Latest On Braves’ Managerial Search
The Rangers and Angels each have new managers in place for 2026, but that still leaves seven other teams looking for a new dugout leader. Amidst all of the recent news and rumors about all of these simultaneously ongoing managerial searches, there hasn’t been much out of Atlanta, which is by design. The Braves generally operate with more secrecy than most clubs, and as president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos told reporters during his year-end press conference, “if we do our job the way I want us to do it, you guys won’t have anything” on his club’s hunt for a new skipper.
A few details have emerged from MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, though more in regards to some speculated names that can perhaps be removed from consideration. Bowman hears from a source that former Blue Jays manager John Gibbons isn’t a candidate, and that “there has been no indication” that former Cubs manager David Ross or MLB Network and former player Mark DeRosa are being eyed for the manager’s job.
A follow-up message from Bowman on X specified that Gibbons, Ross, and DeRosa were the names he felt could be “confidently removed” from the running. His initial report didn’t eliminate bench coach Walt Weiss or coach Eddie Perez from consideration, but Bowman downplayed the idea of either man being elevated to the manager’s chair, writing that “their potential candidacies seemed to die when the Braves didn’t persuade [Brian] Snitker to manage at least one more year.” This implies that a succession plan might’ve been the initial concept for the team, but Snitker’s decision to step away from the job after the 2025 campaign might have the Braves leaning towards bringing an entirely fresh voice into the dugout.
Gibbons had the most MLB managerial experience of any of the names rumored to be involved in Atlanta’s search, as Gibbons logged parts of 11 seasons as the Blue Jays’ skipper over two separate tenures with the club. Anthopoulos was the Jays’ assistant GM during Gibbons’ first stint, and then after becoming general manager himself, made the unusual move of rehiring Gibbons back prior to the 2013 season, when Toronto was looking to replace John Farrell. Gibbons has spent the last two seasons as the Mets’ bench coach but stepped down from the job last month, creating speculation that he might emerge as Anthopoulos’ choice once more in Atlanta.
Ross seemed to be a natural candidate, as a Georgia native who both played for the Braves for four seasons and has four years of Major League managing experience on his resume. DeRosa is another former Brave who played seven seasons with the club from 1998-2004, and he has stuck mostly to broadcasting since his playing career ended in 2013. DeRosa hasn’t coached or managed in the majors or minors, though he was Team USA’s manager during the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
In terms of which names might be on the Braves’ radar, Bowman writes that Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann’s “candidacy has seemingly strengthened over the past couple weeks.” The fact that the Dodgers are on their way to the World Series could be a complicating factor, though Lehmann could interview with the Braves during the interim periods between playoff rounds. This does mean that Atlanta might not announce a new hire until November, or at least until after the World Series is completed.
The 40-year-old Lehmann has been Dave Roberts’ bench coach for the last three years, and he has spent the last decade in the L.A. organization in such roles as a game planning/communication coach, a special assistant within the front office, and an advance video scout. Lehmann’s time with the Dodgers overlaps with Anthopoulos’ two-year (2016-17) tenure as the Dodgers’ vice-president of baseball operations, so there’s plenty of familiarity between the two men.
Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty and Tigers bench coach George Lombard are two other “potential candidates,” in Bowman’s words. The two have each been popular names in managerial searches in recent years, as Flaherty was a finalist for the Padres’ job in 2023 (before Mike Shildt was hired) and has been speculated as a candidate for the Padres’ current vacancy, as well as the Orioles’ and Twins’ open managerial positions. Lombard interviewed with the Marlins and White Sox last winter, and he was also in the running for past managerial vacancies with the Tigers and Pirates.
Lombard is an Atlanta native, and he also has some past L.A. history with Anthopoulos since Lombard was the Dodgers’ first base coach during the 2016-20 seasons. Both Lombard and Flaherty are former Braves players — Lombard during the 1998-99 seasons, and Flaherty in 2018.
Quick Hits: Maxwell, Nats, Marwin, Twins, Herrera, Cubs, DeRosa
Free-agent catcher Bruce Maxwell hasn’t found a team since the Athletics outrighted him in September, and it doesn’t appear that’s going to change in the near future, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle explains. While Maxwell was arrested on a gun charge in 2017 and later pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, he’s unemployed for a different reason, a major league executive told Slusser at the Winter Meetings.
“It’s the kneeling thing that might keep him from getting another job, not the arrest. Owners aren’t going to want to deal with that whole anthem issue,” the executive said of Maxwell, who in 2017 became the first and only major leaguer to kneel for the national anthem in protest of racial injustice.
