Following an offseason that featured an arms race between several of the NL East’s contenders, expectations are higher than ever for the Braves, Mets, Nationals, and Phillies. For that reason, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post, there will be no excuses for managers Gabe Kapler, Dave Martinez, and Mickey Callaway this time around. The trio of rookie managers all endured disappointing 2018 seasons, but with their ballclubs making significant additions in the winter, the new year comes with heightened pressure to deliver and win now. It bears mentioning that first-year Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen was not part of the front office that hired Callaway prior to last season. Though it’s still early to speculate about managerial turnover, the developing bloodbath in the NL East will be a story to watch throughout the season and into the winter.
Here are some other notes from the East…
- Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy, once an uber-prospect with tantalizing potential, has undergone well-documented struggles in recent years, culminating in his surrendering 41 home runs last season. Jon Meoli of The Baltimore Sun details new pitching coach Doug Brocail’s plan to implement changes that will help Bundy return to the form that brought him success earlier in his career, including his career-best 2016 season.
- Also in Baltimore, new skipper Brandon Hyde has thus far refrained from anointing a closer and does not intend to do so anytime soon, writes Meoli. Though Mychal Givens, who finished the 2018 season in the closer role after the midseason trades of Zack Britton and Brad Brach, appeared the best candidate to close, Hyde’s Orioles are comfortable sticking to a committee approach for the foreseeable future.
- Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who has been dealing with left knee inflammation and began the season on the IL, will begin a rehab assignment on Thursday with the Class-A Greenville Drive, per Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe. Pedroia has been receiving at-bats in extended spring training; the timetable for his return to MLB action is yet unknown.
Nationals underperform under Dave Martinez.
Bring back toothpick Baker.
Agree completely. Cut Martinez loose and bring back Baker.
Not winning a playoff series is sure setting the world on fire..wtf
Baker is not leaving SF’s front Office,think again
Baker is a terrible manager
If the goal is to win the division and lose a postseason series after having the lead, Dusty is your guy!
Que the “Red Sox fans think Dustin is so . . . ” comments.
is so…what? I think he is amazing. He works hard. Has baseball talent. He is injured and is past his prime but when he is on the field he plays hard.
Oppositte the player of what dennyd always reminds me of when see him post here and no personal offense to either.. Denny Doyle, a guy who couldn’t hit a lick at the MLB level, other than half of an MLB season and that being the ALCS ’75 which some of us here remember and was half fair with the glove only for the other parts of his career.
Very sensitive aren’t we….its not like he spit on his mother…..didn’t know it was against the laws of nature to utter any cirticism of Little Pedey…..do you have his picture on your wall?
I wouldn’t say expectations in Atlanta are higher. They are just treading water.
No doubt, snitkers seat isn’t anywhere near Luke warm. It’d be different if they gave him anything to work with during the offseason.
yep, bullpen will be Achilles heal and they did nothing to help Snitk out
Peddy is hard nose player who gives his all every time he plays. Thanks to dirty player Machado, his spiked slide took his knee out for 2 yrs, so far. I think if he can play without rehurting himself he’ll be there giving 100%, as always. N please don’t try n tell me Peddy already had a problem cuz he was playing everyday until he was spiked.
Stop calling Pedroia “Peddy”…
And why should I Thanks? Are your feelings hurt?
Because it sounds like you’re calling him a Pedophile…
Now that is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard, wow, that is nuts!
peddy’s brother is a pedo
It is his nickname. What you interpret it as is of no consequence.
The guy doubled down on something that wouldn’t be spelled that way. He deserves to be called out.
It’s Pedey not Peddy.
Rolls my eyes, lol.
Pedey/Petey, laser show, or muddy chicken are his accepted nicknames.
Peddy has not been to date and I wouldn’t expect it
You can’t say it was a dirty play if Dustin didn’t even think it was. I’d say if anyone should have a claim, it’s him and he didn’t have a problem with it.
As for his pre-existing knee problems, they were well documented. Granted this event didn’t help but to deny they were an issue then and would have likely been an issue now, is ignorant
He was playing every day till the spike, since then nothing. I would say it was directly from that. Also after Kelly hit Machado n the fight he just yelled to Machado he didn’t tell him to hit him. Peddy was trying to make peace.
