讀後心得

In a game yet to be played, the St. Louis Cardinals have announced that prominent executive John Mozeliak will step down at the end of the season, with Chaim Bloom taking over. As the new season approaches, five general managers in Major League Baseball face the risk of being dismissed. First is Bill Schmidt of the Colorado Rockies, who has overseen two consecutive seasons with over 100 losses, leading to questions about the front office's lackluster operations. Perry Minasian of the Los Angeles Angels is also in a difficult position, with the team's poor performance compounded by the departure of Shohei Ohtani. Jed Hoyer of the Chicago Cubs faces criticism for failing to lead the team into the postseason. Ben Cherington of the Pittsburgh Pirates has rookie potential but struggles with poor results, putting him in a tough situation. Finally, Ross Atkins of the Toronto Blue Jays, while the team has made multiple postseason appearances in the past, has recently faced consecutive losses, and contract renewal issues raise concerns about the future. The futures of these executives are precarious, fluctuating with the team's performance.

Before a game has even begun, the St. Louis Cardinals have announced that the highly watched John Mozeliak will automatically step down at the end of the season, with Chaim Bloom taking over. Indeed, the harsh reality of success and failure means that the upper management of the team will naturally apologize to fans when faced with poor performance. In the upcoming new season, among the 30 Major League teams, the following five executives have a high likelihood of resigning at some point in 2025:

• Bill Schmidt, General Manager of the Colorado Rockies

  After enduring more than 100 losses over the past two seasons and suffering 204 defeats in the last 328 games, the Rockies should at least hit rock bottom and bounce back... right? Such thinking is undoubtedly overly naive. The management team led by Bill Schmidt has, apart from releasing several veteran players during the offseason, primarily brought in new blood that is largely irrelevant to the situation, consisting mostly of second-tier players. The expected total team salary for the new season is about $111 million, a decrease of $34 million from last year, marking the lowest since 2016. It seems that owner Dick Monfort intends to tighten the belt and is no longer overly pursuing wins. The Rockies have always emphasized stability in management personnel, having only had four general managers since their inception, and Schmidt has been with the team since 1999, rising entirely through the ranks from within. However, since taking over the team in October 2021, he has led the team into its darkest period, achieving a win percentage of only 40.2%, finishing last each season, with close to a 40-game gap from the leading teams. The team's management capabilities are clearly inadequate, and the contract signed for Kris Bryant, a seven-year $182 million deal, is likely to become a bad contract. The possibility of the Rockies continuing to decline in the new season is very high, and it would not be surprising if Schmidt is pushed out to take the blame.

• Perry Minasian, General Manager of the Los Angeles Angels

  Describing the Angels as "barely surviving" is most appropriate; with Shohei Ohtani leaving and star Mike Trout frequently plagued by injuries, the entire team seems to be engulfed in a dark calamity, difficult to see the light. Perry Minasian took over as general manager in November 2020, and owner Arte Moreno extended his contract for two years last August, which will run until 2026. However, under Minasian's tenure, the Angels have accumulated 286 wins and 372 losses, with a win percentage of only 34.7%, a painful record to reflect on. While not all of this is his fault, the team's gradual decline in performance is evident. Even with veterans joining the team, there has been no strong competitiveness; with budget cuts being the overarching policy, the outlook for the coming years doesn't seem optimistic, and it appears foreseeable that the general manager could be held accountable and replaced.

• Jed Hoyer, President of Baseball Operations for the Chicago Cubs

  Since 2011, Jed Hoyer has largely followed in the footsteps of his mentor Theo Epstein and was promoted to the top management position at the end of 2020. However, failing to reach the playoffs in all four seasons of his tenure, Hoyer's performance stands in stark contrast to Epstein's. With his contract soon to expire, Hoyer has fallen into a status of evaluation, showing a strong desire to survive. He hopes to turn the situation around with a trade for Kyle Tucker in the offseason, but if the team does not make the playoffs, his chances of remaining are slim to none.

• Ben Cherington, General Manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates

  Ben Cherington has substantial experience with the Red Sox, yet since taking over at the end of 2019, the Pirates have consistently failed to revive. The team has finished at the bottom of the division over the past five seasons, with losses exceeding 100 games. Despite the emergence of superstar rookie pitcher Paul Skenes, overall competitiveness remains insufficient. If progress is not made in the upcoming new season, Cherington may find it difficult to escape the fate of being replaced.

• Ross Atkins, General Manager of the Toronto Blue Jays

  In the highly competitive American League East, although the Blue Jays have performed slightly better in recent years, they have still failed to break through. The Blue Jays have entered the playoffs three times in the past five years but have always fallen short in the wild card games. Recent pursuits of marquee stars have repeatedly failed, showing significant ambition but only getting caught in bidding wars. If performance continues to falter, the Blue Jays may undergo a major overhaul, and Atkins's future position will face challenges.