Conversely, another source contended to Slusser that Maxwell’s not comparable to former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who began kneeling for the national anthem in 2016. Despite a respectable on-field career and a clean off-field record, Kaepernick, 31, has been out of the NFL for two seasons. “This is not a Colin Kaepernick situation,” said the source. “This is if Colin Kaepernick had knelt for the anthem and also been arrested for a gun crime.”
Aside from Maxwell’s arrest, there are concerns over a 2017 incident in an Alabama restaurant, per Slusser, who also notes that the 27-year-old showed up overweight to spring training last season. Both Maxwell’s conditioning issues and a poor spring performance helped ruin his once-decent chance of becoming the A’s starting catcher in 2018. He ended up having a miserable season at the Triple-A level, and has since fired agent Matt Sosnick. As Slusser details, Sosnick reached out to every team multiple times trying to score a minor league deal for Maxwell, but no one bit. Slusser’s piece is worth checking out for Sosnick’s quotes on his ex-client.
More from around the majors…
- The Nationals have shown reported interest in free-agent infielder Josh Harrison, though they “seem to prefer” Marwin Gonzalez to him, Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post writes. Most (if not all) teams would take Gonzalez over Harrison, which is why the former figures to rake in an especially lucrative payday this offseason. Nevertheless, this is the first connection of the offseason between the Nationals and Gonzalez, who can play up to six positions but could be their solution at second base. He’d also give the Nationals yet another Scott Boras client.
- The Twins have interest in free-agent reliever Kelvin Herrera, La Velle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune reports. The club knows Herrera well from his days with division-rival Kansas City, where he pitched from 2011 until the Royals traded him to Washington last June. The hard-throwing 28-year-old didn’t perform well with the Nats, though, and then saw his season end in late August on account of a torn Lisfranc ligament in his left foot. However, Herrera’s progressing in his recovery from that injury.
- With bench coach Brandon Hyde seemingly on his way out of the organization, the Cubs have begun seeking a replacement. It doesn’t appear the job will go to beloved ex-Cub David Ross, who’s content working as both a special assistant to their front office and an ESPN analyst, Bruce Levine of 670 The Score suggests. The team has contacted former major league infielder/outfielder and current MLB Network analyst Mark DeRosa to gauge his interest in the job, according to Levine. If there’s not a match between the Cubs and DeRosa – who declined to interview for the Rangers’ managerial post after the season – Dodgers special advisor Raul Ibanez and two of the Cubs’ minor league skippers (Buddy Bailey and Mark Johnson) could be candidates, Levine posits.
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 …
Quick Hits: Managerial Openings
Make your pick for the most appealing managerial opening here, but while you mull your options, catch up on the latest rumblings…
- The Rangers managerial job is Michael Young’s if he wants it, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The former Rangers infielder is one of many ex-Rangers currently serving as special assistant to GM Jon Daniels, along with Ivan Rodriguez, Darren Oliver, and Colby Lewis. Theoretically, Young would provide philosophical continuity with the previous regime as well as the front office. Conversely, he’s been looked at before, withdrawing himself from consideration before the hiring of Bannister in 2014, and there’s no indication he has any more interest in the position now. MLB TV analyst Mark DeRosa and Yankees third base coach Phil Nevin – Young’s teammates on the 2006 Rangers – continue to pop up as potential alternatives.
- The Reds hope to have their new skipper in place by the end of the World Series, per Nightengale. Next on the interview docket: Rays bench coach Charlie Montoyo and Giants bench coach Hensley Meulens will be brought in this week, reports Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Meulens served as Bruce Bochy’s right-hand man last year after eight season as the Giants’ hitting coach. The Curacao native managed the Netherlands for two World Baseball Classics and has been considered a manager-in-waiting for a few seasons – interviewing with the Tigers and Yankees last winter, added Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. Charlie Montoyo managed Rays affiliates for eighteen years before coaching third base at Tropicana from 2015-17 and – like Meulens – moving to the bench for 2018. Along with their internal candidates, the Reds have interviewed Joe Girardi, Brad Ausmus, and current Giants VP of player development David Bell, as it appears the Reds search is beginning to take shape. It’s no surprise that they’ll want their new manager installed before the offseason bonanza begins, as they plan to be aggressive in going after pitching. If they can secure a clear, strong voice in the dugout and a few extra arms for the mound, the Reds will have accomplished their two primary offseason goals.
