NOV. 10: The Rays added a pair of managerial candidates to the mix today in the form of Barry Larkin and Doug Glanville, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
NOV. 9:Â The Rays conducted phone interviews with Wakamatsu, Counsell, and Ibanez on Friday and are expected to speak with Montoyo, Wotus, and Cash during this week’s GM Meetings in Phoenix, reports the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin.
NOV. 8: The Rays interviewed Martinez and Acta today, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune tweets.
NOV. 6: The Rays have announced their list of preliminary managerial candidates (Twitter links). With Joe Maddon’s surprising departure, a key order of business for new president of baseball operations Matthew Silverman is finding a replacement to lead the dugout. In a statement, Silverman called the list “preliminary” and said it was expected to “grow as [the Rays]Â continue through [the hiring] process.”
Tampa Bay’s initial slate of options includes several familiar names, some of whom have been tied to other recent managerial openings. It includes:
- internal options Dave Martinez (bench coach) and Charlie Montoyo (Triple-A manager)
- former big league skippers Manny Acta and Don Wakamatsu (the latter of whom served as Royals bench coach last year)
- recent big league players Craig Counsell and Raul Ibanez (the former of whom is a special assistant to the Brewers and the latter of whom just finished a stint with the ALCS-champion Royals)
- Giants bench coach Ron Wotus and Indians bullpen coach Kevin Cash
As one might have expected, that group brings a diverse group of possibilities to the Rays. Whoever ultimately takes the job will have big shoes to fill, as Maddon had emerged as one of the game’s most respected managers during his time in Tampa.
Dave Martinez gets my vote. Even though I don’t get one.
He is the obvious choice for obvious reasons. I will be seriously bummed if they don’t promote Martinez; the players love him, he is competent, on board with the front office, and he doesn’t have (as far as I can tell) Joe’s relentless devotion to underperforming players. Pitching Balfour just because he is making a ton of money is a horrible coaching decision… I’m not bitter at all about the 96 blown games he pitched this season…
Yet most would argue Maddon was a huge factor in the teams recent success. It should be interesting to see how the Rays do without Friedman and Maddon.
Yea, cause Balfour was the only player on the team that didn’t play well…
I know nothing about Kevin Cash. How does a bullpen coach’s name keep popping up in managerial searches?
Former MLB player.
I know that but is it just because he’s a catcher? Big run on former catchers lately
Former catchers have always made up a disproportional amount of MLB managers
Clearly if you can catch a knuckleball, you can do anything.
He’s been gunning for a bigger role on staff in recent years and is a former Tampa Bay Ray himself, so it makes sense as to why he would go for this position.
Just say no to Manny Acta…..he’s been terrible everywhere that he has managed.
Agreed
He’s often mistaken for Connie Mac-ta.
Selfishly I hope they don’t sign Ron Wotus away from my Giants, Although he is long overdue for a managerial job.
Interesting list. Based on what I observed here in Seattle, I would say an unequivocal no to Wakamatsu. In my opinion, he’s a by-the-book hack with poor people skills. Not what a team with lots of young impressionable players needs. On the flip side, I think that Raul Ibanez would be an interesting and possibly inspired choice. His presence on the Royals in the second half of the season was effectively adding a coach that helped mentor a young team that was coming together for the first time. To be, the best candidates left on the list are Dave Martinez and Ron Wotus, the former since he already knows the players, system, etc., and the latter because the Giants have been a good team for a long while and Wotus has learned directly at the side of Bruce Bochy.
I don’t understand this trend in hiring recently retired players that have no managerial experience. The franchises and fans have to wait while they go through a learning curve. Metheny may have ridden some fine Cardinal teams to the playoffs, but he sure didn’t manage well in them. Ventura has made the White Sox unwatchable to me or 2 years – there are only so many games a fan can watch Ronald Belisario come in and lose while the defense is kicking the ball around. Matt Williams learned a lot in 2014 and grew, but he was seriously outmanaged in the playoffs.
It seems to me that establishing oneself in the minors is nice. Martinez being the Rays bench coach for 7 years has to mean something. I see too many people such as Randy Knoor, Tim Bogar, Tony Pena, Dino Ebel, Torey Lovello and Sandy Alomar, Jr, that are fully qualified and experienced, but are ignored. I can’t believe that none of them would do well at the ML level – moreso then a guy that hasn’t had the experience they have.
Whoever gets the job might just be a sacrificial lamb. The Rays may struggle for a couple years regardelss of who is at the helm and whomever gets the job will be compared to Maddon on a daily basis.
i dont see them having another season like last year unless Silverman doesnt get a bat and keeps Molina, Joyce, and Sean Rod
Joyce had the highest OBP on the team – I have faith in him, just not his power any longer. Molina needs to become the backup bullpen catcher for sure.
