The Washington Nationals are vastly underachieving while the Cincinnati Reds are having another nightmare season. Could a couple Hall of Fame shortstops manage these two MLB clubs in 2016?
Those two HOFs are Cal Ripken Jr. and Barry Larkin. The latest rumors indicate Ripken could be an option for Washington and Larkin could be Bryan Price's successor in Cincinnati, according to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.
The latter is a much more realistic situation considering the Reds are likely to move on from Price at season's end even though he has one year left on his deal. For the Nats, Williams won NL Manager of the Year in 2014 and has dealt with a slew of significant injuries on the team's MLB roster.
But hey, anything can happen.
"Nats officials, at least for the moment, say that manager Matt Williams is safe -- the team is not contemplating a change at the end of the season and not considering Ripken as a replacement," Rosenthal writes. "The Nats, however, trail the Mets by 5½ games and Williams is struggling to maintain the confidence of his players, other major-league sources said."
Ripken told ESPN 980 Radio in Washington that he and the Nats had "serious discussions" about becoming the club's manager before GM Mike Rizzo chose Williams before the 2014 season.
Would the Nationals jump ship on Williams if they missed the playoffs?
Probably not, considering the multitude of factors that have been working against him. However, Ripken is an intriguing option if the Nationals' players orchestrate a coup and want Williams out.
As for the Reds, Larkin taking over as manager is much more realistic. The former Cincinnati legend played his entire career with the Reds from 1986-2004 and it's probable the team is looking for change after back-to-back losing seasons under Price (even though he hasn't had much to work with).
"Talk at the All-Star break that Larkin could replace Price before the end of the season proved unfounded," Rosenthal wrote. "But Larkin in recent months has surveyed former Reds teammates about whether they would join his coaching staff if he became manager, sources said."
That could mean something is in the works. Or it could mean Larkin is a diligent man who prepares for the potential opportunity ahead. Whateer the case, the Reds are clearly moving in a new direction after trading Johnny Cueto, Mike Leake, Marlon Byrd, Mat Latos, Alfredo Simon and others within the past year. More moves are expected to be considered in the offseason, which means Aroldis Chapman, Jay Bruce or Brandon Phillips could be goners as well.
Larkin is currently working for the organization as a minor league instructor with Double-A Pensacola. With Cincinnati's attendance down this season, Rosenthal suggests the hiring of Larkin could be a marketing strategy as the Reds continue their rebuild in the offseason and in 2016.
At this point it's all speculation, but these two scenarios could be notable storylines in the offseason.
