Seven MLB teams remain in the postseason hunt, but for the remaining 23 clubs, the offseason has begun. We've seen shake-ups both in managerial and GM positions since the end of the regular season, and it's entirely possible we'll see more when the postseason wraps up.
It's never fun to see any manager or GM lose his job, but that's life in professional sports. If a GM does not build a team good enough, he's almost certainly going to lose his job because of it. With that in mind, while these six general managers have likely survived the 2025 season, they're one poor offseason away from losing their jobs.
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6. Los Angeles Angels
This has to be Perry Minasian's last chance, right? RIGHT? Minasian was hired by the Los Angeles Angels with one main goal in mind: find a way to get back to the postseason. Not only has he failed to do that, but the Angels don't have a winning season under Minasian. They haven't had a winning season since 2015 and haven't made the playoffs since 2014. They haven't even won 75 games in each of the last four seasons.
To his credit, Minasian has done a nice job building a decent young core consisting of guys like Zach Neto, Jose Soriano and Logan O'Hoppe, but the team is not good enough around them and Mike Trout.
It isn't all Minasian's fault. Working under a meddling owner like Arte Moreno is a seemingly impossible task, especially when Moreno won't spend like a big market owner should on payroll and player development, but Moreno isn't running the day-to-day. The organization, from the payroll to the MLB team to the prospects, is in a rough spot, and I don't see them finding a way out anytime soon. Getting a new voice in the GM position would be a good start, though. Another losing season, which feels certain, should lead to Minasian's departure.
5. Pittsburgh Pirates
Perhaps this is wishful thinking, but it really shouldn't be. I have no idea why Ben Cherington remains the Pittsburgh Pirates' general manager, so perhaps Bob Nutting will continue to keep him around, but there's no logical reason to if 2026 doesn't go well.
Cherington just wrapped up his sixth year running the show in Pittsburgh and the team does not have a single winning season in his tenure. Forget postseason success - the Pirates haven't even mustered a .500 record in Cherington's entire tenure with the team, which is now over a half-decade. That is beyond unacceptable.
Admittedly, Cherington has done a very nice job assembling a supremely young, talented rotation, but if anything, he should be criticized even more for being one of the worst teams in the majors in 2025 despite such an exciting pitching staff. Their offense in particular was laughably bad.
I get that Nutting doesn't give Cherington much in terms of financial resources to work with, but the Milwaukee Brewers don't spend much money either and they consistently find ways to win the NL Central and get to the playoffs. Winning games with small payrolls can be done, unless you're the Pirates.
4. San Diego Padres
This one is tough. A.J. Preller has gone as far as any GM in recent memory has in the pursuit of a World Series title. He's traded countless top prospects in attempts to go all-in. However, there's a reason other executives haven't followed his lead.
If Preller's wheeling and dealing led to even one World Series win, nobody would've batted an eye. The San Diego Padres have yet to win a World Series in franchise history! However, trading these top prospects and constantly falling short is a brutal outcome. The Padres have a good amount of talent, but they've also got several bad contracts, not much money to spend, key free agents, and a farm system as barren as it's been in the Preller era.
This recent run under Preller has resulted in as much sustained success as the Padres have had as a franchise, and that shouldn't be ignored, but the ultimate goal is to win a World Series, not fall short in October every year. At some point, Preller will have had enough bites at the apple in San Diego. There can only be so many James Wood's and C.J. Abrams' who get to dominate away from San Diego and have Preller absolved of blame without winning. GMs only get so many chances to go all-in and fail without repercussion. It feels like Preller's time might finally be coming with another early exit.
3. Houston Astros
The Houston Astros won the World Series in 2022, but that was with James Click calling the shots. Dana Brown was hired that offseason, and all the Astros have done is regress ever since. They lost in the 2023 ALCS, failed to even win a game in the 2024 Wild Card Series, and missed the postseason entirely for the first time in nearly a decade in 2025.
I'm not going to blame Brown entirely for the Astros' demise, and he's done some good things, but the bad has outweighed the good. Brown probably deserves another year to prove he can get this franchise back on track, but missing the postseason for a second straight year in 2026 would lead to some uncomfortable conversations.
It'd mean that Houston's dynasty would officially be over, and changes, of some sort, would have to be made. Those changes should start with Brown.
2. Philadelphia Phillies
Dave Dombrowski was brought to the Philadelphia Phillies ahead of the 2021 season with one goal in mind - to win the World Series. To be fair, he got close, helping build a team that made it to the Fall Classic in 2022, but they fell short in that series and have only regressed ever since.
The Phillies blew a 3-2 lead in the 2023 NLCS, were embarrassed in the 2024 NLDS, and while they were able to avoid elimination with a win on Wednesday, they're on the verge of getting sent home in the NLDS once again. Assuming they're unable to complete what'd be one of the most remarkable postseason comebacks in recent memory, this will be five years of Dombrowski running the ship in Philadelphia with nothing but high payrolls and disappointing exits to show for it.
The core in Philadelphia, a good amount of it that Dombrowski assembled, is quite good, but he's been unable to put the team over the top. From refusing to go all-in with trading prospects or not doing enough to address the lineup and bullpen, there are plenty of reasons why his tenure has not gone as well as fans had hoped.
If they fall short again this season, there's a non-zero chance Dombrowski will lose his job. If they fall short again in 2026, the calls for his firing will only get louder.
1. Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles made back-to-back postseason appearances in 2023 and 2024 and had one of the best young cores in the sport, giving MLB fans reason to believe they'd win sustainably for a while. Those thoughts came to an abrupt halt in 2025 as Baltimore finished the year with a 75-87 record, good for last place in the AL East.
It wasn't all Mike Elias' fault that the team underperformed as injuries ran rampant, particularly in the first half of the year, but this team wasn't good enough as constructed to begin with. The pitching, in particular, left a whole lot to be desired.
Elias deserves a pass for this season, but another down year could lead to some serious conversations. While 2023 and 2024 went well in the regular season, the Orioles won a grand total of zero playoff games in those years. Elias has been the man in charge of baseball operations since 2018 and they haven't won a playoff game in his entire tenure. At some point, enough has to be enough.
If Elias is unable to revamp the pitching staff and get this team not only to October, but to have success in October, his job security should be on thin ice.