Which NL Central Team Is Shaking Things Up with a Managerial Change?
Two managers will get fired and don’t be surprised if a third one gets the ax.
The NL Central is a competitive division in Major League Baseball. In 2024, all five teams were in the playoff hunt at the All-Star break despite most teams being in rebuilding mode. The Brewers are the only team likely to make the playoffs. Two managers will get fired as a result of the second-half failures. The question is, which NL Central team is shaking things up with a managerial change?
The National League Central
The five-team National League Central division is one of Major League Baseball’s most competitive and historic. The Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs are two of the oldest professional baseball teams. The St Louis Cardinals are one of MLB’s most storied and successful teams. The 1970s were the Pittsburgh Pirates’ most successful decade when they won two World Series. The Milwaukee Brewers have been the most successful team in the division over the past ten years.
At the All-Star Break
At the 2024 All-Star Break, the Milwaukee Brewers were a lock to make the playoffs. Unbelievably, the other four teams were all in contention for a wild card spot. However, all had records of around .500, indicating a lack of consistency and dominance. The second half of the season would say everything about the direction of the teams and managers of the NL Central.
The Managers of the NL Central
The NL Central division has five teams, each with its own manager. As of August 2024, these are the managers:
Pat Murphy — Milwaukee Brewers
Craig Counsell — Chicago Cubs
David Bell — Cincinnati Reds
Oliver Marmol — St. Louis Cardinals
Derek Shelton — Pittsburgh Pirates
Which Managers Are On The Hot Seat
Oli Marmol (St. Louis Cardinals)
Oli Marmol is gone. In fact, he’ll probably get fired in September before the season ends. Despite a successful 2022 season, Marmol faced criticism in 2023 due to the Cardinals’ poor performance. His handling of players and in-game strategies have reached a boiling point in 2024. The Cardinals will blame Marmol for their shortfalls in 2024 and move forward with much of the same team under a new leader in 2025.
Derek Shelton (Pittsburgh Pirates)
Derek Shelton has been the manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates for four seasons, and the team’s performance is not much better. Shelton is blamed for many of his in-game decisions and questionable player development. The only thing that may save Shelton is the lack of talent attributed to the General Manager, Ben Cherington. While Cherington’s firing may save Shelton, Shelton is just as likely to be swept out with the house cleaning.
David Bell (Cincinnati Reds)
David Bell is completing his fifth year as manager of the Reds. Despite having one of the most exciting teams in baseball, the Reds playoff record is poor under Bell. The records were expected to contend for the division title in 2024 after an impressive second half of 2023. Expectations have not been met.
Bell’s father and grandfather were legacy players and front-office leaders with the Reds, so Bell’s relationship with the Reds is deep. The clubhouse atmosphere is great, as evidenced by two veteran players shedding tears when they were traded in late July. Most experts say the Reds are one or two players away from being a great team. Look for the Reds to give Bell one more season, but he is indeed on a warm seat that is getting hotter.
Craig Counsell (Chicago Cubs)
The Cubs and Craig Counsell are this year’s biggest disappointments. Counsell was hired away from division rival Milwaukee Brewers. He managed the Brewers for nine seasons, making him the longest-tenured manager in the franchise’s history. The Brewers made the playoffs in each of his last five seasons.
Counsell has struggled with a team with more talent on paper than his Brew crew. Counsell had great pitching in Milwaukee and several clutch players, which has been missing with the Cubs this year. Although highly disappointed, look for the Cubs to give their first-year manager a second shot in 2025.
Pat Murphy (Milwaukee Brewers)
Pat Murphy joined the Brewers after the 2025 season as the team’s bench coach. He held the role throughout Craig Counsell’s tenure as manager and was a key part of the team’s success during that period. Murphy was promoted to manager this season after Counsell’s departure to the Cubs.
Murphy has met or exceeded all expectations for the division-winning and playoff-bound Brewers. He is the only manager in the NL Central that has a better chance of being stolen by another team than being fired.
Which NL Central Manager Will Get Fired?
The Cardinals’ Oli Marmol is certain. The Pirates’ Derek Shelton will experience a similar fate with front-office house cleaning. The Reds’ David Bell and the Cubs’ Craig Counsell get another year, but don’t be surprised if either one of them gets the ax. The Brewers’ Pat Murphy is safe.