Quick Hits: Mets, Watson, Ng, Twins, Rowson, Cubs
Few days on the sports calendar are better than the day when all four Division Series have games scheduled, and today was no exception. We saw a pair of shutouts in both NLDS matchups, as the Brewers took a 2-0 series lead over the Rockies after a 4-0 win, while the Dodgers blanked the Braves on eight innings of two-hit ball from Clayton Kershaw. (Incredibly, the Braves are still looking for their first run in the series as they head back to Atlanta in a 2-0 hole.) The Astros began their World Series title defense in strong fashion with a 7-2 rout of the Indians in Game 1, while the Red Sox jumped out to an early lead and then held on to win a 5-4 nail-biter to win the first game of their showdown with the Yankees.
Here’s more from around the baseball world as we look forward to more ALDS action tomorrow…
- The Mets will interview Nationals special assistant De Jon Watson as part of their GM search on Wednesday, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports (via Twitter). Still just 52 years old, Watson has a wealth of front office experience dating back to the early 90’s, working as a scout, scouting director, assistant GM (with the Dodgers) and senior VP of baseball operations (with the Diamondbacks) before spending the last two seasons in Washington’s front office.
- Watson joins Gary LaRocque and Doug Melvin as known candidates reportedly set for interviews with the Mets in the coming days, and Mike Puma of the New York Post adds that Kim Ng is also expected to be interviewed this week. Ng, a former assistant GM for the Dodgers and Yankees, was recently mentioned as a potential candidate.
- While the Mets are lining up interviews, Puma notes that some candidates have declined to be involved due to the twin perceptions that the next GM won’t have full autonomy under the Wilpon family, and that the team isn’t open to embracing analytics. For instance, Jeff Wilpon has “indicated” the new GM will have the power to replace returning members of the front office braintrust (i.e. Omar Minaya, John Ricco, J.P. Ricciardi), though “there is heavy skepticism throughout the industry” that this would be the case. As past reports have indicated, Fred Wilpon would prefer hiring a GM from a scouting and player development background, with one source telling Puma that “Fred would go out of his mind” dealing with an analytically-inclined GM. Though the elder Wilpon will ultimately make the hire, however, he won’t enter the process until the final list of candidates has been determined, as Jeff Wilpon and Ricco will conduct the first round of interviews.
- The Twins interviewed hitting coach James Rowson for their managerial vacancy today, La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. The team also has interest in Mark DeRosa and David Ross, a pair of former players-turned-TV analysts who have often been mentioned as potential future managers. DeRosa could be on the Rangers’ radar as well this winter, and he has interviewed with the Mets and Marlins for past managerial openings in recent years. None of the trio has any previous pro experience as a manager, as Rowson has previously only worked as a hitting coach (with the Twins and Cubs) and minor league hitting coordinator (with the Cubs and Yankees).
- The Cubs project to be very deep in starting pitching options in 2019, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times writes, with the obvious caveat that several of those arms will have to rebound from injury-filled or just ineffective seasons. “We’re not looking to get rid of starting pitchers,” president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. “We’re looking to have as much depth as possible so we can withstand multiple injuries.” As the team is expected to exercise their club option on Cole Hamels, Chicago will have Hamels, Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Jose Quintana, swingman Mike Montgomery, Yu Darvish looking to get healthy, Tyler Chatwood looking to improve on his brutal 2018 numbers, and Drew Smyly in his first full season recovered from Tommy John surgery. It makes for quite a surplus if all those arms are healthy and productive, though that would be a problem the Cubs would certainly be happy to face if it occurs.
Heyman’s Latest: Giants, Mets, DeRosa, Yost, Lux
Here are some of the highlights from the weekly roundup of notes from Fancred Sports’ Jon Heyman…
- Rays senior VP of baseball operations Chaim Bloom, Brewers assistant GM Matt Arnold, and former Padres and D’Backs GM Josh Byrnes are under consideration from the Mets and Giants for their general manager positions. Reports from last summer indicated that Byrnes was likely to stay in his current role as the Dodgers’ VP of baseball ops, though it isn’t known if his stance has changed.
- MLB Network analyst Mark DeRosa “has been linked” to the Rangers‘ managerial job, and Heyman also notes that DeRosa could be a candidate of interest for the Blue Jays as they look for a new dugout boss. DeRosa has worked as a broadcaster since retiring after the 2013 season, though he has often been potential as a possible future manager, even interviewing with the Marlins in 2015 and the Mets last winter for dugout vacancies. DeRosa played for both the Rangers and Jays over the course of his 16-year big league career, as well as a brief stint with the Indians (when Jays president Mark Shapiro and GM Ross Atkins were in Cleveland’s organization).
- “The strong belief is that” 2019 is Ned Yost’s last year as manager of the Royals. Yost hinted at such a timeline near the end of the 2017 campaign, and his recently-announced contract extension only covered the 2019 season.
