I thought he would be first to go but Mike Redmond was let go from the Marlins with a sub .500 record and a slow start in a season where an intrepid owner expected a playoff push. Didn’t work out with the brass in Florida saying Redmond’s message wasn’t being heard in the clubhouse. That’s a serious allegation against Redmond; owner Jeffrey Loria basically said you lost the team, a death blow to any manager/coach in professional sports. The question is did Redmond get a fair shake in this whole situation? Loria has a noted itchy trigger finger when it comes to making changes; see the trade he made with Toronto. Redmond might have thought he’d last a bit farther this year but in the end winning makes everything better and he didn’t do enough of it. 

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Struggling Names

Certain guys around the league are noted slow starters. Other guys and even some of the noted guys seem to have hit a wall in terms of production for their teams this season. After two months of games some guys just haven’t turned it on yet, which puts pressure on their managers as to how long they stick with their guy? Let’s review:

 

Jay Bruce- The Reds outfielder is a notoriously streaky hitter but even when he’s on he still only holds a .240 average, he’s currently under.200 and the Reds are losing ground in the NL Central. His saving grace may be that the team doesn’t have anything in the system to replace him with so his status should remain as an everyday player with the team waiting for one of his hot streaks. 

 

Jimmy Rollins- The Dodgers shortstop is clearly beyond his best years but this year he too is struggling to reach .200. The Dodgers clearly thought they would get more from him despite being at the top of the batting order surrounded by talented guys. 

 

Chris Carter- The Astros DH/1B looked like he turned a corner in the 2nd half of last year making a batting stance adjustment with his hands.  his year he forgot to keep doing the adjustment, he’s hitting just .160 and racking up the K’s. He is in serious jeopardy of taking a seat on the bench as Jon Singleton is raking in AAA. 

 

Ian Desmond- The Nat’s shortstop is struggling both at the plate and in the field. The team, save for Bryce Harper struggled early but has come around as a whole. Not Desmond. The team needs him to hit to help offset the still rehabbing Anthony Rendon. 4 homers in 2 months isn’t going to do it for this 20/20 guy. 

 

Mat Latos- The Marlins pitcher may have had a hand in getting his manager fired. He claims not to be injured but his velocity is way down and he has gotten past the 6th inning in only two of his starts, ironically both against the Nat’s struggling lineup. 

 

Taijuan Walker- The Seattle hurler, who looked primed for a break out in spring training, can’t find the strike zone, and when he does he’s aiming down the middle and hitters aren’t missing as he’s tied for the team lead with allowing 6 homers and more than a hit per inning. His 1.87 WHIP sums up his season perfectly so far.

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The top 5 teams right now in MLB: