The Orioles have interviewed Yankees third base coach and former Mets manager Luis Rojas amidst their ongoing managerial search, according to SNY’s Andy Martino. Rojas is the first candidate known to have formally interviewed for the position. Baltimore interim skipper Tony Mansolino also remains in the running, while Jon Heyman of The New York Post suggested that former O’s infielder and current Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty could be in the mix.
Rojas, 44, has served as the Yankees’ third base coach for the last four seasons. Beginning his coaching career with the Nationals’ Dominican League team in 2006, he joined the Mets organization the following year and began a long stint as a coach and manager at various levels of the organization. A promotion to the big league staff as the Mets’ quality control coach came in 2019, and Rojas was then unexpectedly elevated to the top job in January 2020. Carlos Beltran had been hired as the Amazins’ manager just over two months earlier, yet after the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal broke, Beltran stepped down from the post before he’d ever managed a single regular-season game.
This sudden promotion for Rojas came right before the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, making for quite a trial by fire for the first-time skipper. The Mets finished with just a 26-34 record in Rojas’ first year, yet he was retained for a second year in 2021. New York was in first place for a big chunk of that season but collapsed down the stretch, going just 29-45 after the All-Star break to finish with a 77-85 record.
Rojas’ club option for 2022 wasn’t picked up by the Mets, and he then stayed in the Big Apple by joining the Yankees’ coaching staff in November 2021. Before heading to the Yankees, Rojas interviewed with the Padres about their managerial vacancy that autumn, and he also interviewed with the Marlins in 2022 before Skip Schumaker was hired.
With so few public candidates identified in Baltimore’s search, it isn’t yet clear if the team is primarily focused on people with big league managerial experience (like Rojas or Mansolino) or if the O’s are more partial to Flaherty or another first-timer being elevated to the job. Whomever the choice may be, they’ll face a challenge in trying to get the Orioles and their young core back on track after a very disappointing 2025 campaign. The Orioles followed up consecutive playoff appearances with a 75-87 setback this year, though Mansolino did post a 60-59 record after he took over from Brandon Hyde in May.
Good pickup. If they don’t give him the job, they could offer him a cookie
Hard Pass here if I were the Orioles. He was only appointed the Mets Manager because Carlos Beltran was fired without managing a game because he lied to Joel Sherman about his cheating with the Astros.
His body of work thereafter was nothing to write home about.
Why is his last name not Alou as he is the Son of Felipe never understood that.
It seems to be a culture clash issue. You can have multiple surnames in many Spanish cultures. So “Felipe Rojas Alou” was his actual name. One son chose to use Rojas, another uses Alou. Shrug
Moises on the other hand who played for Felipe was an Alou
You should use Google and learn about how the Rojas boys became the Alou boys.
It could’ve been Rojas was trying to make his own name in the game so we went with Rojas. I wonder how many of Felipe’s kids use Rojas, Alou, or Rojas Alou
Robrock30: He’s not an Alou because Rojas is his father’s paternal last name, while Alou is his grandmother’s name, which was mistakenly adopted by his father, Felipe, as his surname in the US.
This error occurred when Felipe’s last name was being registered by a minor league official, who, unfamiliar with Latin American naming customs, used his mother’s name instead of his father’s name.
Blue Baron why are his Baseball playing brothers Matty & Jesus and his Son Moises named Alou? Confusing since they are well known in the US with that name
Probably the same mistake that was made in Felipe’s case.
Just researched this. Moises and Luis are half brothers from different Mothers. Luis is from Felipe’s 3rd Wife while Moises is from a previous marriage.
Good baseball guy from the Alou dynasty.
Oh brother….elias wants a shill.
If you want a manager to complain about every single ball strike call, Luis is your man.
What does Luis Rojas have that Tony M does not and Tony M knows the O’s…Luis does not
It’s an interview people not an offer. Any good leader will interview a wide variety of candidates and try to learn from each one. Relax and let it play out. Luis will not be the Os manager.
Mathany
Flaherty
Bo Porter
No x3! Would be better off with Mansolino if these were the three candidates
Flaherty intrigues me. Buck loved him. I’d be interested in him but I thought we wanted to bring in experience? Regardless, Flaherty would be more relatable for the young fellers but no big league experience. Neither did Hyde but he became the scapegoat for Elias’ lack of work on the pitching side.