D’backs “Hope” To Have Decision On Manager Monday

Here’s the latest on the Diamondbacks’ managerial situation:

OCT. 12:

• Sources tell CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman Turner Ward, the Diamondbacks’ assistant hitting coach, is a finalist in addition to the previously reported Jim Tracy, Phil Nevin, Chip Hale, and Sandy Alomar Jr.
• Diamondbacks President/CEO Derrick Hall, Chief Baseball Officer Tony La Russa, GM Dave Stewart, and Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations De Jon Watson will meet tonight to discuss the new manager hire and Stewart says “we should have this thing done, probably we hope, by [Monday],“ reports MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert. Gilbert adds the Diamondbacks would need permission from MLB to announce a new manager this week because of baseball’s preference for the focus to be on the playoffs. 

OCT. 11:

• The D’Backs appear to have completed their interview process, meaning that Wakamatsu and Bundy won’t receive interviews as previously scheduled, MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert reports.  The two coaches’ busier schedules (the Royals are still going in the playoffs and the Dodgers were just eliminated) seem to be to blame, and Arizona is eager to get moving on the hiring process from within the pool of nine candidates who have already been interviewed.  A team official tells Gilbert that, contrary to Nightengale’s earlier report, no finalists have been identified from the nine candidates.
• Tracy and Nevin could both be hired by the Diamondbacks, Nightengale tweets.  One would serve as manager and the other as bench coach in this scenario.

OCT. 10: 

• Jim Tracy, Phil Nevin, Chip Hale, and Sandy Alomar are the finalists, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today. A decision will be announced on Monday.

OCT. 3:

• Jim Tracy’s interview with the D’Backs was yesterday and went well, sources tell Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (Twitter link).
• Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that the Rangers have granted the D’Backs permission to interview Bogar. As he notes, this is a bit curious, as Bogar is seen as one of the favorites in Texas’ own managerial search.

OCT. 2:

• The Diamondbacks have now also received permission to interview A’s bench coach Chip Hale and Dodgers third base coach Lorenzo Bundy, the team announced. They also announced that they’ve asked the Rangers for permission to interview interim manager Tim Bogar.

OCT. 1:

• The D’Backs now announce that they’ve received permission to interview Royals bench coach Don Wakamatsu for the position as well. Wakamatsu formerly managed the Mariners and recently interviewed for the Astros’ managerial opening before Houston hired A.J. Hinch.
• McEwing has also been officially cleared to interview, as Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweeted and the club confirmed on Twitter.
• The club has announced (Twitter links) an initial candidate list that includes Sandy Alomar Jr. and Jim Tracy in addition to Bell, Green, Nevin, and Ward. That list will be added to once interview consents are received for personnel under contract with other clubs.

SEPT. 27:

Unless otherwise, noted, information is via MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert (all Twitter links).

• Internal candidates for the Diamondbacks’ managerial job include Triple-A Reno manager Phil Nevin, Double-A Mobile manager Andy Green and big-league hitting coach Turner Ward, new GM Dave Stewart says. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that Nevin is a particularly strong candidate, given his work at Reno.
• Other candidates could include Cardinals third base coach Jose Oquendo and bench coach Mike Aldrete, White Sox third base coach Joe McEwing, and Twins bench coach Terry Steinbach. All four have ties to Diamondbacks chief baseball officer Tony La Russa.
• Reds bench coach Jay Bell will be another candidate, John Gambadoro of KTAR.com tweets. Bell, of course, played for the Diamondbacks and later served as their bench coach.