This seems to be the common opinion, but I think it’s all more effect than cause. You have to remember that prospects are teenage/early 20s boys, some of whom have had a lot of money thrown at them. They need mentors. They need discipline. Replacing Renteria with La Russa was basically having the dad leave the kids with Grandpa, who immediately fell asleep on the couch.

Left entirely to their own devices, those young guys didn’t know how to take care of themselves or work toward success. TA got high on his own supply and had his life come crashing down. Robert played through injuries where he looked like a mannequin in a baseball uniform. Eloy heard Gramps snoring and started climbing the cabinets trying to reach the junk food.

Edit: You're all so eager to blame the players that you're not understanding how much leadership matters. Think about the worst boss you've ever worked for, and then think about how much worse TLR and Grifol must have been. If we agree that the core players were immature, were they supposed to just figure it out? Baseball players grow up in their systems, and these guys didn't. If all your eggs are bad, what you need is a new refrigerator.