That is a brutal roster. I don’t know how they score any runs. They were 27th in the majors in runs scored, and last in the AL. Friedman and Maddon knew what they were doing when they left.
i would be fine with Dave Martinez, Charlie Montoyo, Ron Wotus, or even Raul Ibanez. the rest have no chance honestly
Ibanez could be interesting…Acta would be an incredibly bizarre and hugely unpopular choice.
i would be really upset if they chose Acta. and im sure Dave Martinez would be too and opt out of his deal
I hope Martinez gets the job.
For the sake of continuity Martinez should be the guy. He’s been there the whole time.
I will completely lose it if Counsell gets stolen away (obviously, this is pretty unlikely). I’ve been hoping he’ll be the follow-up to Roenicke when the time comes for years now.
Maybe I’m wrong, but didn’t he say that he wasn’t interested in a field job and wanted to be in a front office going forward? I’d take him as manager though too.
yeah the more i think about it, it has to be Davey. he was there since Joe Maddon started. he knows these guys better than anyone. he is bilingual. he knows how the Rays clubhouse works and knows how to play “The Rays Way”. plus he has been looking for a manager job for years now. if he doesnt get the job i think he will end up opting out and joining Joe in Chitown, and that could end up with Hickey following him out the door.
I will go with Jeff Todd… .only he could replace Maddon.
Surprised no Lovullo
Dave Martinez or Charlie Montoya, end of story.
Wotus is probably the lowest profile and best option
Shhhh, don’t tell anyone that. Let him stay in SF
When did Raul Ibanez hang up his cleats?? Ron Wotus would be interesting choices 3 WS rings & learn from Bruce Botchy, Dave Martinez & Kevin Cash would both make for good choices also..
Ibanez hasn’t, he is still an active player. It isn’t unprecedented, Jason Giambi was a finalist in the Rockies managerial search when they ultimately hired Walt Weiss.
Rays will sign whoever agrees to the lowest pay
Dave to manager and bring Ibanez in to be the new hitting coach. Heck, just bring in a new hitting coach.
I like you’re thinking!
How about Rick Renteria
Renteria won’t get interviewed because it looks bad to hire the guy who was just fired for the coach who jumped ship. He may be a great match, but it will be viewed as a negative move no matter how it’s spun.
if the Rays new president passes up the chance to hire a manager who could very well be a good fit for the Rays simply because he’s afraid of a minor temporary PR hit (to a team with just about the worst attendance in baseball anyway), he should be fired on the spot for putting his ego ahead of the team.
Oh, I agree it’s an idiotic decision to not at least bring him in for an interview, but realistically I know it isn’t going to happen. Which is kind of tragic, because Renteria did an amazing job given the talent he was handed, and I really hope he can find another managerial job next offseason.
i hope his does at least get an interview. I’m a Cubs fan and i live in the Tampa area. While i wasn’t sad to see the Cubs make the switch, Renteria did show promise as a manager and might be a really good fit for the Rays as they start the latest rebuild.
Yes and Rays make it some how to the world series and beat the Cubs !! Would make a great story. Not likely, but would love to see it.
Ron Wotus. Bench Coach for Bruce Bochy in SF. He’s my choice.
Rick Renteria is available.
Might be hard to lure Craig away from Milwaukee since he grew up here and his family is also from the area. Either way I want him to stay!
Funny how the only two guys with actual big league managerial experience on this list would both be TERRIBLE choices. Outside of those two, I don’t think there’s a wrong pick to be made. I’d love to see Counsell get a shot, but I’d also hate to lose him. Ibanez would be the eye-catching move, and could potentially work (though I think he’d be a better hitting coach at this point). Martinez and Montoyo are both the in-house guys that know how things work around there, so a couple obvious choices there. Cash has always seemed to be a super smart guy, and I think he’d make a good manager. Wotus, while I don’t know much about him, seems (like Martinez) to be the “paid his dues” type of candidate, and I think he’s probably got the best chance to get the job, behind Martinez.
Strange that Gardenhire’s not on this list. Oh, actually, not strange at all: the Rays probably realized that he’s a terrible manager.
I think Ron Gardenhire isn’t on his list is that minnesota still owe him money & would most likely sit out this season..
I am suprise that Sandy Alomar Jr isn’t on the list as he would make for good manager
Lance Parish has been successful
Minor league and Arizona Fall League Manager
in the Tigers minor league system.
I would take a look at the former All Star Catcher.
Doug Glanville is a very interesting name to come up. He is a very sharp baseball mind, possibly the best ex-player out there at writing or talking about the game but not sounding like just an ex-jock in the process. Does this qualify him to manage an MLB team? Probably not, but he would be an inspired, albeit risky, choice.
The idea of Barry Larkin managing in TB is very intriguing…