Walt Weiss resigns as Rockies manager

The managerial changes in major league baseball are rolling on. The Colorado Rockies announced on Monday morning that manager Walt Weiss has resigned his post. Weiss had helmed the Rockies since the 2013 season.

Walt Weiss steps down as @Rockies manager. pic.twitter.com/o5r3hZmYm8

— MLB (@MLB) October 3, 2016

Weiss’ departure isn’t entirely unexpected. Weiss was in the last year of a three-year contract, and there were no negotiations to extend that during the season. And as Chris Cwik pointed out on Sunday in his column on managers in the hot seat, Weiss’ future in Colorado was very much in question. His managerial record is partly to blame: over four years, he racked up a record of 283-385.Also to blame could be his relationship with general manager Jeff Bridich. Bridich apparently stopped including Weiss in decisions about player acquisitions this season, which is never a good sign for a manager. Weiss apparently addressed his relationship with the GM in a meeting he had with the owner of the Rockies on Sunday.

Walt Weiss told me that he met yesterday with #Rockies owner Dick Monfort about his strained relationship with GM Jeff Bridich.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 3, 2016

Weiss stepped down the very next day, so I’m guessing it didn’t go well.

Despite the overall results, it’s worth pointing out that Weiss did make progress with the team while he was there, though it was very, very incremental. The 2016 season was his best since 2013, his very first as Rockies manager. Of course, the 2014 and 2015 seasons were pretty bad for the Rockies, and that’s why progress had to be made in the first place.

Here’s an amazing factoid: in 2013, the Rockies finished fifth in the NL West with a 74-88 record. In 2016 they finished third in the NL West with a nearly identical 75-87 record.

The Rockies aren’t wallowing in the present. They’re wasting no time in moving forward and are already looking at candidates to replace Weiss.

#Rockies announced Walt Weiss will not return as manager. Possible external candidate for #Braves to interview.

— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) October 3, 2016