The Rangers’ Managerial Search

After parting ways with Jeff Banister late in the season, the Rangers are working to decide who’ll lead their dugout in 2019. GM Jon Daniels and company originally looked at a broad slate of possibilities, including late-season interim skipper Don Wakamatsu, but have now opened the search up to additional potential candidates.

We’re tracking developments in the hiring process in this post. The latest:

Latest Updates

• Both Twins bench coach Derek Shelton and Dodgers third base coach Chris Woodward have emerged as “strong” candidates in the Rangers’ managerial search, per Ken Rosenthal and Dan Hayes of The Athletic (Twitter link). Rosenthal notes that Woodward, who interviewed earlier today, was “extremely” impressive in his interview.

Click below to review the prior updates to the search and additional remaining candidates …

New Candidates Under Consideration

• Twins bench coach Derek Shelton was given permission to chat with the Rangers after he was bypassed for the Minnesota managerial opening, per reports from Dan Hayes of The Athletic (via Twitter) and La Velle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune. He interviewed yesterday, Jeff Wilson of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram adds. Shelton has held his current position for one season after spending time with the Blue Jays, Rays, and Indians in quality control and hitting coach capacities.
• The Rangers are still working to bring in additional candidates for chats, as Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News has covered of late. D-Backs VP of player development Mike Bell — the brother of prior candidate David Bell, who’s now the Reds manager — is said to be getting a look. Additionally, the Texas organization is believed to be scheduling a chat with Dodgers third base coach Chris Woodward and perhaps also Red Sox bench coach Ron Roenicke, both of whom just finished up duties in the World Series.
• Though there are already a number of candidates considered to be finalists, as noted below, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets that the Rangers are holding a first meeting with Eric Chavez. The former All-Star third baseman began the year as a special assistant to Angels GM Billy Eppler and finished out the year as the Halos’ Triple-A manager. He was considered to be a prime candidate to take over the Angels’ managerial post, but they’ve since named Brad Ausmus their skipper. Now, it seems that Chavez could at least potentially jump ship to a division rival.
• Wilson reports that the Rangers have also interviewed Cardinals’ Triple-A skipper Stubby Clapp over the phone multiple times. But Clapp was just named first base coach on the St. Louis MLB staff, which appears to indicate that he is going to remain with that organization.

Still Under Consideration (as of Oct. 21)

• With Girardi and Bell out of the picture, Sullivan noted earlier Sunday that Wakamatsu, Tingler, Hyde, Wathan, Espada and Baldelli are the only known candidates left. Those are indeed the finalists from among the original slate of candidates, per the Star-Telegram’s Jeff Wilson. As of the date of this report, the club had not even had a face-to-face meeting with Espada yet.

Previously Considered

• Don Wakamatsu, interim manager, Rangers. GM Jon Daniels announced that Wakamatsu would receive consideration for the post.
• Jayce Tingler, assistant GM, Rangers. Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram identified Tingler as a candidate; Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweeted that he has interviewed.
• Brandon Hyde, bench coach, Cubs. Recently became one of the earliest outside candidates to interview, per Grant.
• Joe Espada, bench coach, Astros. Interviewed via phone due to current duties, per Grant. First identified by Wilson as a candidate, Espada is in his first year as bench coach after taking over the post from current Red Sox manager Alex Cora.
• Rocco Baldelli, field coordinator, Rays: Health problems derailed his promising major league career, but Baldelli has carved out a new path in the game. The 37-year-old has been on the Tampa Bay MLB coaching staff since 2014. MLB.com’s TR Sullivan tweeted that Baldelli had interviewed; he was originally tied to the Rangers by Grant.
• Dusty Wathan, third base coach, Phillies: He’ll sit down with the Texas brass, Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Wathan, a former Triple-A manager, was considered a leading candidate for the Phillies’ managerial post last winter and ended up joining the staff of Gabe Kapler.

Other Candidates

• Sandy Alomar Jr., first base coach, Indians: The long-time MLB backstop, who has come up frequently in past managerial searches, is also expected to get a look, according to Wilson.
• Grant lists Dodgers third base coach Chris Woodward and Padres Triple-A manager (and former Rangers catcher) Rod Barajas as other possible candidates. The Rangers “have done significant due diligence” on each of Alomar, Espada, Woodward, Barajas and DeRosa, per Grant, though it’s not yet clear which of that bunch will sit down with the organization for a formal interview.
• Having started with around forty potential candidates, per MLB.com’s TR Sullivan, the Texas organization evidently still has some paring to do. He names a host of other new possibilities, though it’s unclear whether any are going to receive an opportunity to interview. Rangers third base coach Tony Beasley is a possibility, as others have mentioned previously, as is Triple-A skipper Jason Wood. Other names of note include Omar Vizquel (White Sox minor-league manager), who is said to have “received initial consideration,” along with Gary DiSarcina (Mets third base coach), Jay Bell (Yankees minor-league manager), and Hensley Meulens (Giants bench coach).
• Prior indications are that long-time Rangers second bagger Michael Young would be a strong candidate if he had interest in the position. To this point, though, there’s no indication that he does. As noted in that link and in another recent MLBTR post, a whole host of other names have been floated as possibilities. To this point, though, only those listed above have emerged as clear candidates. (And for those who are wondering, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan wrote in a recent Rangers Inbox column that Adrian Beltre “has expressed zero interest in managing.”)

Not Under Consideration

• Former Yankees and Marlins manager Joe Girardi has been informed that he’s no longer in the running, as reported by Wilson as well as Fancred’s Jon Heyman.
• The Rangers had interest in former big leaguer and current MLB Network analyst Mark DeRosa, per Grant, but MLB.com’s Jon Morosi reports that DeRosa is enjoying his current position and has declined the opportunity to interview (Twitter link).
• Former Giants VP of player development David Bell interviewed for the position, per MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan, but he’s since been named the new manager of the Reds, with whom he signed a three-year contract.