A few links of interest regarding one managerial vacancy — and two that may be open once the offseason rolls around.
- The Astros were thought to be interested in former Nationals manager Jim Riggleman, who previously worked for Houston GM Jeff Luhnow with the Cardinals, though the sides have not spoken, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com (Twitter links). Houston's manager, Tony DeFrancesco, is helming the club on an interim basis following the dismissal of Brad Mills last month, while Riggleman is currently the manager of the Reds' Double-A affiliate.
- Indians GM Chris Antonetti has joined the team in Texas, but he said the visit was scheduled and has nothing to do with a potential shakeup, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. When asked about the job security of manager Manny Acta, Antonetti said: "I don't feel any differently than when we talked earlier. I think I'll save any sort of assessments until the end of the season. I think that's probably the best thing to do.
- Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine says he's "the best man for the job" in Boston, Alex Speier of WEEI.com reports. The manager said he has suffered along with Red Sox fans this year and expects to return in 2013.
MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.
Bobby does have a point. That is if he referring to managing a mess that is the Red Sox…
He did good by pulling Lester tonight when he did.
Can Bobby V suffer in silence somewhere else.
This has been Valentine suffering in silence?
Yikes.
One problem Bobby – We, the fans, cannot do anything to make them perform. You can – which didn’t work from day 1.
Time to move on. Why he’s still here is beyond me at this point.
I don’t understand why any MLB team would want to hire Riggleman after that stunt he pulled in Washington.
No kidding. Plus he’s not an especially good manager either. Astros fans want more than a placeholder for 2-3 years before the kids arrive in force.
A proactive hire like Luhnow deserves another proactive hire in the dugout, not old-boy club which was former owner McLane’s calling card.
Bobby V is definitely the right man for the job now – tanking. Not the right man for the job next year.
Jim Crane: “Hey Art Howe! I like what you did with the last Houston rebuilding phase 20 years ago. Care to give it another go-round?”