The Miami Marlins are not having their best season. At 54-79, they sit one game out of last place in a weak National League East division, and it seems like changes are on the horizon, especially for manager Dan Jennings.
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Jennings' Future in Doubt
Wednesday, Sept. 2
According to the Miami Herald's Clark Spencer on Sept. 1, Jennings will "almost certainly" not be managing the Marlins for the 2016 season. Jennings started the year as Miami's general manager and soon stepped down to take over responsibilities in the dugout after he fired Mike Redmond in May.
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports corroborated this report on Sept. 2, and noted the team was looking for an "experienced" manager to take over the team, like the Dodgers' Don Mattingly.
He has not been dealt the most fortunate hand this season. He did not have ace Jose Fernandez for most of 2015, who made just seven starts after coming back from Tommy John surgery last season. Fernandez went 4-0 in that time only to suffer a strained right bicep on Aug. 8, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com).
To make matters worse, slugger Giancarlo Stanton was leading the majors with 27 home runs before he was hit by a pitch that fractured his wrist at the end of June, forcing him to undergo surgery, according to SI.com. While he was projected to come back at the end of August, it might be better to just shut him down for the rest of this lost season.
The Marlins have the second-worst offense in the league with just 485 runs scored as Jennings has watched his team and his chances of staying a manager crash and burn.
The lack of productivity has made things difficult with the manager's relationship with owner Jeffrey Loria, per Spencer: "Sources said the relationship between Jennings and Loria has become increasingly strained over the course of the team’s disappointing season. Jennings could return to the front office, but not necessarily as general manager."
There could be another hope for Jennings if his relationship with the Marlins is beyond repair. Spencer stated that Jennings could be a candidate for the Seattle Mariners' GM position, but no one has contacted him or the Marlins yet.
It might be best for both parties to go their separate ways after this season. This kind of season is tough on a fairly inexperienced roster that has the eighth-youngest average age in the majors. The Marlins need a fresh look and healthy stars if they want to make a run toward relevancy in the National League, and a new influence in the clubhouse could provide a spark that makes this team a threat in the future.
Stats courtesy of ESPN.com.
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