Two of the most disappointing MLB clubs - the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox - are among the worst in their respective leagues, but they will retain their incumbent managers for 2016 despite conflicting rumors and speculation.
The Reds (64-97) will bring back Bryan Price, who has one more year remaining on his contract. Price was believed to be on the hot seat after securing a second consecutive losing campaign earlier this year, but in his defense he really hasn't had an opportunistic two seasons with the team.
Reds general manager Walt Jocketty told reporters on Saturday that Price would be back in 2016.
Walt Jocketty just told us Bryan Price will return as #Reds manager in 2016
— C. Trent Rosecrans (@ctrent) October 3, 2015
Jocketty said they'll meet and make a decision on coaching staff over next few weeks #Reds
— C. Trent Rosecrans (@ctrent) October 3, 2015
The #Reds' 13-game losing streak is longest since 1945; but #Reds still plan on bringing back manager Bryan Price.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 3, 2015
Price is just 140-183 in two seasons as manager of the Reds, but the club has been far from healthy over that span. Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, Brandon Phillips and Homer Bailey (among others) were injured for large portions of the 2014 season and Bailey, Billy Hamilton, Devin Mesoraco, Zack Cosart and others have missed most of 2015.
Additionally, Jocketty traded away Mat Latos and Alfredo Simon before the season and then dealt Johnny Cueto, Mike Leake and Marlon Byrd in the middle of the season.
So Price will perhaps have a more legitimate shot to prove he can manage the MLB club in 2016.
The same goes for a disappointing American League team.
On Friday, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn announced Robin Ventura would return as the team's manager in 2016 after much speculation surrounded the skipper's job security in the past month or so.
"If we didn't feel as an organization that Robin had the ability to be a championship-caliber manager, he wouldn't be here," Hahn told Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago. "If we felt we didn't have a championship caliber hitting coach, he wouldn't be here.
"The people who wear this the most, the people who lose the sleep over this as much as anybody, the people who on a daily basis feel as passionately about it as our fans do, want the same things that our fans do."
Ventura recently told reporters he hoped he'd be returning next season.
The White Sox (76-85) have endured a third consecutive losing season under Ventura, who is 297-350 in four seasons with Chicago. Ventura's best campaign came in 2012 when the team finished 85-77, which was good for second place in the AL Central.
Chicago did do some shuffling with the coaching staff, though. Bench coach Mark Parent was fired on Thursday night and assistant hitting coach Harold Baines is expected to transition to an ambassador role with the club.
The rest of Ventura's staff is expected to return, according to Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune.
