St. Louis Cardinals: Three managers to replace Mike Matheny

Friday’s changes to the St. Louis Cardinals left two bodies with targets squarely on their backs. The press conference was definitely a “shot across the bow” of the ships of the manager and hitting coach.

GM John Mozeliak made changes on Friday that were intended to do two things: improve the St. Louis Cardinals‘ performance, AND put manager Mike Matheny (and hitting coach John Mabry) on notice. In other words, if things don’t change then Matheny will be the change to be made.

Jeff Gordon did a nice job covering the changes in his post on Saturday in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. You can read it here. In addition to covering the changes, Gordon points out the “on notice” status for Matheny.

In his piece, Gordon accurately highlight’s Mozeliak’s continued use of the phrase “four to six weeks” as a time clock for Matheny to illustrate an ability to manage or face stronger changes from the GM.

Many of us here at Redbird Rants have covered the happenings with the St. Louis Cardinals lately. Here are just a few of our pieces covering the changes and the changes we want(ed) to see happen:

• Official Redbird Rants podcast episode 6
• A plea to John Mozeliak
• While nice, coaching changes unlikely
• John Mabry needs to go
• Chris Maloney removed as third base coach
• Jhonny Peralta DFA’d and Kolten Wong activated
• Fans DEMANDING changes

It isn’t hard to say that Redbird Rants wants changes. I want even more and wrote about that earlier on Saturday. You can read that piece here.

So, jumping ahead perhaps, let’s assume that nothing really changes and Matheny must face a firing. What then? Are there even options in existence? Would changes come from the organization internally or would the St. Louis Cardinals look externally?

These are the questions that I will answer with three managerial options that I believe would be great fits to replace Matheny. Oh, and not only do I believe them to be great fits, but I also believe they would be MUCH better alternatives to the man currently at the top of the dugout steps on the first base line.