GDT 5/18/17 Phils (Pivetta) at Texas(Perez)

[zambonir]

It's the same stuff they - including the GM and the manager - were saying about the catchers last year though. They're all driving the same bus. If having a veteran back-up catcher really makes that big of a difference, then both the front office and the coaching staff failed to make that enough of a priority. Otherwise, it's just part of the development process

I wish I thought the pitching coach made that big a difference but if there's one who does he's certainly not in the talent pool for mid-season firings or last-place teams (McLure was certainly not the top candidate at the time he got hired). If Mackanin's really coming back next year, some coaching staff changes would make sense though.

But Hellickson is probably better than he was last year. Nola's been hurt, Eflin had two surgeries. So it's really only Eickhoff and Velasquez who are disappointing, and they are only disappointing because of what they already achieved with this pitching coach. Add in the Buchholtz mistake and you have a modestly talented and very shallow rotation of 4-5 caliber starters. I just hope they can make it to the trade deadline and have someone truly ready to replace Hellickson.

[mdougherty12]

I'm not sure this is Pete's fault. The starters aren't going deep so he has to use the 'pen. The 'pen has been pretty bad. So, weak SP + bad pen + mediocre offense = bad team.

Who is the best active manager in MLB? How many wins more then Mackanin do you think he's worth?

On the subject of manager value, 538 posted an article on Buck Showalter and the Orioles outperforming their statistical projections every year:

The Orioles Always Win More Than They Should. There’s A Reason For That.

[zambonir]

I'm certainly not worried about the manager long-term. If Mackanin is here in 2019 it will be because he won 85 games next season, in which case, great. That will mostly mean the talent got better, not that he got smarter.

If he's not, I imagine Klentak will be looking for someone fresher: the next Joe Maddon or A.J. Hinch, or someone like that from a good managerial family tree (perhaps including Showalter's). Unless it is Wathan.

I think it's rather well-known that Showalter is a great manager, but he still got roasted for his (non)-use of Britton last fall. As did Maddon in Game 7 (until they won it). It's not especially useful for us to watch any one game or 10 games and pick apart Mackanin; it is useful if the analytics department has a database breaking down everything he's done in every game he's managed.