mendoza-getty.png
Getty Images

With the 2025 regular season drawing to a close, our focus will soon be on the 12 teams who will continue playing into October and angling to hoist the World Series trophy. Before we get to that, though, let's take a moment to look ahead to the offseason and worry aloud about which current managers may not be back in their same jobs for 2026. A couple of the names to come, it should be noted, figure to be part of that October fray, but at this moment in time their job security may be a bit lacking. The rest of the names, though, are on the losing side of things and may be running out of time in their respective dugouts. This, then, is your preliminary offseason managerial hot seat list, and it's not a list you want to be on, to say the least. 

We'll proceed in uninspiring alphabetical order because it's what we deserve. Assume the position, imperiled skippers of baseball … 

Rocco Baldelli, Twins

Baldelli and the Twins are at risk of the club's first 90-loss season since 2016, and they're going to miss the postseason for a second straight year and the fourth time in the last five years. As well, Baldelli as Twins manager is solidly below .500 over that half-decade. It's hard to pin all the blame on him for what's become of the Twins in recent years, but he seems likely to pay the price for it. Baldelli, though, seems like the kind of manager who'll get a second opportunity somewhere at some point. 

Aaron Boone, Yankees

The Yankees are almost certainly playoff bound, and coming off a World Series appearance in 2024 that puts Boone squarely in "safe" territory. If, however, they slip out of the top wild card spot in the AL and then lose in the first round, thus depriving the club of a home playoff game (and the gate receipts thereof)? Boone might be imperiled under those circumstances even though he's under contract through 2027. This one's a bit of a longshot, but stretch-drive and October stumbles could change the landscape in the Bronx. 

Miguel Cairo, Nationals

The Nats have fared ever so slightly better under Cairo this season than they did under longtime manager Davey Martinez. However, that's not enough to put him on secure footing. More to the point, Cairo's an interim for a club that's probably going to undergo sweeping changes to the front office this coming winter. As such, Cairo may not be in position to return to his seat for 2026 and beyond. 

Mark Kotsay, Athletics

He's probably safe. Kotsay is under contract through 2028 with an option for 2029, and the A's are above .500 since the break. On the other hand, Kotsay in not yet four seasons on the job is almost 400 games under .500 as A's manager. The youth movement in place and some of the fruits realized from it mean Kotsay probably isn't going anywhere, but the body of work compels us to put his name on here. 

Tony Mansolino, Orioles 

Will Mansolino have his interim label made permanent this winter? That's one of the key questions facing Mike Elias as a disappointing 2025 draws to a close for Baltimore. Earlier this season, the O's dismissed Brandon Hyde after the team stumbled to a 15-28 start. Since Mansolino took over, Baltimore is above .500 across more than 100 games, which of course speaks well for the interim and his case to stick around. Still, his status for 2026 and beyond is hardly assured. 

Oliver Marmol, Cardinals

Marmol is under contract for 2026, and indications are that Chaim Bloom, who will soon take over as the Cardinals' new president of baseball operations, will retain the manager for the final season of that contract (and maybe more). However, the other reality is that the Cardinals under Marmol will soon have missed the playoffs in three straight seasons. They're also on pace for their second losing season under Marmol in the last three years and their third straight season with a negative run differential. Still, the organizational emphasis right now is on player development, and Marmol has been fairly adept at his oversight role in that plan while also working with complicated rosters. 

Bob Melvin, Giants

Melvin has the Giants in the mix for a postseason berth at this late hour, but he's going to wind up with a .500-ish mark after two seasons at the helm. If the Giants manage to pass the Mets and take the third wild card spot in the NL, then Melvin is obviously safe, but what if they don't? As well, Melvin's tenure precedes that of lead decision-maker Buster Posey, and Posey might want a hand-picked manager moving forward.

Carlos Mendoza, Mets

Mendoza in his first season guided the Mets to the NLCS, but his second campaign as Mets lever-puller -- and Juan Soto's first in Queens -- hasn't gone as swimmingly, at least thus far. He's almost certainly safe if the Mets do cling to that final playoff spot in the NL, but if they miss out on the postseason they'll stand as one of the most disappointing teams of 2025. When that kind of thing happens, it tends to put the manager in danger. So it may be with Mendoza and the Mets. 

Warren Schaeffer, Rockies 

The Rox remain a difficult organization to get a read on, but "loyal to a fault" tends to be their leading identifiable modus operandi. That's probably good news for Schaeffer and his designs on keeping the managerial job in Colorado. While the Rockies haven't been good on his watch, they have improved and will likely avoid breaking the 2024 White Sox's record for most losses in a season. Given the improvement and youthful energy provided by Schaeffer in relief of the long-tenured Bud Black, he's probably in line for the permanent post. For now, though, that remains an unknown.

Brian Snitker, Braves

The Braves may be the most disappointing team of 2025, and that's led to speculation that Snitker in the final year of his contract won't be back in 2026. He's a decorated and highly successful manager overall with a World Series ring on his finger, but there's no questioning that the wheels have come off this season. To an extent, Snitker, because of his much larger record of excellence in Atlanta, will be allowed to author his own exit, but at this juncture it seems unlikely that the soon-to-be 70-year-old will return to his same role next season. It certainly won't be a firing in the traditional sense of the term, but the end result will likely mean a new manager in the Braves' dugout for next season.