Because the February sunshine beams down on all of baseball, and the standings say that everybody is undefeated, it’s simple to soften right into a zen state of spring coaching nirvana. However there’s one query in our annual spring survey that jolts us again to life. That’s the half the place we ask our voters — a panel of 31 executives, former executives, coaches and scouts — which groups, entrance places of work and managers are feeling probably the most strain. As all the time, that they had some ideas!
BRIAN CASHMAN, AARON BOONE AND THE YANKEES (16 VOTES): Does it typically really feel as if Brian Cashman has been the overall supervisor of the Yankees for the reason that days of Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford? In fact, it’s solely been 26 years. However within the final 14 of them, the Yankees forgot to do this factor they’ve achieved greater than any franchise ever: Win the World Sequence. So if this vote reveals something, it’s that Cashman and his supervisor, Aaron Boone, would possibly wish to re-route the trail to the Canyon of Heroes, as a result of their job safety would possibly depend upon it. … “I really like Money,” mentioned one Nationwide League exec. “He’s been there longer than anyone. However that group goes to should make an announcement.”
OLIVER MARMOL AND THE CARDINALS (12 VOTES): The excellent news for the Cardinals: Our voters had largely good issues to say about an offseason through which they added Sonny Grey, Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson to their rotation — and added depth to their bullpen with Andrew Kittredge and Keynan Middleton. … The unhealthy information for the Cardinals: Their total rotation is likely to be 33 or older — and we heard a number of concern about their supervisor, Oli Marmol, and his means to navigate this vessel’s storms. … “They’d be on the high of my listing of groups most definitely to make a change (of supervisor),” mentioned a rival NL exec. “I’d simply say this: Don’t fall asleep on the job Yadi (Molina) did managing (Puerto Rico) within the Caribbean Sequence.”
A.J. PRELLER/ PADRES FRONT OFFICE (10 VOTES): Final yr, on this exact same area, one rival exec made a daring prediction: If the Padres didn’t win their division, in a season when the Dodgers have been in such an apparent retooling mode, “it will likely be head-rolling time.” Effectively … possibly not. The Padres revved up the payroll to $255 million, loaded up the lineup and nonetheless completed 18 video games again of the Dodgers. But even after that particles settled, Preller’s head hadn’t rolled anyplace. However now the stakes appear even greater. The Padres missed that window to run down the Dodgers … beloved proprietor Peter Seidler misplaced his battle with most cancers … they’re slashing payroll by practically $100 million … and Juan Soto is 3,000 miles from the Gaslamp Quarter. So our voters despatched a message that it’s time for Preller to get verrryyy nervous. … “They spent all that cash,” mentioned one American League exec. “And what have they got to point out for it?”
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They didn’t make it to the medal stand. However these 4 groups additionally received the eye of a bunch of voters.
DAVE ROBERTS/DODGERS (FIVE VOTES): When your group shells out greater than a billion {dollars} on free brokers, does the supervisor have to win? 5 voters suggest that extremely for Dave Roberts in Chavez Ravine. One voter’s take:
“They should go to the World Sequence or they might make a change.”
FARHAN ZAIDI/GIANTS (FOUR VOTES): Are the Giants beginning to really feel like your buddy the fisherman, who can’t cease telling you in regards to the dimension of all the massive fish he didn’t reel in? Looks like it typically, each time one other free-agent luminary wriggles out of their web.
So there have been particular questions on whether or not this group’s lack of star energy might meet up with its president of baseball ops, Farhan Zaidi.
PERRY MINASIAN/ANGELS (FOUR VOTES): It’s laborious to see the way it’s truthful to pin the Angels’ troubles on their GM, Perry Minasian, contemplating all of the dysfunction flowing from the proprietor’s field. However 4 voters thought Minasian might pay the value anyway.
JOHN SCHNEIDER/BLUE JAYS LEADERSHIP (FOUR VOTES): And eventually, there are the Blue Jays. The excellent news is, they’ve made the playoffs beneath their eminently likable supervisor, John Schneider, two years in a row. The unhealthy information is, they received bounced twice with out successful a recreation.
The excellent news is, they have been in scorching pursuit of each Shohei Ohtani and Soto over the winter. The unhealthy information is, their entire offseason was an enormous swing-and-miss.
So the strain is actual. And our voters have been divided on who’s squirming most — Schneider or this entrance workplace. But when a irritating winter results in a irritating summer season, we’d discover out.
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(Photograph of Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman: William Perlman / Newsday RM by way of Getty Pictures)
