Seattle Mariners Fire John McLaren. Who's next?

Well, it looks like the permits were issued and the shootings have begun. I didn't realize hunting season on baseball managers had started but we now have two that have met their fate as the Seattle Mariners fired their manager John McLaren last night replacing him with bench coach Jim Riggleman.

This past Monday, the New York Mets fired Willie Randolph in what was perceived as a whacking even Tony Soprano would be proud of. By the way, with the worst record in baseball and the firing of general manager Bill Bavasi earlier in the week, McLaren's firing should not have come as a surprise, especially since the Mariners were expected to compete for the western division title. But we live in an era of players with multi-million dollar annual salaries and $100 million dollar payrolls, so now more than ever, the stakes are higher to produce a championship. Certainly, McLaren's record as manager (68-88) since taking over for Mike Hargrove in the middle of last season warranted consideration, but I believe it was not so much his record this season (25-47) as it was the high expectation of a $117 million dollar payroll that did him in so quickly. Case in point, look at the Nationals, a perennial low-budget team dating back to its days in Montreal. With a payroll half the size of the Mariners, management is not so quick to pull the trigger. Further, Willie Randolph leaves the Mets with a record of 302-253, the second best record in team history behind Davey Johnson. But he was only about .500 since last May and with a $138 million dollar payroll and a mandate to win the championship, it just wasn't good enough. Oh yeah, there's this other team that plays in New York; you may have heard of them -- the Yankees.

So, the question now is who is next? Well, follow the money. Each year, as part of the passage of spring in the northeast, the Yankees and Red Sox begin their annual quest for the American League eastern title (and beyond). This year is no different, except someone taught the Tampa Rays how to play baseball, and who are now in the mix. That's a problem for the Toronto Blue Jays since it is they who perennially compete with the Yanks and Sox for the AL East, although usually finishing third. But today, the Blue Jays are in last place with a payroll of approximately $97 million dollars, so it looks like John Gibbons could be next. Here is a look at some other possibilities