Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza has emerged as a candidate for two different managerial openings, George A. King III of the New York Post reports. Both the Red Sox and Tigers have spoken with the 40-year-old Mendoza, who just completed his third season on New York’s big league coaching staff.
Mendoza is a long-time member of the Yankees’ organization, dating back to his time as a minor league player in the team’s farm system from 2006-09. That 2009 season saw Mendoza transition into a number of different coaching and managerial roles, including stints as manager of the Yankees’ rookie league team and their A-ball affiliate in Charleston. Mendoza was named to the Major League coaching staff as a quality control coach and infield instructor prior to the 2018 season, and was then promoted to bench coach last offseason.
As King notes, there is some speculation that Alex Cora and A.J. Hinch could be unofficial favorites to respectively manage the Red Sox and Tigers, though the clubs are prohibited from interviewing either manager until their one-year suspensions (for their roles in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal) are over. Both Cora and Hinch are under suspension until the conclusion of the World Series.
In the interim, both Boston and Detroit have been linked to several other candidates, whether out of due diligence or perhaps as a sign that Cora and Hinch aren’t necessarily the top choices. Mendoza joins Cubs third base coach Will Venable and Pirates bench coach Don Kelly as the only candidates known to have interviewed with both the Tigers and Red Sox.
Tigers…time to make a good baseball move…sign Hinch….best manager available….everyone gets a second chance
Signing either Hinch or Cora now is simply bad for the sport.
As GM, you have to worry about what is best for your team…
It has been proven time and time again across sports that if you are good enough at your job, there will always be another opportunity for you regardless of your transgressions (outside of murder).
That said, I completely agree that it’s a bit odd both could feasibly get jobs so soon. I would have thought they’d have to spend a season or two as someone’s bench coach before being entrusted to manage a team.
Personally, I think Ron Washington’s name should be right there with both Cora and Hinch. I’d hate for him to leave Atlanta, but the man deserves another managerial job if he wants it.
Hinch owned up to his role in the scandal and served his suspension. He’s a good manager who has developed players and someone is going to hire him whether it is the Tigers or another team
AJ Hinch paid for everyone else’s transgressions. Don’t try to say he deserves even more.
This is obviously not about making a good move. It’s about just getting past the Mendoza line.
Hash93 – “everyone gets a second chance”. Cheating is ok, so voter fraud is ok too? Pinocchio Joe and his long nose ………
Nah. Hinch is a cheat and liar who enabled the greatest MLB scandal since the Black Sox. He was spoon fed data and his lineups by the front office. There are plenty of qualified candidates. Go get someone who won’t bring baggage and a constant sideshow. Ditto for Cora.
Everyone but Pete Rose.
Tigers please sign Cora so that Red Sox can’t……lol
You can have him. . .. he is an adequate manager at best
I’m not convinced Cora is the leading candidate for the Red Sox. Bloom has zero connection to Cora. Cora was hired by the previous regime. Bloom is trying to put his own stamp on the organization and that very well may mean that he wants his own guy to be manager. That would mean someone other than Cora
You may be right but it has been widely reported that Cora is the leading candidate. Whether that is based on pure speculation or some specific knowledge is anyone’s guess. The question is if not Cora, then who?
But John Henry LOVE Alex Cora, and he just might have a bigger say in the matter…..
Besides, if Bloom doesn’t find himself some pitching, the Sox can hire Jessica Mendoza , never mind Carlos.
Come to think of it, the marketing opportunities of hiring Jessica might be limitless….yep, Jess, welcome to Red Sox Nation.
She’s so full of hot air and overrated!
There are only 3 managerial jobs open currently, Tigers, Red Sox and White Sox. At this point, unlikely another manager gets fired and creates another opening. IF the White Sox are crazy enough to actually hire LaRussa, that leaves it wide open for the Tigers to go get Hinch. But these interviews are not just window dressing. No guarantee Hinch will want the job. Tigers have a lot of good young players coming up, but that will mean at least a couple more painful years before they are ready to contend. Hinch may prefer to wait a year to see if an opening on a team more ready to contend opens up. Heck, the White Sox might come to their senses here soon as well. So Avila has to have a plan B. Mendoza is probably not a plan B, does not have that much experience, which is something Avila has stated he wants in his next manager.
Why would the Tigers want any manager who has shown he can’t control the clubhouse. That is now the main part of the job. I think its media hype.
That’s a key point that consistently gets overlooked. He either was an enabler of the scandal, or he lost control of the clubhouse. They didn’t respect his authority and ignored his supposed plead to stop. Plus, whichever team he manages will have the constant media side show. Hard pass.
Ron Washington has an outstanding baseball mind and is well respected in and out of the game of baseball.
The Madding Crowd thinks not.
Sign mcclendon… tigers are tanking anyway.
If your going to ban Joe Jackson from the HoF and Pete Rose as well and the two senior management people from Atlanta Braves for life, then why the hell are Cora and Hinch only suspended a year.
Joe Jackson took money to throw the W/S but his record of play shows that while he accepted the money he played to win.
Pete Rose was banned for life when as a manager he bet on games. It was never proven he bet against his team, and he wouldn’t have gone into the HoF as a manager it was for his play on the field
The two senior management got life time bans for abusing the interntional player rules.
At Hinch and Cora get a year for almost ruining baseball.