I don't like the Jones/Cat move or the Benson/Feldman move, and not that Wash is making all the roster decisions, but my impression is that he pushed for both of these.  This just reinforces my feeling that Wash is just not a good players' manager. Cat has been a great team guy for the past two years, and he's dumped for a guy who STUNK the past two years.   Feldman was the ultimate team guy last year and he's rewarded  by being sent back to the bullpen for a guy that's been out of baseball for two years, and was never that good when he was "in his prime."  He yanked Cat out of the game when he was online to hit for the cycle, he yanked Laird around while he was here.  He was a non-entity, and maybe even a little subversive, with the Young to third situation, which WAS something the team needed. From snippet's i've read from Byrd and Murphy, my impression is that he hasn't been very clear with them or with Cruz what the outfield roles would be this year, and their uncertainty must have increased during the whole Jones drama. 

As much as I hate Mike Scioscia personally, I think he handles his players much better, to wit, the GMJ drama.  He had some careful quotes in the press where he said he sympathized with Gary, and he told GMJ what was up in no uncertain terms as soon as he knew.  But Wash just seems reactionary, and when he reacts, he's not always thinking about what's going through the mind of the player(s) he's affecting. 

I was so happy at the beginning of spring when Wash said the rotation was set barring injury, and then he goes and proves himself a liar.... and for Benson???  Is Benson really worth yanking my boy Feldman around?  I Still don't understand why Benson can't be the long guy in the pen. 

AS, (after Showalter,) we were supposed to be getting a good communicator and motivator, but time has proven that Wash is bad at in game strategy, bad at managing players' egos, bad at preparing the team for the beginning of the year, and bad at preparing the team defensively.  What is it exactly that he's good at?  I give him props for dealing with CJ last year and being fun to listen to in interviews but.....

I'll add that I do hope both moves work out, and I would much rather have a beer with Ron Washington than Mike Scioscia, but for me these moves sort of put a damper on an exciting spring.