As the 2025 MLB regular season wraps amid playoff drama—with the Dodgers eyeing a repeat and the Yankees chasing redemption—the offseason looms as a pivotal reset. This year’s managerial carousel spun wildly during the campaign, with a league-high six midseason firings signaling front-office impatience amid talent crunches and sky-high expectations. Now, entering October, the focus shifts to hirings for those vacancies, potential post-firing shakeups, and whispers of more changes for underperforming skippers.
The San Francisco Giants kicked off the true offseason carousel on September 29, dismissing Bob Melvin after a middling third-place NL West finish—despite picking up his 2026 option in July. Melvin’s ouster marks the seventh managerial change tied to 2025’s turbulence, as teams like the Cardinals and Nationals eye fresh voices under new leadership. With the league’s stability tested (only two offseason changes after 2024’s eight), expect a flurry of hires blending proven vets and rising coordinators, fueled by free-agent frenzy and roster rebuilds.
Midseason Firings: A Season of Shocks
The 2025 campaign bucked trends with an unprecedented wave of in-season dismissals—six by July, the most since 2002’s early chaos. These moves often scapegoated managers for front-office missteps, like pitching depth failures and injury plagues, rather than pure on-field flops. Here’s the rundown:
| Date Fired | Team | Manager Fired | Record at Firing | Replacement (Interim/Full) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 7 | Pittsburgh Pirates | Derek Shelton | 15-22 | Don Kelly (Interim, then full) | Pirates stumbled out of gate; Shelton’s six seasons yielded no playoffs despite Paul Skenes’ arrival. Kelly started 4-19 in first stint but stabilized. |
| May 11 | Colorado Rockies | Bud Black | 9-28 | Warren Schaeffer (Full) | Rockies’ 115-loss pace hit rock bottom; Black’s nine years ended amid rebuild woes. Schaeffer’s trio of new hires (with Pirates/Orioles) went 4-19 combined early. |
| May 16 | Baltimore Orioles | Brandon Hyde | 15-28 | Tony Mansolino (Interim) | Defending AL East champs collapsed; Hyde’s playoff runs (2023-24) couldn’t save him from pitching injuries and FO inaction. Mansolino, ex-Indians skipper, guided rest of year. |
| June 20 | Los Angeles Angels | Ron Washington | 28-48 | Health-related step away | Washington’s one-year deal ended early due to health; Angels’ perennial rebuild persisted. No immediate firing, but signals instability. |
| July 6 | Washington Nationals | Dave Martinez | 38-52 | Miguel Cairo (Interim) | Paired with GM Mike Rizzo’s ouster; Martinez’s 2019 WS win faded into contention drought. Cairo steadied ship for second half. |
| July (exact TBD) | St. Louis Cardinals | Oliver Marmol | ~45-50 (est.) | Interim (TBD) | Transitional year under new POBO Chaim Bloom; Marmol’s contract through ’26, but Bloom eyes his own hire amid half-hearted contention. |
These firings highlighted systemic issues: The Orioles’ pitching woes (from top-5 to bottom-3 ERA) and Pirates’ lineup anemia (3.1 RPG) pinned on dugouts, despite offseason lapses like Baltimore losing Corbin Burnes. Early replacements like Kelly and Schaeffer faced brutal starts, but stabilized enough to avoid further upheaval.
Offseason Openings: The Latest Firings and Vacancies
With the regular season’s final weekend underway (September 28-29), the Giants’ move on Melvin opens the seventh dugout. No other immediate post-firing announcements, but speculation swirls around lame ducks:
- San Francisco Giants (Open): Melvin’s exit after two seasons (and a picked-up option) stems from a third-place flop despite Buster Posey’s splashy offseason (Willy Adames, Justin Verlander). The job’s allure? A stacked NL West contender with Verlander’s veteran presence. Top candidates: Royals’ Matt Quatraro, ex-Giants Gabe Kapler (fired 2023), or internal like bench coach Mark Hallberg.
- Potential Postseason Firings:
- Atlanta Braves: Brian Snitker’s 10-year run (2021 WS, back-to-back 100-win seasons) sours with 2025 injuries and underperformance; at 69, retirement whispers grow. Alex Anthopoulos (locked through 2031) eyes successors like Walt Weiss or Skip Schumaker.
- Philadelphia Phillies: Rob Thomson’s midseason retirement plan delayed by 2022 hire; if Dombrowski seeks a new voice post-playoffs, Brad Ausmus (his Detroit pick) could return.
- Minnesota Twins: Rocco Baldelli’s seventh year ends messily; cheap signal of change if ownership wants a reset.
Teams like the White Sox (99 losses) and Athletics (hoping for Sacramento stability) may seek fresh blood, but no firings yet. The Cardinals’ Marmol hangs by a thread under Bloom’s impending reign, with Pujols/Molina eyeing returns.
Top Replacement Candidates: Who’s in the Mix?
The carousel favors coordinators and ex-skippers with winning pedigrees. ESPN and The Athletic peg these as frontrunners for openings:
| Candidate | Current/Last Role | Why a Fit? | Odds for Giants/Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skip Schumaker | Rangers FO (ex-Marlins Manager) | 2022 NL MOY; Cardinals ties for STL; versatile rebuild-to-contend hand. | High (Giants/St. Louis) |
| Matt Quatraro | Royals Manager | Turned KC into contender; analytics whiz for SF’s data-driven setup. | High (Giants) |
| Gabe Kapler | Free Agent (ex-Giants Manager) | Knows Oracle Park; bold style suits Posey’s vision. | Medium (Giants) |
| Albert Pujols | Free Agent (Cardinals Legend) | Iconic draw for STL fans; managing itch post-retirement. | High (St. Louis) |
| David Ross | Cubs Manager (if available) | Atlanta history; steady hand for contenders. | Medium (Braves) |
| Mark DeRosa | MLB Network Analyst | Braves roots; player-friendly communicator. | Medium (Atlanta) |
Other names: Royals’ bench coach Dale Sveum, Dodgers’ bench Robert Van Scoyoc (hot seat survivor), or Marlins’ ex Clayton McCullough for rebuilds.
Why Fans and Insiders Should Watch: Stability Shifts and Rebuild Ripples
For U.S. baseball diehards, these changes ripple beyond dugouts: Midseason axings like Hyde’s fueled fan frustration in Baltimore (0-5 playoff skid haunting), while D.C.’s double-dump (Martinez/Rizzo) signals a full reboot under new ownership. Economically, it juices the $10B+ managerial market—average salary hit $6M post-Dodgers’ Dave Roberts extension—with hires like Kelly boosting minor-league pipelines.
Politically neutral but culturally charged: Firings in rebuild towns (Rockies, Nats) test fan loyalty amid attendance dips (Rockies hit rock bottom with “fans rooting for visitors”). Lifestyle? New skippers like Mansolino bring fresh energy to clubhouses, easing midseason slumps. For careers, it’s a talent magnet—coordinators like Cairo parlay interim stints into full gigs.
Outlook: A Carousel in Motion
The 2025 MLB offseason manager changes tracker starts with Melvin’s exit as the spark, but expect 4-6 more hirings by Holiday (January 2026 lockout threats aside). With stability fracturing (14 changes since ’22), teams like the Giants and Cardinals prioritize analytics-savvy vets to bridge rebuilds to contention. As playoffs crown champions, the dugout drama ensures baseball’s winter is anything but dormant—tracking every hire, fire, and hot seat twist.