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The San Diego Padres announced on Wednesday afternoon that manager Bud Black has been relieved of his duties. The announcement comes as the Padres are sitting at 32-33 during a season in which the team was expected to accomplish big things. General manager A.J. Preller made a bunch of bold moves in the offseason that had the Padres’ fanbase excited, but he may have just made a big mistake.
We have learned over recent years that it’s extremely difficult to have an offseason full of change and expect things to improve quickly. The Toronto Blue Jays tried it a few years ago when they acquired Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson from the Miami Marlins, and it failed miserably. The Marlins even tried it this season, and the results have not been good. It takes time for a whole new roster of players to gel, but obviously Preller was tired of being patient.
Black has a great baseball mind and won’t have any problems finding another job if he wants one. In previous years, he continually overachieved despite having a roster devoid of talent. The 2015 season is only 65 games old; I have no doubt in my mind that Black would’ve had this team competing by the end of the season.
Preller is holding Black responsible for a roster that has largely underachieved. The only players acquired in the offseason to live up to expectations are Justin Upton and Derek Norris. Craig Kimbrel is having a down year, Matt Kemp has lost all of his power, Wil Myers has been injured, James Shields has been decent but not an ace and Will Middlebrooks continues to look lost. Black can only do so much; if the talent on the field isn’t performing, I believe that has more to do with players than the manager.
Maybe the Marlins will give Black a call. I think he would be a perfect fit for the young team in Miami. For Preller’s sake, he better hope that this was the right move, because if the team doesn’t turn it around in 2015, he may be the next guy looking for a job.
Jason Fletcher is a MLB Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JasonFletcher25, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google+.
