Headlines

Go To Hoops Rumors
Go To Pro Football Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors
Go To Pro Football Rumors

The Tigers’ Managerial Search

By | at

The Tigers were the first team to cut ties with their manager at season’s end, announcing with less than a week of the regular season to play that Brad Ausmus would not return as the team’s skipper. Ausmus was allowed to finish out the season at the helm — though Ian Kinsler was allowed to manage the team on the final day — but since the announcement, there have been plenty of names flying around in connection with the new job opening.

In an effort to consolidate the myriad reports on Detroit’s managerial vacancy into one place, we’ll track preliminary candidates, those that have interviewed and those that are no longer in the running all in this post and update accordingly as the search progresses.

Will Interview/Have Interviewed

  • Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez has also interviewed for the Tigers’ opening, reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman, who also notes that Detroit’s search is down from an initial list of 50 to 10 candidates. Heyman initially identified Rockies bench coach Mike Redmond as a candidate (as noted below), and he now confirms that Redmond has indeed interviewed for the post.
  • Ron Gardenhire is on the list of the Tigers’ upcoming interviews and is a “strong candidate,” according to Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press. Fenech notes that the Tigers will face some competition, namely from the Red Sox, however. There are those who feel that Avila will ultimately hire a younger manager to handle a younger team, per Fenech, though Fenech also adds that he polled a number of industry contacts that feel Gardenhire is capable of connecting with a young group regardless of age.
  • ESPN’s Marly Rivera reports that the Tigers will interview Astros bench coach Alex Cora as part of their first wave of external interviews (Twitter link). Cora is an in-demand managerial candidate, as he’s already been linked to the Mets and Red Sox. An interview doesn’t seem likely to take place while Cora’s Astros are still playing in the postseason, one wouldn’t think.
  • MLB.com’s Jason Beck has previously reported that the Tigers will interview Marlins bench coach Fredi Gonzalez and White Sox third base coach Joe McEwing. Gonzalez, of course, has recently served as the Marlins’ manager as well as the manager of the Braves. McEwing doesn’t have big league managerial experience, but he’s come up as a candidate in years past and has been connected to the Mets already as well.
  • Fenech reported early this month that the Tigers have already conducted interviews with a trio of in-house candidates: hitting coach Lloyd McClendon, first base coach Omar Vizquel and third base coach Dave Clark. McClendon has had multiple big league stints as a manager, with the Pirates (2001-05) and the Mariners (2014-15).

Preliminary Candidates (Interview Status Still Unknown)

  • The Tigers are interested in Red Sox first base coach Ruben Amaro Jr., according to FanRag’s Jon Heyman. Amaro is obviously best known as the former GM of the Phillies, but he’s interested in managing and now has two years of experience on a big league staff to go along with an understanding of the day-to-day operations of a front office. As Heyman notes, he’s an outside-the-box candidate, but the Tigers are known to be casting a wide net.
  • Heyman has also previously reported that the Tigers have interest in Rockies bench coach Mike Redmond. The longtime backup catcher for the Marlins and Twins, Redmond is also a former Marlins manager but has yet to get a second opportunity to manage at the big league level.
  • Jon Morosi of MLB.com has previously listed Angels bench coach Dino Ebel and Royals catching instructor Pedro Grifol as managerial possibilities in Detroit. Heyman, meanwhile has previously linked them to Rays third base coach Charlie Montoyo.

The Mets’ Managerial Search

By | at

The Mets formally removed Terry Collins from his post as manager earlier this month, shifting him to a front office role and embarking on a search to replace the longest-tenured manager in franchise history. Since that time, they’ve been connected to a flurry of names, some speculatively and others more definitively. Reportedly, the Mets began interviewing candidates earlier this week.

As we’ve done with the Tigers, Phillies, and Red Sox, we’ll house all of the managerial chatter for the Mets in one place and update accordingly as candidates either further their case or are removed from consideration. Here’s where the Mets’ search stands, at present:

Latest Updates

  • First-round interviews are still going on, per an update from Puma (via Twitter). Manny Acta, Joe McEwing, and Mickey Callaway will all have wrapped theirs up by the end of the day today.
  • Two former Mets bench coaches — Bob Geren and Chip Hale — will not be considered for the managerial opening, Carig reports. Both had previously seemed to be candidates but will not receive interviews.
  • Ventura tells Puma that he was not specifically rejecting interest from the Mets. Rather, he is “not pursuing any of the [current managerial] openings,” he says.

