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As the season gets underway, an inevitable outcome is that various teams don't meet their expectations. That can mean a number of different things such as a subpar record, or young players failing to take the next step. Regardless of what the exact reason is, failing to meet predetermined goals generally winds up costing the manager his job.
Changing managers is perceived as the easiest way to change the culture of the clubhouse, and to send a wake-up call to the players. While we're less than two weeks into the start of the 2016 season, there are already a number of managers on the hot-seat, and thanks to Bovada, we have the odds as to who's most likely to get fired.
Fredi Gonzalez - 1/1
The Braves have started out 0-9, and while they weren't expected to compete for a playoff spot this year, a winless record this far into the season isn't helping Gonzalez hold onto his job. Atlanta is very clearly in rebuilding mode, but that doesn't mean they were supposed to be this bad.
As a team, they're hitting .196/.291/.269 with a wOBA of .269, and a wRC+ of 53. According to fWAR, they rank last in terms of offensive output (-0.9), while their pitching staff ranks 27th. The Braves are hoping to be competitive in 2017, when their new park opens, and if they want a new manager to help lead the charge, it would make sense to make a change sooner rather than later.
Walt Weiss - 7/2
Weiss was hired by the Rockies before the start of the 2013 season, and in his three-plus years as manager, they've gone 208-278. Heading into 2016, they weren't pegged as a contender, but that doesn't mean Weiss has any job security.
When he was named Colorado's manager, Dan O'Dowd was the GM, however since then, the Rockies have restructured their front office, and Jeff Bridich is making the calls. Whenever a new GM comes into the fold, it's no surprise to see them oust the current manager in favor for someone of their own choosing. Instead, Bridich chose to keep Weiss, although that could change if the Rockies don't show any improvement this year.
Paul Molitor - 4/1
If this list were up to me, Molitor would be at the top. Despite Terry Ryan's lack of offseason moves, the Twins were expected to be competitive in 2016. They won 83 games in 2015, and finished just three games back of the Houston Astros for the 2nd Wild Card spot. With a full season of Miguel Sano, Byron Buxton, and Eduardo Escobar, Minnesota looked primed to take the next step forward.
Unfortunately that hasn't happened just yet, as they're 0-9. They're hitting .201/.278/.304 with a wRC+ of 66, and their cumulative fWAR is -0.3. Their pitching has actually been fine, as they've put together a K/9 of 8.50, a BB/9 of 3.26, a HR/9 of 1.05, along with an ERA of 3.61, and an FIP of 3.96. As a unit, they rank 16th in terms of fWAR, which isn't great, but it's also not terrible; just middle of the pack.
If Molitor wasn't in the Hall of Fame, it's fair to wonder if there would be more rumors circulating about his job status. Firing any manager isn't something a GM looks forward to, but firing one that garnered 85 percent of the vote needed to be enshrined in Cooperstown is another animal altogether.
Terry Collins - 8/1
Given that Collins manages in New York, and the Mets are off to an uninspiring 3-5 start, it's not surprising to see his name on this list. The Amazins have been unequivocally awful at the plate, and if they don't start hitting soon, Sandy Alderson might have to make a change.
While we don't have enough data yet to truly make any definitive statements about the future of a team, hitting .194/.285/.250 through the first 286 plate appearances isn't going to help anyone keep their job. Just so that line doesn't get lost, the Mets' slugging percentage is lower than their OBP. The only other team in baseball that can also claim that unwanted title is the Braves.
New York's wRC+ (55) is just 2 percent better than Atlanta's, and they also have MLB's worst ISO by .017 points. Simply put, the Mets are bad at hitting right now. For a team that has what's likely the scariest and most talented rotation in baseball, New York doesn't need to score six runs a game to win, they merely need to score at an average rate.
Cumulatively, the Mets have given up just 23 earned runs in their first 71 innings, but their "offense" has mustered just 20 runs.
(Dis)Honorable mentions: Joe Girardi (10/1), Mike Scioscia (12/1), Don Mattingly (25/1)