First Manager Fired Odds Favor Mariners’ Servais; Dodgers’ Roberts Second

• Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais is favored to be the first manager fired in 2020
• LA Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is feeling the heat after his team lost twice to the Giants as big favorites
• Chicago White Sox Ron Renteria could be a good bet to go if he can’t get the young team on track.

Nothing about the 2020 Major League Baseball season has been normal. The wild ride has continued into the early part of the season where the standings aren’t even one of the major topics of conversation yet. It’s still early in the year but once we start getting a few weeks into the season, some managers are going to find themselves on the hot seat.

Sportsbooks have posted props on (1) which manager will be fired first and (2) how many managers will be canned in 2020. Below, find the odds for both props and a closer look at the best bets.

Odds to Be First Manager Fired in 2020

Odds as of July 28th.

Servais Favored to Be Fired

Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais is the man who is favored to be fired first. The Mariners entered the year with a win total of 24.5, so they were already expected to be under .500. However, a 1-3 start with some lopsided results is not helping their cause.

Servais has been in charge of the Mariners since 2016, so he’s definitely had a fair shake. While it’s questionable whether the team has given him enough talent, rarely have the Mariners looked competent during his tenure. He has a career .495 winning percentage and has been there long enough for us to know that he’s not going to take the team anywhere.

Roberts Among Favorites to Get First Pink Slip

The Dodgers entered the 2020 campaign as the favorites according to the 2020 World Series odds and, while we’re just four games in, the results are not what the fans, bettors, or oddsmakers expected.

The team is just 2-2 and has a couple of really ugly losses early on. They’ve lost twice to the San Francisco Giants, once as a -320 favorite and once as a -400 favorite.

Roberts has long been on the hot seat as he’s guided the Dodgers to stellar regular season records and decent playoff runs, but they haven’t been able to seal the deal and win a ring. If the team doesn’t snap out of this early funk and go on a little run, he’s going to feel the heat.

Renteria a Good Bet to Be Fired First

My money is on Rick Renteria at this point. The Chicago White Sox were supposed to be a young team on the rise but they’ve lost four of their first five games and have looked really bad in the process. They lost two of three at home to the Minnesota Twins, getting outscored 27-17 in the process.

It’s early but the White Sox are in last place and Renteria has had plenty of time to turn things around with this squad. He’s rarely had the talent he has now but he won just 67 games in his first year, 62 in 2018, and 72 games last year. In his lone season as manager of the Chicago Cubs, he was just 73-89.

Overall, Renteria doesn’t have a track record of success (career .423 winning percentage). If the White Sox don’t turn this around quickly, I’d expect him to be first out the door. They have a young team who might benefit – immediately – from a change and, if Renteria can’t develop this young, talented team, they’ll find someone else who can.

Over/Under Total Managers Fired in 2020

Total Managers Fired In 2020

Taking a look at the totals prop, the number on the board is 2.5. I really don’t expect many managers to get fired during the season since we’re looking at a 60-game schedule. Not only is it a little bit insensitive given the pandemic, but it’s also such a short season that the teams can let the manager go at the end of the campaign. I’m looking for an under with this prop.