Joe Girardi's Next Stop

Okay, so Joe Girardi’s out as manager of the Yankees, for whatever reason. (I’ve read both that the Yankees wanted to get rid of him and he wanted out, so who knows?) But where does he go from here?

I see him getting hired soon. Coincidentally, I spent a few minutes talking with a manager at Culver’s last weekend, who got to know Girardi from his time in high school and college baseball, and said what a wonderful guy he was. However, CBS Sports also reported he may want to take a break for a while (he’s now 53 years old), and he did have a couple years of broadcasting experience with the Yankees.

Assuming he wants a new managerial job (unless ESPN or Fox swoops in to hire him), let’s have fun and look at him matching up with the other 29 teams. In some cases a change might seem obvious; in others it would be unlikely – on the other hand, the Cubs bounced a good one-season manager (Rich Renteria) in favor of Joe Maddon, and that worked out pretty well for them. The current manager is listed in parentheses.

Arizona Diamondbacks (Torey Lovullo) – No. The Diamondbacks made the playoffs this year in their first year under Lovullo, so I don’t see them pushing him aside.

Atlanta Braves (Brian Snitker) – Possible. Snitker was not supposed to be a sure thing to come back at the end of last year. I’m not sure whether the Braves are precisely on the right track in their rebuild, however, so we’ll have to see what happens.

Baltimore Orioles (Buck Showalter) – Sure. Showalter hasn’t been able to get the Orioles over the hump, and Peter Angelos has been known to make sudden managerial changes.

Boston Red Sox (Alex Cora) – No. They just hired Cora. (It would certainly tick off Yankee fans, however.)

Chicago Cubs (Joe Maddon) – Obviously not.

Chicago White Sox (Rich Renteria) – Poor Rich Renteria – could you imagine that happening to him twice? No, I don’t see the Sox making a move; they seem pretty happy with Renteria and the Sox haven’t hired a veteran manager in decades.

Cincinnati Reds (Bryan Price) – Absoutely; I’m surprised Price is still there. But I don’t get the sense the Reds are the best organization right now, so I’m not sure Girardi would want to go here.

Cleveland Indians (Terry Francona) – No chance. Francona is beloved in the organization.

Colorado Rockies (Bud Black) – No. Black had a great first season with the club, steering them to an unexpected wild card spot. Girardi did play here for a few years, however.

Detroit Tigers (Ron Gardenhire) – No. Gardenhire was just named manager, and the Tigers are at the beginning of a rebuild.

Houston Astros (A.J. Hinch) – No. They’re in the World Series now.

Kansas City Royals (Ned Yost) – Probably not. The Royals will need to do some rebuilding, and while Joe Girardi has one World Series win, so does Ned Yost.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (Mike Scioscia) – Doubtful. They haven’t played well lately, but Scioscia appears to be buddies with owner Arte Moreno; several GMs have come and gone but Scioscia stays around.

Los Angeles Dodgers (Dave Roberts) – No. They’re in the World Series, too.

Miami Marlins (Don Mattingly) – Doubtful. Girardi managed here before he went to the Yankees, only to be canned by impulsive then-owner Jeffrey Loria. Also, how would Girardi adjust to having one of his former players (Derek Jeter) being his boss?

Minnesota Twins (Paul Molitor) – Probably not. Minnesota had a surprise wild card this year.

Milwaukee Brewers (Craig Counsell) – No. The Brewers exceeded expectations this year, and Counsell is well liked, plus he has a long history with the franchise.

New York Mets (Mickey Callaway) – No. Callaway was hired earlier this week. (Bad timing, Mets.)

Oakland Athletics (Bob Melvin) – Absolutely. Bob Melvin hasn’t shown much as manager so far. Not sure if Billy Beane could meet Girardi’s price tag, however.
Philadelphia Phillies (vacant) – Back up the Brinks truck. The Phillies have an up-and-coming team, and it wouldn’t be far for Girardi to move. I don’t think they’ll do it, but it’s the best match.
Pittsburgh Pirates (Clint Hurdle) – No. I think Hurdle just signed an extension; he seems to have a good relationship with GM Neal Huntington.

St. Louis Cardinals (Mike Matheny) – Yes. Matheny just signed an extension, but his in-game skills have been questioned over the years, and the Cardinals have been slipping the past few years despite having a pile of prospects. I wouldn’t be surprised if Girardi waits for this job, which is among baseball’s best.

San Diego Padres (Andy Green) – No. I’ve heard nothing but good things about Green.
San Francisco Giants (Bruce Bochy) – No. Girardi may have won a World Series, but Bochy has won three.

Seattle Mariners (Scott Servais) – Yes. The Mariners were a disappointment this year, and Servais hasn’t shown much in two years. This is another one that Girardi may wait on.

Tampa Bay Rays (Kevin Cash) – Unlikely. The Rays seem to like Cash, and the market’s kind of small, so I don’t think they could afford Girardi.
Texas Rangers (Jeff Banister) – Unlikely. Banister seems to be popular with Texas, and he brought them to an unexpected wild card in 2016.

Toronto Blue Jays (John Gibbons) – Possible. The Jays were a disappointment last year, which might be more the fault of the front office than Gibbons, but he could still take the fall.
Washington Nationals (vacant) – Absoutely, but… the Nationals are notorious cheapskates when it comes to hiring managers. They backed out of hiring Bud Black after he wouldn’t agree to being lowballed, and three of their last four managers were considered somewhat washed up (Jim Riggleman, Davey Johnson, Dusty Baker), with the other being Matt Williams, a rookie manager who didn’t work out. I can’t see Girardi coming here.