Predicting the first 5 managers who could be fired in 2024 and why

The job of an MLB manager is extremely tough. When a team does well, the GM and players seem to get the most credit. When a team struggles, the manager is an easy scapegoat. It's mostly never fair, but managers are almost always the first choice to go when teams decide they need to shake things up.

Job security for a manager is almost always tied to team performance. Even if the personnel is subpar, you're expected to win to an extent. Firing a manager doesn't always fix the problem, but it's the easiest thing to try.

These four managers face tons of pressure to win ahead of the 2024 season. If their teams fail to meet expectations, they might lose their jobs as a result.

5. Eventually Dave Martinez has to lead the Nationals to some wins

Dave Martinez took over for Dusty Baker as the manager of the Washington Nationals ahead of the 2018 season and wound up leading the Nationals to a World Series win in 2019. That was the first World Series win in franchise history, and is the only conceivable reason as to why Martinez remains the manager in Washington.

Since winning the World Series, the Nationals have been a mess. They've put together four straight losing seasons and entered a full rebuild. They're set up well for the future with some promising pieces on the team right now and high-end prospects such as Dylan Crews and James Wood on the way, but eventually, Martinez has to win some games.

The Nationals did win 71 games last season which was their most since the World Series win, but they're going to need more than that to justify keeping Martinez around.

Nobody expects Washington to be a playoff team this season, but can they get out of the bottom of the division for the first time since 2019? Can they inch closer to .500? There has to be real progress to justify Martinez keeping his job.

4. John Schneider will be fired if the Blue Jays don't show improvement this season

The Toronto Blue Jays showed what firing a manager midseason can do. They were just 46-42 under Charlie Montoyo but finished the year 46-28 under John Schneider to make the postseason. For whatever reason, firing the manager seemed to light some sort of fire.

Schneider has had tons of regular season success as the manager as he led the Jays to 89 wins and a postseason berth last season, but has yet to win a single playoff game, let alone a series. Last season the Jays lost in Minnesota partly because of an inexcusable decision from Schneider to pull Jose Berrios when he was dominating on the mound.

With only one more guaranteed season of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette after this one, the pressure is on everyone in Toronto to win right now. It'll be tough to do playing in an extremely difficult AL East division, and Schneider might take the fall if they don't.

3. If the Dodgers don't win games, Dave Roberts is almost certainly going to take the fall

No team has higher expectations than the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024. They've won 100 or more games in each of the last four full seasons (excluding 2020) and in five of the last six 162-game seasons overall, yet the only World Series they have to show for it came in that aforementioned 2020 season.

The Dodgers won 100 games last season, yet were swept in the NLDS by the Diamondbacks. This offseason, they added Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Teoscar Hernandez, and James Paxton onto the team that just won 100 games. There's no excuse.

If the Dodgers get off to a slow start, panic will set in with their fanbase. If the Dodgers get off to a slow start, Dave Roberts, their manager who is in the midst of his ninth season with the team will almost certainly be the fallback guy. This team isn't only expected to win the division with ease, they're expected to win the World Series. Another massively disappointing year could be trouble or

2. Another rough season will almost certainly result in the Yankees firing Aaron Boone

For most teams, going 82-80 isn't the worst thing in the world. It's a mediocre season, but hey, at least it's above .500. For the New York Yankees, however, it is the worst thing in the world.

Their .506 winning percentage last season was their lowest since the 1992 campaign when the Yankees went 76-86. Yes, that's over 30 years of playing consistently above-average baseball, something all 29 other fan bases can only dream of. A season in which the team finished just two games above .500 is unacceptable for the Yankees, and if that happens again, manager Aaron Boone might be in trouble.

Boone has been the manager since the 2018 campaign and has done nothing but win. In the regular season. New York won 90 or more games in each of the four full seasons (excluding 2020) he had been there for before the 2023 debacle.

The Yankees are all in for right now. They traded for Juan Soto, a player who is on an expiring contract. The time to win is right now, and another disappointing season could be very costly in the Bronx.

1. A contract extension does not mean that the Cardinals can't fire Oli Marmol

The St. Louis Cardinals raised some eyebrows when they decided to give manager Oli Marmol a two-year extension. What Marmol had done to deserve it is unclear, but the team shed the "lame duck" label by giving Marmol that job security.

The Cardinals entered last season as not only clear favorites to win the NL Central division, but as a team that could make some noise in the playoffs. Not only were the Cardinals out of the NL Central race before it started, but they were one of the worst teams in the National League as a whole with a 71-91 record.

Marmol found himself in the middle of feuds with outfielder Tyler O'Neill, and just never got the shipped turned in the right direction. Marmol isn't the only one to blame for their horrific season, but it's clear that his presence didn't help.

The Cardinals extended him partly so fans wouldn't be calling for his firing if the team got off to a slow start, but who's to say fans won't start clamoring for his firing even after the extension? The job is simple for Marmol. Find a way to lead this team to wins. They have the talent to be competitive. If they're not, there's a good chance he'll wind up taking the fall even after the extension.