Sunday might mean football day for plenty of nationwide sports fans, but for MLB fans, it means a look into Bob Nightengale's weekly emptying of the notebook. Here are three of the biggest nuggets Nightengale dropped in his weekly USA Today column.
Buck Showalter retirement doesn't seem likely, but history against him
Buck Showalter is out as the New York Mets manager. Officially, he resigned with a year left on his contract with the Mets, but it was reported as a firing with Showalter's ego protected as a resignation.
Showalter, who has now managed the Yankees, Diamondbacks, Rangers, Orioles, and Mets, could very well retire and tie a bow on a lengthy and very good managing career. He is pushing 70 and has accomplished plenty in his major league managing career.
It doesn't quite sound like that's in the cards, though. Here's what Nightengale said:
Hard to believe there has not been a former Mets manager who has gotten another managerial job since Bobby Valentine, who was fired after the 2002 season.
Buck Showalter is trying to break that streak.
Showalter is certainly chasing the crown jewel: A World Series win. He's accomplished plenty with over 1,700 wins and four Manager of the Year award wins (plus a cameo on Seinfeld), but the title has eluded him. Showalter has yet to get a pennant, either. While he's accomplished plenty in the regular season, he's yet to accomplish a great deal in the extended and most important part of the year.
Teams that look positioned to be in the market for a manager include the Guardians, Giants, and Angels. The Padres seem likely to be on the search for one as well, and the indictment on locker room culture there could make Showalter a logcal pull-in. Showalter generally runs a tight ship. If Craig Counsell goes elsewhere, the Brewers are another good fit for Showalter.
Showalter is 19th in all-time managerial wins. If he is to continue his career, he'll be third in all-time wins among active managers.
Jose Altuve contract extension viewed as likely
Jose Altuve playing anywhere other than Houston would be strange to see, to say the least. For one, he's been an Astro through and through. And for better or for worse, his involvement in the team's cheating scandal has made him a villain for fans of the other 29 teams.
While fans would quickly forgive him if he performs -- look at Carlos Correa -- it's hard to envision him signing with any team other than the Astros.
Set to enter free agency in 2025, the Astros don't appear likely to let him test the open waters. An extension before he gets there is likely, according to Nightengale.
It sounds like, if push comes to shove, the Astros will forego bringing Alex Bregman back to keep Altuve, who will surely command a pretty penny. Here's what Nightengale said:
"Altuve and third baseman Alex Bregman each are eligible for free agency after the 2024 season, but the Astros privately say their focus is squarely on Altuve. Altuve, who has been with the organization since 2007, will be paid $26 million in the final year of his seven-year, $163.5 million extension. "
Of course, Houston would almost certainly prefer to keep both if possible.
The Astros first have business to complete. They lead the ALCS 3-2 as of this writing and would like to win another World Series. Altuve has been a massive part of their comeback from down 2-0 in the series to take a 3-2 lead.
Yadier Molina being hired by Cardinals is viewed as a longshot
Yadier Molina has been frequently brought up as a speculative ideal replacement for manager Oli Marmol. While Marmol being fired appears to be a complete longshot -- even if the Cards could theoretically get someone like in-division rival Craig Counsell -- the team has validated the desire among the fanbase to bring longtime Cardinal Molina back in some capacity.
It was reported previously that the Cards were honing in on Molina as a prospective hire in a coaching role. Nightengale poured cold water all over that on Sunday by describing it as a "longshot."
The Cardinals are speaking to future Hall of Fame catcher Yadier Molina about a potential major-league coaching job, but it appears to be a longshot.
While that will be met with initial disappointment among Cardinals fans, there might be some reason for optimism here. Former players becoming managers and coaches doesn't always work out. Leading a team is an almost impossible job. Even if you do it well for a few years, so few managers go out on their own accord or on a high note. There's a very high rate of former players letting fans down.
Molina was involved with the Cardinals, even if just informally, this year, keeping in touch with his successor Willson Contreras at the start of the year to help him work through struggles. Clearly, he's still energized by the team and passionate about all things Cardinals. It's hard to imagine he'll never make it back in some sort of advisory or coaching role now or in the future.
