As reported earlier today, the Cubs are considering such names as Manny Acta, A.J. Hinch and Rick Renteria to be their new manager, though it seems they're prepared to top any offer Joe Girardi might receive from the Yankees. Here's the latest on some managerial openings and coaching candidates from around baseball…
- The Diamondbacks have fired pitching coach Charles Nagy, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. Nagy had served in the role for the previous three seasons.
- Don Mattingly tops the list of potential candidates ESPN New York's Andrew Marchand thinks could be the next Yankees manager if Girardi isn't re-signed. While Dodgers management has praised Mattingly, the fact that they haven't yet exercised their $1.4MM team option on Mattingly for 2014 has raised some speculation about Mattingly's job security in Los Angeles.
- Internal Yankees candidates such as Pete Mackanin, Tony Pena, Don Wakamatsu and Dave Miley are also on Marchand's list, while high-profile names like Dusty Baker, Tony La Russa and Lou Piniella are seen as long shots.
- Reds pitching coach Bryan Price said he was interested in the team's manager job, MLB.com's Mark Sheldon reports (Twitter link), though Price didn't further comment on the topic. Price has been cited as the possible favorite internal candidate to succeed Baker as Cincinnati's skipper.
- Several interested parties have already contacted Reds GM Walt Jocketty about the job, Jocketty tells John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer, though franchise legend Barry Larkin isn't one of them. The team is "just scratching the surface" on their search, Jocketty said, and hasn't yet made plans to interview first base coach Billy Hatcher or bench coach Chris Speier. The Reds will probably begin interviewing candidates next week.
- Joe Espada, the Marlins third base coach for the last four seasons, could receive some interviews for a manager's job this winter, a scout tells Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. At the very least, Espada will be pursued for coaching jobs on Major League rosters. The Marlins themselves see Espada as a potential future skipper and thus assigned him to manage their Class A team in Jupiter for 2014 to gain experience.
- Blue Jays hitting coach Chad Mottola and first base coach Dwayne Murphy (who is retiring) will not return next season, the Jays announced via press release. Mottola took over from Murphy as Toronto's hitting coach before the 2013 season. The rest of the Blue Jays' coaches will return in 2014.
- The Padres will retain their entire coaching staff next season, the club announced.
