But some players and agents, who would only speak off the record, said there’s more to it than that. Not only were they caught by surprise when manager Mike Redmond was fired only 38 games into the season, but they were taken aback by the decision to replace him with a front-office executive — Dan Jennings — with no managing or coaching experience.
Jennings had not spent any time in a major-league dugout in any capacity — not even as a batboy — and it has rankled players.
How many?
“All 25 of them,” said the agent of one player.
No player would go on record expressing dissatisfaction, or frustration, with any of the recent run of events.
Giancarlo Stanton wouldn’t touch the question.
“Doesn’t matter,” Stanton responded when asked if he was frustrated. “You’re not going to get no controversial stuff from me, so don’t try it. Any type of question like that, the answer is going to be everywhere. I’ve already been through that before.”
Privately, though, players aren’t pleased.
“C’mon, show us some stability you preach,” one said in reference to an oft-repeated pledge before the season that the team was entering a new era of stability after years of erratic performance, both on and off the field.
