USA TODAY survey: MLB power shift has managers' salaries in free fall

Bob Nightengale | USA TODAY

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CHICAGO — Joe Maddon helped lead the Chicago Cubs to the Holy Grail of sports, with a consistent level of success they haven’t seen in a century, but there are whispers his job could be in jeopardy if they don’t play deep into October.

Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch and Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who led their teams to the World Series a year ago, have contracts that expire after this season.

Interim managers Mike Shildt and Jim Riggleman, who have done marvelous jobs since taking over the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds, have no idea whether their gigs will be prolonged or have a September expiration date.

Welcome to life as a Major League Baseball manager, where the hours are long, the pressure enormous, and the job security lacking as front offices take more and more control.

There could be as many as 10 managerial vacancies after this season, from the West Coast to the Eastern seaboard. Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia is retiring after 19 seasons at the helm, the longest run since Bobby Cox's 21 years with the Atlanta Braves. Orioles veteran manager Buck Showalter, who has been in Baltimore since 2010, and rookie managers Davey Martinez of the Washington Nationals and Mickey Callaway of the New York Mets, are under fire.

The days of Walter Alston, Tommy Lasorda, Cox and Scioscia are over. Teams don’t dole out 10-year, $50 million contracts anymore like Angels owner Arte Moreno provided Scioscia. No one earns $7.5 million a year like Joe Torre did 11 years ago with the New York Yankees.

A study by USA TODAY of all 30 major-league teams found there are 21 active managers earning $1.5 million or less this season. There are just three managers earning more than the average major-league player salary of $4 million.

The highest-paid managers at $6 million apiece are three-time World Series champion Bruce Bochy of the San Francisco Giants, Scioscia and Maddon. The contracts of Bochy and Maddon expire after 2019, with neither manager engaged in contract extension talks.

Bochy, who hasn't decided whether he wants to remain as manager after 2019, likely will remain in the Giants’ front office. Maddon wants to continue managing, but if the Cubs fail to make the playoffs, or go out quickly, his fate is tenuous, several baseball executives told USA TODAY on the condition of anonymity. The executives did not want to speak publicly about Maddon's situation.

Turnover is the nature of the beast in baseball. Just seven managers have lasted at least five years in their current jobs, earning salaries dwarfed by NFL and NBA coaches.

Veteran managers Joe Girardi (Yankees), John Farrell (Boston Red Sox) and Dusty Baker (Nationals) all were fired after leading their teams to postseason berths in 2017. They were replaced by rookie managers who are earning a total of $2.7 million this season.

Perhaps the most stunning aspect of the USA TODAY survey is the suppressed salary scale. Revenues dramatically have increased throughout baseball, in excess of $8 billion this year, but manager salaries are decreasing.

Hinch, who has an option for $1.4 million, and Roberts, who has an option for $1.1 million, should be in line for fat long-term deals. Yet, neither have a guarantee past this season.

Torey Lovullo, who signed a three-year, $2.7 million contract, led the Arizona Diamondbacks to the playoffs last year, earning the National League manager of the year award. He has them in first place in the NL West this season. His contract expires next season.

Boone left the ESPN broadcast booth to sign a three-year, $3.75 million contract with the Yankees last winter. Alex Cora of the Red Sox is earning $4 million over four years.

It’s a far cry from the 10-year, $100 million deal the Oakland Raiders paid to lure Jon Gruden from the ESPN booth, or the 10-year, $75 million deal Texas A&M gave football coach Jimbo Fisher to leave Florida State.

New managers today are barely making more than the minimum $545,000 player salary, despite more demands on their time. The managers, with minimum 12-hour workdays, talk twice a day to local reporters, interact with various departments, try to blend different factions, accommodate huge personalities, and then must get the players to buy into the process.

“It’s a little bit of a Sarah Huckabee-type position,’’ Maddon said, referring to the White House press secretary.

The most demanding time for managers, they’ll tell you, is not from the first to ninth inning of games, but from the ninth inning of that evening’s game to the first inning of the next day.

“I almost feel like a Catholic priest at times,’’ Maddon said. “There’s like this whole procession coming in, talking about all kinds of stuff.’’

There has been a major power shift. We likely will never see a manager with the power of Scioscia, Tony La Russa, Jim Leyland or Cox again. Certainly no one will be getting a 10-year contract.

Angels' Mike Scioscia denies report he will step down after season Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia denied rumors that he is stepping down at the end of the season, calling the report "poppycock."

These days, there are plenty of managers who have little or no control of their daily lineups and little involvement with personnel decisions. Teams don’t mind paying a middle reliever $3 million a year, but unless you’ve got 10 years of experience and a World Series on your resume, no one is paying that kind of money to a manager.

“It’s like owners having a Jaguar, and then taking it to Jiffy Lube for a tuneup,’’ one high-ranking club executive said. “It’s amazing how some of these teams devalue their manager.’’

Managers are terrified to disagree with their front offices for fear it will cost them their jobs.

“It’s different now,’’ Maddon said, “with front offices seeking out managers who are able to assimilate with them better, and accept the methods. If guys coming up don’t want to accept analytics, numbers and methods in that regard, you pretty much eliminate your chance of becoming a major-league manager.’’

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A CLOSER LOOK AT WHO EARNS WHAT

Mike Scioscia, Los Angeles Angels: $6 million

Joe Maddon, Chicago Cubs, $6 million

Bruce Bochy, San Francisco Giants: $6 million

Terry Francona, Cleveland Indians: $4 million

Buck Showalter, Baltimore Orioles: $4 million

Ned Yost, Kansas City Royals: $3.7 million

Clint Hurdle, Pittsburgh Pirates: $3 million

#John Farrell, Boston Red Sox: $3 million

Bob Melvin, Oakland A’s: $2.5 million

Don Mattingly, Miami Marlins: $2.4 million

#Mike Matheny, St. Louis Cardinals: $1.9 million

John Gibbons, Toronto Blue Jays: $1.7 million

Ron Gardenhire, Detroit Tigers: $1.5 million

Craig Counsell, Milwaukee Brewers: $1.5 million

Paul Molitor, Minnesota Twins: $1.5 million

Bud Black, Colorado Rockies: $1.5 million

#Bryan Price, Cincinnati Reds: $1.4 million

A.J. Hinch, Houston Astros: $1.2 million

Rick Renteria, Chicago White Sox: $1.2 million

Aaron Boone, New York Yankees: $1.15 million

Kevin Cash, Tampa Bay Rays: $1 million

Dave Roberts, Los Angeles Dodgers: $1 million

Andy Green, San Diego Padres: $1 million

Jeff Bannister, Texas Rangers: $950,000

Torey Lovullo, Arizona Diamondbacks: $900,000

Davey Martinez, Washington Nationals: $850,000

Mickey Callaway, New York Mets: $850,000

Gabe Kapler, Philadelphia Phillies: $803,000

Alex Cora, Boston Red Sox: $800,000

Scott Servais, Seattle Mariners: $800,000

Brian Snitker, Atlanta Braves: $800,000

@Jim Riggleman, Cincinnati Reds: $700,000 (prorated)

@Mike Shildt, St. Louis Cardinals: $700,00 (prorated)

#No longer employed as manager, but being paid this season

@Interim manager