In the end, all Team USA manager Mark DeRosa needed to restore his credibility and help everyone forget his various mistakes was one inning.
Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Team USA faces uncertainty after a devastating loss in the World Baseball Classic championship game.
- The search is on for a experienced manager to lead the team through the challenges of the 2028 Olympics.
- Potential candidates bring a mix of proven success, international experience, and strategic expertise to the table.
Instead, Team USA’s World Baseball Classic title aspirations ended with a heartbreaking 3–2 loss to Venezuela in Tuesday’s championship game. The United States squad trailed 2–0 entering the eighth inning when first baseman Bryce Harper crushed a game-tying home run. However, Red Sox pitcher Garrett Whitlock allowed a go-ahead double to designated hitter Eugenio Suárez in the ninth inning, and Team USA went down 1-2-3 against Cubs closer Daniel Palencia only minutes later.
Tuesday night marked the latest failure for DeRosa, who had frequently drawn criticism for his overall managing and last week’s viral gaffe when he incorrectly claimed that Team USA had already secured a spot in the quarterfinals. Although his decision to hit Harper second worked out, DeRosa faced backlash for not using Padres closer Mason Miller in the ninth and instead turning to Whitlock.
It’ll be a few years before we see the next WBC, but Team USA will have an opportunity to redeem itself at the 2028 Summer Olympics. Whether or not DeRosa will manage the club, though, remains to be seen. It also remains unclear whether MLB players will be allowed to participate in the Olympics.
This spring’s World Baseball Classic proved that DeRosa, who had never worked on an MLB staff before taking over Team USA ahead of the 2023 WBC, cannot be trusted in a high-stakes environment. The time has come for Team USA to seriously consider moving on from DeRosa and finding his replacement, especially after consecutive championship game losses.
So, who should Team USA pursue to replace DeRosa? For this list, I’ve opted to rank the candidates in alphabetical order, though I will point out who I believe makes the most sense for Team USA.
Brad Ausmus, New York Yankees bench coach
Ausmus has prior World Baseball Classic managerial experience, leading Israel during this year's tournament after serving as one of Ian Kinsler's assistants three years ago. Back in 2012, Ausmus managed Team Israel during the qualification round, though they missed out on the 2013 tournament.
A longtime Astros catcher, Ausmus owns a lifetime 386–422 record managing the Tigers and Angels. Although he turns 57 in April, it doesn’t seem unrealistic to think that Ausmus will get one more chance to lead an MLB team before all is said and done. However, if he’s available to manage Team USA in the Olympics, he should absolutely get a call to at least interview and make his case.
Joe Girardi, former New York Yankees manager
These days, Girardi is an announcer for the Yankees’ YES Network, and he hasn’t worked on an MLB staff since the Philadelphia Phillies fired him midway through the 2022 season. However, Girardi was initially supposed to manage Team USA at the 2019 WBSC Premier12, an international tournament featuring the 12 highest-ranked national teams, but stepped down when he received the Phillies job.
Girardi has been around long enough that you know the negatives that you’re getting from him: he relies heavily on his data, and he’s drawn backlash for his bullpen management. With that said, he also won the 2009 World Series managing the Yankees and reached the playoffs five other times in his 10 seasons in the Bronx. If hired, Girardi would bring immediate credibility to a Team USA squad needing a proven manager.
Joe Maddon, former Chicago Cubs manager
Much like Girardi, Maddon hasn’t managed since the Angels fired him in June 2022, only four days after the Phillies cut ties with Girardi. But when you frequently lead the Tampa Bay Rays to the playoffs and you help the Chicago Cubs end a 108-year World Series drought, you get the benefit of the doubt.
The most significant question about Maddon is his age, as he’ll be 74 during the 2028 Summer Olympics. Would he be open to managing at that point? That’s a conversation he’d potentially need to have with Team USA, but by no means do we think his age should disqualify him. In fact, his nearly 30 years working on MLB staffs could work to Team USA’s advantage.
Terry Francona, Cincinnati Reds manager
Francona will be 69 during the 2028 Olympics, and he’s fresh off managing the Reds to only their second playoff appearance since 2013. For all we know, he could still be the Reds’ skipper in the summer of 2028, maybe with another World Series ring on his hand.
But Francona has also had health problems, and it’s fair to wonder whether he’ll manage the Reds beyond 2027, when his three-year contract expires. The other problem is availability, as Team USA would likely need to name its manager well ahead of the summer of 2028. If, and this is a big if, Francona is not the Reds’ manager following the 2026 season, then Team USA must call him as either a managerial candidate or to gauge his feelings on who he’d recommend for the job.
Of these four, I personally would hire Joe Maddon. Yes, his Angels tenure went poorly, but Maddon understands the pressure of breaking through after years of failure. It helps that the odds favor him being available come 2028.