Will Interview/Have Interviewed

  • White Sox bench coach Joe McEwing has had his interview, as Mike Puma of the New York Post recently reported (via Twitter).  The former big league utilityman has been in the Chicago organization since 2008, working as a minor league coach and manager before being promoted to the big league coaching staff; McEwing served as the bench coach last season after five years as the Sos third base coach.
  • Mets hitting coach Kevin Long has interviewed for the position, as Mike Puma of the New York Post first reported. Long has minor league managerial experience in addition to 11 seasons as a Major League hitting coach (2007-14 with the Yankees, 2015-17 with the Mets). Long, Puma writes, has earned the trust of the Mets’ front office with his communication skills and grasp of analytics. He’s not currently signed beyond the 2017 season. [Update: Long has had his interview, Newsday’s Marc Carig tweets.]
  • ESPN’s Marly Rivera reports that Astros bench coach Alex Cora is part of the Mets’ first wave of managerial interviews (Twitter link). Cora has experience managing in winter ball in addition to his current role as Houston’s bench coach and is a coveted managerial candidate; he’s also reportedly set for an interview with the Tigers and has been connected to the Red Sox as well.
  • The Mets will sit down with Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway on Wednesday, per Mike Puma of the New York Post (via Twitter). Previously, we had learned that the team was “expected to show interest” in Callaway, as Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweeted. Callaway is regarded as one of the game’s best in his current role, but he’s beginning to garner managerial interest around the game as well.
  • New York is also interviewing Manny Acta, per ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (via Twitter). Acta is currently the Mariners’ third base coach — a position he once held with the Mets — and has previously skippered the Nationals and Indians.

Potential Candidates

Not in the Mix/No Longer in Consideration

  • While the Mets had “serious interest” in recently dismissed Tigers manager Brad Ausmus, according to Peter Gammons (Twitter link), that was evidently not reciprocal. Ausmus has decided not to pursue the position. Former White Sox skipper Robin Ventura, too, is said not to have much interest in the opportunity. Likewise, Dodgers bench coach Bob Geren and A’s third base coach Chip Hale aren’t under consideration, per Carig. Those potential candidates were among the preliminary names under consideration according to reports from Carig and the other reporters cited above.
  • Carig reports that the Mets don’t have interest in pursuing recently fired Red Sox skipper John Farrell (Twitter link).
  • Rays third base coach Charlie Montoyo, who had previously been rumored to be in the mix for the job, is not a consideration according to Puma (on Twitter).

The Red Sox’ Managerial Search

By | at

After back-to-back early postseason exits in the ALDS, the Red Sox decided to part ways with manager John Farrell.  There was already speculation before the dismissal that Farrell was on the hot seat, and the rumor mill has only picked up speed now that Boston’s search has officially begun.  President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski will now have his first opportunity to personally hire a manager since joining the Red Sox in the summer of 2015.

As we’ve done with the Tigers, Mets, and Phillies, we’ll begin to house all of the managerial chatter for the Red Sox in one place and update accordingly as candidates either further their case or are removed from consideration. Here’s where Boston’s search stands, at present:

Latest Updates

  • The club is expected to conduct a second round of interviews before making any offers of employment, per Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston (via Twitter). There’s a sense inside the organization, though, that Cora is the front-runner, Drellich further writes. ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (Twitter link) hears that both Cora and Ausmus are “at the center of conversations,” with expectations being that it won’t take long to name a new manager.

Will Interview/Have Interviewed

  • Recently departed Tigers skipper Brad Ausmus has interviewed for the position, as Chad Jennings of the Boston Herald reported on Twitter and we covered further in another post.
  • Astros bench coach Alex Cora is expected to interview with the Sox on Sunday, Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe reports.  He’s Boston’s top candidate for the job, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (on Twitter). Cora is also expected to interview for the Tigers and Mets openings.  Though Cora is still in the midst of his first coaching stint on a big league staff, the 41-year-old has long been considered a promising managerial candidate, previously receiving interviews for openings with the Diamondbacks, Marlins, Nationals and Padres in recent years.  Cora enjoyed a 14-year career in the big leagues (including a stint with the Red Sox from 2005-08) before moving on to work as an analyst for ESPN and ESPN Deportes, and as a general manager in the Puerto Rican Baseball League.
  • The Red Sox have requested the Diamondbacks’ permission to interview bench coach Ron Gardenhire, Rosenthal tweets; he’s expected to chat with the team later this week, per Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). The former Twins manager is one of the “final three” candidates for the job, according to Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter)

Preliminary Candidates (Interview Status Unknown)

  • In addition to Ausmus, Indians first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr., Dodgers bench coach Bob Geren, Giants hitting coach Hensley Meulens have all been mentioned as likely or speculative candidates by several reporters (including Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe, NBCSports.com’s Evan Drellich and the Boston Herald’s Chad Jennings).  Ausmus may be a particular name to watch, as Dombrowski hired him as Detroit’s manager after the 2013 season and (according to Peter Gammons) Ausmus delivered a very strong performance when interviewing for Boston’s last managerial opening in the 2012-13 offseason.

