Nationals fire Dave Martinez and Mike Rizzo: Which other MLB managers could be on the hot seat?
The 2025 Major League Baseball season saw its most recent managerial casualty on Sunday, as Washington Nationals skipper Dave Martinez was cut loose, along with general manager Mike Rizzo. It wasn’t entirely shocking given how much the Nats have struggled since winning the World Series in 2019 and given that they not long ago slipped into last place in the National League East.
Enough about them, though. Let’s move on to other, similarly grim matters and ponder what other managers might be primed for unemployment (while still getting paychecks) before the 2025 season is up. Since we’ve already had multiple such firings this year, the list is short and perhaps an overreach in one or two cases. That said, history suggests more dugout bloodletting will come, and for now the names to come may be considered to be most in peril. Let’s proceed in taut, thrilling alphabetical order …
Suffice it to say, this would be a headline-grabber, which means it’s probably not going to happen. Even so, it’s worth pondering given that the Yankees recently lost their division lead to the Blue Jays in the American League East and are presently tied with the Rays for second place (and thus in grave peril of slipping into third place). Boone’s Yanks are still in playoff position, yes, but they’re on unsure footing thanks largely to their 14-19 mark since June 1. It’s a high-pressure season in the Bronx, as the Yankees aspire to return to the World Series — and win it for the first time since 2009 — and also prove that Juan Soto‘s free-agent departure for the Mets didn’t derail them. For a while, they were checking those boxes, but lately that hasn’t been the case. The injury-battered rotation doesn’t help matters, and if the Yankees continue their recent struggles then Boone’s job security might be compromised. Again, he’s probably safe, at least until the offseason, but the Yankees’ recent struggles make this worth monitoring.
Yes, he’s got a ring as Sox manager, but 2018 was some time ago. Cora’s second stint as Boston skipper hasn’t gone as swimmingly. The Red Sox under Cora haven’t managed a winning season since 2021, and if current trends hold they’ll miss the playoffs in four straight seasons for the first time since the early 1990s. Cora’s teams haven’t distinguished themselves in terms of fundamental play in recent years, and he’s done a spotty job of giving regular reps to his young core players. As well, the Red Sox organization is one shot through with dysfunction right now, of which the Rafael Devers trade served as an acute reminder. Cora is a part of that on some level. Mostly, though, this was supposed to be Boston’s return-to-contention year, and it may turn out to be that. Some slippage in the standings, though, could undo those hopes. If Boston struggles in the coming weeks after the break, then Cora could be in danger.
Mark Kotsay, A’s
To be sure, John Fisher finally undertook some modest payroll investments, though not because he’s anything less than a saboteur. He did that merely to fend off MLBPA objections about how he was using revenue-sharing monies (he was not much using them at all). Given the modest progress the A’s showed last season and those roster additions and extensions, the team was expected to take the next step toward .500 and possible relevance in 2025. Right now, though, they’re on pace to get worse and lose 96 games. Kotsay, who’s lost 361 games in a little more than three and a half seasons as A’s manager, is hardly the club’s biggest problem — that would be Fisher — but, unlike the owner, he can be held accountable, fair or not. Kotsay’s under contract through 2028, but he’d hardly be the first manager to be fired under such circumstances.
Look, it’s not likely that Snitker gets run off the job when he’s in the final year of his contract and may be poised to retire at season’s end. As well, he has a long record of success as Atlanta manager and that earns him some latitude. That said, the Braves this season keep reaching new depths. They enter the week at a season-worst 11 games under .500, which puts them on pace for 91 losses. If things get uglier in the standings or clubhouse discord sets in, then Snitker could be nudged aside ahead of schedule. Again, it’s probably not going to happen, but in some ways it would be less surprising than how bad the Braves have been this season.
