The firing of Rick Renteria and the subsequent hiring of Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa has brought the conversation of a manager’s value to the forefront. With so many factors that go into managing, there will never be an unequivocal answer. Strong points come from both sides, but one thing that is often overlooked as fuel for the argument is the role a major league manager plays in player development.
With so many prospects reaching the major league level in the last few years, the 2020 White Sox are a good case study for this discussion. The roster featured several players who struggled upon their promotions. Everyone remembers the “Yoan Moncada is a bust” season. There’s plenty of talk about Lucas Giolito going from league worst in 2018 to All-Star the following year. Luis Robert started with a jaw-dropping performance in the early part of last season before he struggled and then made a minor comeback towards the end of the year. How much Renteria and the coaching staff contributed to these progressions is difficult to measure, as outside influences and teammates also factor into the equation.
History Lesson
For insight into the development process of a major league player, let’s look at an interview I conducted in February with retired White Sox pitcher Neal Cotts. Cotts began his big league career with four starts as a late-season call up in 2003. But as Spring Training 2004 wound down, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen made a decision that would alter Cotts’s career and the trajectory of the franchise.
“Ozzie and Coop moved me to the bullpen. I threw pretty good in Spring Training that year (2004). I remember Coop sat me down, and he said, ‘Ozzie wants you to be in the bullpen. If you’re dead set on starting, it’ll be in Triple-A.’ I told Coop, ‘I’ll stick to the bullpen.’”
“I remember about two months into the season, someone in the media asked Ozzie what was going on with these guys (Cotts and Jon Adkins). Are they going to get moved down? What are you doing with them? Ozzie stood behind us, and to this day, I’m thankful for it. He said they’re out there, and sometimes they’re not going to be the greatest, but they’re learning. I’m sticking with them all year.”
Former White Sox reliever Neal Cotts
Guillen, not known for his patience, exhibited some in 2004 with Adkins appearing in 50 games, in which he allowed 75 hits in 62 innings. He posted an ERA of 4.65 with a FIP of 5.37 and a 1.532 WHIP. Cotts’ numbers were relatively similar, allowing 61 hits in 65.1 innings over 56 appearances. His ERA was 5.65, with a FIP of 5.38 and a 1.393 WHIP.
The Outcome
Cotts never returned as a starter, but had a successful 10-year career as a relief pitcher. Everyone is familiar with the integral part he played as a late-inning, left-handed set-up man on the 2005 World Series championship team. In retrospect, the magnitude of the move is clear. Do the White Sox win the title in 2005 without Cotts’ contributions? Probably not. Would Cotts have found success as a starter? Impossible to answer. But it’s easy to gauge the significant impact that the choices and confidence of the coaching staff had on both Cotts and the team.
Will History Repeat?
The relevance of Cotts’ story is apparent when juxtaposed with that of 2020 first-round draft pick Garrett Crochet. It’s doubtful that the White Sox had a relief role in mind when they made Crochet the 11th-overall pick. Had it not been for the unique set of challenges presented in 2020, Crochet likely wouldn’t have made his major league debut without firing a single pitch in the minor leagues.
With the hope of a normal season in 2021, it would be ideal for Crochet to start in Double-A Birmingham for development as a starter. But what if new manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Ethan Katz decide they need a left-handed flamethrower in the bullpen? Crochet recently told Scott Merkin, “He’ll fill either role.” Will the development staff prevent the owner’s hand-picked Hall of Fame Manager from getting what he wants? The answer is obvious.
But what would starting his career in the bullpen mean for Crochet’s future? Or the team as a whole? Cotts ended up spending his entire career in a relief role. But that doesn’t mean it needs to be the same for Crochet. Earl Weaver used the pen to groom his starters. The White Sox also did this with Mark Buehrle. But you don’t need to go back that far to find examples. More recently, Chris Sale was the team’s closer before becoming a perennial Cy Young award candidate as a starter.
The Difference Between Winning and Losing
Will the coaching staff’s decision on Crochet’s usage next spring be as career-altering as it was for Neal Cotts? That’s another question without a concrete answer.
Regardless of which way it goes, the outcome will shape the team’s pitching staff for several years, proving that managerial decisions are an essential factor in a player’s development. But, more importantly, an essential factor in winning or losing ballgames, not only day-by-day but for seasons to come.
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