Not in the Mix/No Longer in Consideration

  • Current members of the Red Sox coaching staff have been told that they are free to look for jobs outside the organization.  When asked if an internal candidate could be hired, Dombrowski said “most likely not, but I’m not going to say for sure not.”  This would more or less seem to rule out names like bench coach Gary DiSarcina, hitting coach Chili Davis or third base coach Brian Butterfield, who have all been linked to previous managerial openings in the past.
  • Dombrowski also expressed a preference for candidates with past managerial or coaching experience on a Major League staff, so longtime Red Sox catcher and current Dombrowski special assistant Jason Varitek doesn’t seem to be in the running.

Red Sox Notes: Scott, Gardenhire, Ausmus, Swihart

By | at

The Red Sox announced on Thursday that southpaw reliever Robby Scott underwent a “left elbow arthroscopy and debridement” procedure but is expected to be back to full strength by Spring Training 2018. As several have pointed out (including CSN New England’s Evan Drellich, on Twitter), it’s rather confounding that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told the media just yesterday that he wasn’t aware of any Sox players that required offseason surgery on the very day on which Scott was undergoing this procedure.

The 28-year-old Scott has emerged as a viable lefty option in the bullpen in the past two seasons with Boston, pitching to a combined 3.24 ERA with a 36-to-15 K/BB ratio across 41 2/3 innings of work. Right-handed batters haven’t had much trouble with Scott (.254/.338/.463), but he’s held lefties to a paltry .141/.227/.295 slash in the big leagues.

A bit more on the Red Sox…

  • Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports (via Twitter) that former Twins skipper and current Diamondbacks bench coach Ron Gardenhire is among the three favorites to succeed John Farrell as the next manager of the Red Sox. Indeed, Walters calls Gardenhire one of the “final three” for the post — a surprising development just over 24 hours after Farrell was dismissed. Yesterday alone, there were six external candidates linked to the Red Sox’ job, for instance (Gardenhire included), though it’s possible that Dombrowski has been crafting his list of top options for awhile now.
  • Meanwhile, Peter Gammons of MLB Network and GammonsDaily.com has penned a lengthy and must-read look at Boston’s managerial opening as well as a number of offseason questions they’re facing. Per Gammons, one executive who was on hand for the last time that Brad Ausmus interviewed for Boston’s managerial spot (the 2012-13 offseason) called Ausmus’ interview the best he’d ever seen. Gammons writes that had the Sox not been able to pry Farrell away from the Blue Jays, Ausmus would’ve been the team’s manager years ago. Further in Ausmus’ favor, per Gammons, is that David Price feels that Ausmus is the best manager for whom he’s ever played. Gammons also notes that Alex Cora will be in consideration and that Sandy Alomar Jr. will likely receive an interview as well. Like Ausmus, Alomar has previously interviewed for the Red Sox’ managerial post.
  • Within that same column, Gammons reports that Blake Swihart’s surgically repaired ankle bothered him as late into the season as Labor Day, which would in part explain a disappointing .190/.246/.292 batting line in 53 games at the Triple-A level this year. Swihart, who received just seven MLB plate appearances in 2017, was once one of baseball’s most untouchable prospects but has seen his star fade in the wake of repeated injuries and defensive concerns behind the dish. Nonetheless, one Red Sox exec tells Gammons that with his ability to play catcher, first base, third base and the corner outfield, “Swihart can be a huge part of this team.”

An Early Look At The Red Sox’ Managerial Vacancy

By | at

Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski’s decision to dismiss manager John Farrell earlier today wasn’t entirely unexpected, though like any managerial firing, it’ll lead to a wide swath of questions in the coming weeks as Boston seeks to hire a new skipper. As Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe writes, Dombrowski said Wednesday that his priority will be to hire a replacement that has previous experience as a manager or a Major League coach.

