He can handle the media end of things. He's a very steadying influence in a clubhouse, one who could work with either a rebuilding roster or a win-now team looking for a new voice.