I mean look at how hard his body is trying to heal. It’s literally eating his hair.
You’re insane if you think Machado spiking Pedroia is what caused Pedroia to miss most of 17′ and 18′. Pedroia didn’t even go on the DL and only missed a few games. He’s had balky knees for most of his career and had previously missed substantial time due to them.
Pedroia himself said it wasn’t a dirty play, and if his knee is so fragile that a hard slide has ruined it for two years maybe he wasn’t long for the game anyway.
Oh, and which is it? Is Machado a guy who doesn’t hustle or does he play too hard? I’m confused about this narrative. That takeout slide of Pedroia has been a thing in baseball forever. Chase Utley often wouldn’t even start sliding until after he got to the bag.
Machado is a player that exhibits whichever negative characteristic is most convenient for the point you’re trying to make at a given moment.
You can play hard without playing dirty, and you can play dirty without playing hard.
Machado tends to play dirty, and only as hard as his whim happens to be at any particular moment.
It’s regrettable that Pedroia might be the new Tulo…
Pedroia had 3 out of 12 seaons where he had under 105 games. 6 out of 13. Pedroia is nothing like that.
As such, the “might be the new…” statement…
I wouldn’t call Kapler or Callaway a disappointment. The Phillies OVERachieved if anything and the Mets front office didn’t put together a lineup for Callaway to work with. To characterize them as being on the hot seat is pretty senseless. Martinez on the other hand, that’s more accurate.
if anyone was dissapointed by Kapler it was because they were stuck on his Opening Day blunder were bothered by how they fell apart down the stretch. cant blame him for Eflin, VV, and Pivetta’s struggles. All in all, they finished well better then anyone really expected.
Don’t you think those issues should fall on his head? He was inept in his rookie season.
Add Andy Green and Joe Maddon to that list of managers on the hot seat.
Lmfao
Safest manager in division could be Mattingly, who figures to lose 100 games….ain’t that a kick…..
This couldn’t be further from the truth. “Lame duck..”
He’s in a contract year. 4 year deal expires 2019.
If Callaway gets canned hopefully Tito will bring him back to replace the awful one aka Carl Willis.
Martinez will be judged on the success and/or failure of his bullpen management
Actually, bullpen management is the lions share of game time management so all managers should be judged how they manage their pen
The Tigers were known to have had poor relievers but in truth, Smokey Jim always mismanaged his pen on every team he managed his entire career.
Anyone who would’ve managed the Mets last year would’ve done poorly. Not his fault the team on the field that he was given was horrible. And while I wasn’t a Callaway fan, can’t ask for his departure that soon.
Maddon should be in the Hot Seat Conversation,If the Cubs get off to a slow start,or struggle,don’t be surprised!
This post is about East managers
I read “Hot Seat Managers…”.
I hope Pedroia comes back healthy and goes out on his own terms.
If the Yankees underperform or get embarrassed in the post season again I can see Boone being gone and Beltran being the new manager next season. Boone severely mis manages the bullpen and starting pitching and it’s exposed in the post season against better managers and equally great teams
The BoSox and the Astros were just better teams. The problems with the Yankees the last two post seasons were that crucial games were lost due to the pathetic catching.
Hard to blame catching for the 16-1 loss. Maybe Lynn coming in to bases loaded situation and getting lit up? or Sevy and CC being left in too long. We’re already seeing Boone make questionable decisions this season and its been 3 games
Well yesterday I saw him pitch to Joey Rickard with a lefty on the mound instead of Chris Davis in the 8th inning. Look Joey Rickard isn’t an all star or even an above average regular but he hits lefties well and Davis can’t hit a thing right now. That was beyond stupid and Rickard homered. Making a comeback a hell of a lot less likely. That’s anectdotal evidence obviously but I hear lots of Yankees fans complain about his BP management and I saw it first hand yesterday.
Yankees problems have been and will continue to be too many strikeouts in critical at bats. They have too many all or nothing hitters (Judge, Stanton, Sanchez, Voit, Andjuar, etc). They tried to reassemble the Gashouse Gang and that’s not what consistently wins baseball games anymore.
With that said, Yankees will probably have the most 10+ run games of any team in the league this year but will continue to lose the close ones when all they need is a single but they put up 3 batters who are swinging for the fence.