“Being in a dugout during a game and seeing what the manager encounters is probably helpful,” Dombrowski told reporters. “I do think it would be difficult for a person more so [in Boston] than in some other places to walk directly onto the field without some on-field managerial experience at some level or big league coaching.”

That, as Abraham points out, likely crosses off fan-favorite suggestion Jason Varitek — the former Red Sox catcher who has been working as a special assistant to Dombrowski in the team’s front office. Varitek has been an oft-speculated managerial candidate in past years, but he’s yet to get his feet wet as a coach in either the Majors or the minors.

Names of potential candidates should emerge over the next week or two, though Abraham and a few other reporters have made some initial suggestions. Abraham lists bench coaches Alex Cora (Astros) and Ron Gardenhire (D-backs) as well as recently dismissed Tigers skipper Brad Ausmus as possibilities. Gardenhire, of course, spent more than a decade managing the Twins while Dombrowski was GM over the AL Central rival Tigers, and it was Dombrowski who originally hired Ausmus as the skipper in Detroit. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale has also suggested that Gardenhire could emerge as a candidate, while ESPN’s Buster Olney tweeted that Cora could get strong consideration as well. Meanwhile, CSN New England’s Evan Drellich tweets that Giants hitting coach Hensley Meulens could get consideration as well.

Chad Jennings of the Boston Herald also lists Indians first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. and Dodgers bench coach Bob Geren as names to watch. Current bench coach Gary DiSarcina may seem a natural candidate, though he notes that Farrell suggested that an in-house option may not be in consideration. “At this point, successor from the staff, I don’t really know,” said Dombrowski. “…I’d say most likely not, but I’m not going to say for sure not.”

As to the reasons that Farrell was ultimately dismissed, Abraham details a number of instances of Farrell’s communication with his players deteriorating. Abraham reports that Dombrowski and Farrell strongly disagreed with how the team handled Manny Machado’s controversial slide into Dustin Pedroia earlier this year. Farrell’s claims that he was in the dark during the ridiculous Apple Watch scandal also reflected poorly on him, and the drama between David Price and commentator Dennis Eckersley also suggested further lack of communication between Farrell and the clubhouse, Abraham writes.

If there’s any bad blood between Farrell and the organization, he certainly didn’t air his grievances to the public. In a statement released via the Red Sox communications department, Farrell spoke warmly and gratefully about his time in Boston:

Despite an end to this season that we all wanted to be different, I am proud of this ball club and the resiliency shown. I have enjoyed every moment of this job – its peaks and its valleys. There are few, if any, positions in life that create so much passion on a daily basis.

I am grateful to an ownership group that gave me such a unique opportunity, and one that shared my desire to bring World Series championships to this great city. They supported me through a challenging and scary period in my own life, and I remain forever indebted.

I am grateful to two front office groups that worked tirelessly to provide me with the players that could consistently match up with the very best in the game. Their time and resources made my job so much easier and fulfilling.

I am thankful for fellow coaches who are far more than that – they are close friends. They have provided the necessary direction, guidance, and humor that have made the daily activities of a long season all that much more enjoyable.

I am especially grateful for five years of great players – and people. This game has always been built around and for the players, and I have tried to respect that for five years in Boston. I have witnessed Hall of Famers, memorable Fenway wins, and countless private moments that will always be with me. Those relationships will remain cherished for years.

The legions of fans who support this franchise keep their manager on his toes day in and day out. There are no days off when managing this proud franchise. I would not have wanted it any other way.

Again, I thank John Henry, Tom Werner, Michael Gordon, and the ownership team for their faith in me and wish them nothing but the best moving forward.

Beyond the managerial change, it seems likely that the Sox will be in for several coaching changes as well. Drellich writes that the team’s coaching staff has been informed that they can pursue opportunities outside the organization — an indication that whoever is tabbed as the next skipper will be able to bring on his own coaching staff.

Mets Announce Changes To Coaching Staff

By | at

The Mets formally announced on Tuesday what has been widely expected and reported for weeks: Terry Collins is out as the team’s manager and has accepted a role as a special assistant to general manager Sandy Alderson (as Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported over the weekend). Beyond that, the Mets made formal the decision to dismiss pitching coach Dan Warthen, and they’ve also cut ties with head trainer Ray Ramirez. The rest of the team’s training and conditioning staff will return, and Warthen has been offered another role in the organization.

