Loria declines to offer vote of confidence for Marlins manager Mike Redmond
Miami Marlins manager Mike Redmond is reportedly on the hot seat and controversial owner Jeffrey Loria did nothing to dispel the notion when speaking to reporters about his manager's job security.
Loria and Marlins general manager Dan Jennings met with Redmond ahead of Tuesday's series opener against the division rival Philadelphia Phillies. But when asked about the report that Redmond could soon be replaced based on the Marlins' 3-10 start, Loria failed to offer the skipper a vote of confidence.
"I've got one thing to say: I'm not interested in palace intrigue,'' Loria told reporters. "We've got games to win - period. (The speculation) doesn't have anything to do with anything.''
As ESPN's Jerry Crasnick noted, Loria is not shy about axing managers.
Loria has a track record of running through managers in Miami. The Marlins fired Jeff Torborg after 38 games in 2003 and terminated Fredi Gonzalez 70 games into the 2010 season. In addition, Loria fired Joe Girardi and Ozzie Guillen after one season each.
Expectations were high in Miami for 2015 after the team underwent an offseason makeover by bringing in veterans Michael Morse and Martin Prado, in addition to making separate trades for Dee Gordon and Mat Latos. The team also signed power-hitter Giancarlo Stanton to a record-breaking $325-million contract and recently inked budding star Christian Yelich to a long-term extension.
But the club has stumbled out of the gates, leading to whispers about Redmond's fate.
Redmond, in his third season as Marlins manager, is signed through the 2017 campaign. He knows Miami has to get back on track fast, not only for his own sake, but in order to prevent the Marlins from falling further behind in the National League East race.
"First of all, nobody is more disappointed in the way we've started than I am," Redmond said. "We were expecting to get off to a hot start and it hasn't happened.
"I can't control the stuff that people write. All I can do is come out and be consistent. I think I've showed that the last couple of years. I think the guys know where I'm coming from. We've got to win some ballgames. That's the way it is."