The Mets will retain hitting coach Kevin Long and assistant hitting coach Pat Roessler as well as third base coach Glenn Sherlock. The team hasn’t cut bench coach Dick Scott, first base coach Tom Goodwin or bullpen coach Ricky Bones, but each will be granted permission to speak with other teams once a new manager is selected. Notably, Mike Puma of the New York Post reported earlier this morning that the Mets will begin their managerial search, in earnest, this week.

Among the top external candidates, as previously reported by Puma and others, are Astros bench coach Alex Cora and Dodgers bench coach Bob Geren (who formerly served as the Mets’ bench coach under Terry Collins). The Mets, Puma writes, may try to get permission to interview Cora and Geren this week before their respective teams begin postseason play in the divisional series. He also suggested that Scott could be given the opportunity to interview as Collins’ replacement.

Regarding the pitching coach vacancy, Puma wrote that Bones is a top candidate to step into that role, which could open an opportunity for former Mets closer John Franco to interview as the team’s new bullpen coach. The 57-year-old Franco, who spent 14 seasons pitching for the Mets, has interest in coaching for his former team, according to Puma.

Ramirez’s dismissal as head trainer comes on the heels of one of the most injury-plagued seasons for any team in recent memory. While it’s certainly not fair to pin the entirety of the team’s injury woes on him, it’s long seemed possible that the staggering amount of Mets injuries this year would have some type of ramifications on the training/medical staff.

Noah Syndergaard missed most of the season with a torn lat muscle that was suffered after his now infamous decision to refuse an MRI. The Mets were also without Steven Matz, Seth Lugo, Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler for much of the season due to various arm injuries (including a partial tear of Lugo’s UCL), while Yoenis Cespedes, Neil Walker, T.J. Rivera and Michael Conforto all suffered injuries on the position-player side of the equation. All of that is in addition to a season-long absence for David Wright, though his health has been an ongoing issue for the past couple of seasons as he tries to work his way back from shoulder and neck surgeries.

Coaching Notes: Cora, Redmond, Sherlock

By | at

Here’s the latest on coaching changes around the majors:

  • Former big league infielder Alex Cora will take over the Astros’ vacant bench coach position, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported on Twitter. Long noted as a potential future MLB manager, Cora will return to uniform alongside Houston skipper A.J. Hinch. Since his 14-year major league career ended in 2011, Cora has served as an ESPN analyst and worked for Puerto Rico’s national team; he is the general manager of the team’s 2017 World Baseball Classic entrant. Hinch spoke of his new bench coach’s potential to provide “impact an entire roster of players,” as Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports. Cora will take over for Trey Hillman, who left the Astros to manage in the KBO.
  • The Rockies have hired Mike Redmond as bench coach, per a team announcement. He’ll be a top lieutenant to new skipper Bud Black. The 45-year-old, a long-time major league catcher, managed the Marlins from the 2013 season through early in the 2015 campaign. Redmond will join Black in attempting to steer Colorado back to a winning record. The organization has signaled that it’ll boost its payroll and seems intent on competing after a relatively hopeful 2016 season.
  • Glenn Sherlock has joined the Mets as their new third base coach, replacing Tim Teufel, the club announced. Tuefel will be re-assigned if he chooses to stick with the organization. As for Sherlock, he’ll not only wave runners home but will be tasked with working with the Mets’ catchers. He has long worked with the Diamondbacks in a variety of coaching capacities. A former minor league backstop, Sherlock will be looked to as a key figure in the development of Travis d’Arnaud and Kevin Plawecki. That pair of touted catchers has yet to deliver consistently at the major league level, and their continued growth figures to be an important factor for the Mets in 2017 and beyond.

Latest On Diamondbacks’ Managerial Search, Front Office Changes

By | at

Here’s the latest on the Diamondbacks’ hunt for a new manager, via Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic:

  • It’s possible the D’backs have already interviewed most of their candidates, Piecoro writes. Those include Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo (who is perceived to be the favorite), broadcaster and former big-leaguer Alex Cora, Royals bench coach Don Wakamatsu and Triple-A manager Phil Nevin, whose candidacies have been noted elsewhere.
  • Piecoro also adds a new name: that of Cardinals bench coach David Bell. Before taking his current position, Bell had previously served as an assistant hitting coach with the Cardinals, a third base coach with the Cubs and a minor-league manager with the Reds.
  • New Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen came from the Red Sox and has thus been strongly connected to Lovullo, with whom he had also previously worked in the Indians system. Hazen says that dynamic has had no impact on the interview process, however. “People can read or interpret how they want to,” says Hazen. “I don’t think any of that is fair, but it hasn’t been something that has been a major factor. It’s our responsibility to hire the best manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks. That’s the only way I’m looking at it.”
  • Piecoro confirms that pro scouting director Mike Russell has left the organization to take a job with the Tigers, for whom he worked from 2012 through 2014. Robert Murray of Today’s Knuckleball had previously reported Russell’s departure.
  • Of Ed Lewis, the former veterinarian who until recently headed the Diamondbacks analytics department, Hazen says, “I feel like there are just going to be some avenues that we want to explore on that side of the game that maybe bringing in people who are a little more specialized in certain things and maybe rebuild the department in a different way.” Lewis recently left the organization in the wake of recent changes to its front office.

Diamondbacks To Interview Alex Cora For Manager’s Job

By | at

The Diamondbacks are beginning the interview process to find their next manager, and broadcaster and former big leaguer Alex Cora will talk to the team this week about the position, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports.  Cora has never managed or coached at any level in the majors or minors, though he received consideration for several recent managerial openings last offseason.  Cora interviewed with the Padres, Marlins and Nationals, and was also linked to the Mariners’ job in rumors.

The 41-year-old Cora gained a strong reputation as a teammate and student of the game during his 14-year playing career from 1998-2011.  Two of the six teams Cora played for during his career, Heyman notes, connect him with D’Backs GM Mike Hazen.  Cora played for the Indians and Red Sox from 2005-08, when Hazen was in Cleveland’s front office before joining the Red Sox in 2006.

In his post-playing career, Cora has worked as a radio and TV analyst for ESPN and ESPN Deportes since 2013, and also served as the general manager of Criollos de Caguas, his hometown team, in the Puerto Rican Baseball League.  Cora will be the GM for Puerto Rico’s team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

Cora is the first known candidate for the D’Backs job, as Hazen has indicated that he would like to talk to roughly 5-7 candidates before making a hire.  Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo has been heavily rumored as the favorite to be Arizona’s next skipper, with Heyman noting earlier today that “it would be an upset” if anyone but Lovullo was hired.

Latest On Padres’ Managerial Search

By | at

Pat Murphy won’t return as the Padres’ manager next season, meaning that San Diego is one of four possible destinations for managerial hopefuls (along with Los Angeles, D.C. and Miami). GM A.J. Preller has promised a wide-ranging search. While we haven’t heard much yet about possible candidates, information is starting to trickle out. Here’s the latest:

  • Preller says that the club is moving into the second round of its search, as MLB.com’s Corey Brock reports. “I feel good about the number of guys we had in the initial stage, and now we’ll be able to get that down to a smaller group,” Preller said. “We’re looking to push things forward.” As Brock writes, there could be some new names under consideration, as Preller indicated that the Pads have spoken with some candidates who “were involved in the postseason.”
  • Pirates third base coach Rick Sofield has had a second interview and “appears to be a finalist,” Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports on Twitter.
  • Ron Gardenhire recently had a second interview with the team, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reports.  It isn’t known which (if any) other candidates have also been interviewed a second time, though this return meeting would seem to hint that Gardenhire is a strong contender.

Earlier Updates

  • San Diego bench coach Dave Roberts has not interviewed for the Padres’ managerial gig, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports, though he was a finalist for the Mariners’ job. The club has interviewed hitting coach Mark Kotsay, though he’s viewed as a “long shot.”
  • The Friars will interview long-time big leaguers Alex Cora and Phil Nevin, according to reports. That pair has been tied in at least some manner to every other team with a current opening, though it is worth noting that Nevin spent the most productive portion of his playing career in San Diego.
  • Also set for an interview with San Diego is former Twins skipper Ron Gardenhire, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Gardenhire obviously comes into the offseason managerial search with plenty of experience, having piloted Minnesota for 13 years. It appears that the Padres are, as expected, looking at candidates with a variety of resumes.
  • Pirates third base coach Rick Sofield is also interviewing for the Padres’ opening, reports Peter Gammons (via Twitter). Sofield has more than a decade of head coaching experience at the college level and also has served as a minor league manager in the Pirates and Expos systems in addition to his time as a third base coach and first base coach in the Majors. A first-round pick of the Twins in 1975, Sofield saw big league action in parts of three seasons and also had a 10-year minor league career.
  • It has previously been reported that San Diego has interest in Diamondbacks third base coach Andy Green. The 38-year-old, a four-year MLB veteran infielder in his playing days, managed in the minors for several seasons before joining Arizona’s big league staff.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Networkscroll to top