- Infield prospect Gavin Lux was the Orioles‘ “main target” in the Manny Machado trade talks with the Dodgers. Los Angeles managed to swing the deal without moving Lux, the 20th overall pick of the 2016 draft. Lux broke out in his third pro season, hitting .324/.399/.514 over a combined 524 PA at the high-A and Double-A levels. MLBTR’s Jason Martinez recently cited Lux as one of his top minor league performers of 2018, and MLB.com ranked Lux 82nd on its season-ending list of the top 100 prospects in baseball.
NL Notes: Callaway, Marlins, Peralta, Hickey
While the Mets had intended to conduct a second round, the team jumped at the chance to hire Mickey Callaway as manager after his first interview, Marc Carig of Newsday writes. He stressed a need to engage the team’s players as “human beings and individuals,” while GM Sandy Alderson cited a need to establish “rapport [and] empathy.” In other news relating to the hiring situation, Carig also notes (Twitter link) that the club interviewed Mark DeRosa before reaching its decision. The long-time big leaguer currently works for MLB Network; his candidacy had not previously been reported.
Here’s more from the National League:
- Trimming payroll down to a reported $90MM obviously represents a big challenge for the Marlins. The challenge is made all the more difficult, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes, by the state of the team’s rotation. With some paring of veteran assets seemingly all but inevitable, it seems likely that the team will look to bring back some new arms if at all possible. Of course, the organization will surely still be looking to rely on internal options to fill out the staff. A team source had some rather harsh words for two such candidates, telling Jackson that promising youngster Dillon Peters “needs to lose weight” and charging that the struggling Adam Conley fails to accept instruction and “thinks he has all the answers.” Neither of those two southpaws produced appealing results in 2017, though the former drew a ton of groundballs in his first 31 1/3 MLB frames (and was also quite good at Double-A) while the latter had quite a lot of success in the prior two seasons.
- The Reds‘ pitching staff has easily been the worst in baseball over the past two seasons, but there are certainly some useful pieces in place. MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon takes a look at one such pitcher, southpaw reliever Wandy Peralta. The 26-year-old was a pleasant surprise in his rookie campaign, working to a 3.76 ERA in 64 2/3 frames with 7.9 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9 to go with a 54.2% groundball rate. Peralta has a diverse slate of pitch offerings — a pair of big fastballs along with a slider and change — that he utilized nearly equally in 2017. Given the number of questions marks among Cincinnati hurlers, hopes are obviously high that Peralta will continue to cement his status as a solid bullpen asset.
- The pitching coach carousel seems to be a particular area to watch in the coaching ranks this offseason, with Jim Hickey among the notable names on the market. Per MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat, via Twitter, the former Rays pitching coach held a chat with the Cubs today. He has also already engaged with the Giants and Cardinals, she notes.
NL East Notes: Alderson, Braves, Cespedes, Phillies
Mets GM Sandy Alderson underwent surgery last week as part of his ongoing battle with cancer and described the operation as “fantastically successful,” as Danny Knobler writes for MLB.com. “From where we were to where we are today, I’m still on a road to full recovery,” said Alderson. “I’m not running a four-minute mile at the moment, and my mouth is still dry from time to time, but that’s what happens when you have surgery.” Alderson added that he expects to be at Citi Field for at least part of nearly every day, and he’s been in close contact with other members of the Mets’ baseball ops staff when he’s been forced to be away. Alderson has also undergone chemotherapy as part of his treatment but said the doctors, at present, do not have any additional chemo or surgery planned. We at MLBTR wish Alderson continued health and success in his fight against cancer.
More from the NL East…
- Both Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com and Mark Bowman of MLB.com wrote forward-looking pieces pertaining to the Braves and potential long-term successors for Fredi Gonzalez following the skipper’s dismissal this week. Crasnick lists former Braves infielder Mark DeRosa, currently an MLB Network analyst, as a possibility, noting that a pair of execs with different clubs each mentioned him. Internal candidates include Bo Porter, Eddie Perez and Terry Pendelton, he adds. Furthermore, Crasnick hears that Chipper Jones isn’t interested in managing the Braves in 2017 but is thought to be a big fan of DeRosa. Bowman also mentions DeRosa as a candidate and also casts some doubt on early speculation that former Padres manager Bud Black could be a candidate, writing that the Braves “have never provided any indication that he is currently viewed as a potential candidate.” Bowman notes that interim manager Brian Snitker’s decision to make Pendleton his bench coach positions him to show the front office how he can handle an increased role in the dugout as well.
- While there was quite a bit of chatter regarding Yoenis Cespedes and the Nationals this offseason, Cespedes said earlier this week that such talk was overblown, writes ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin. “I was never close to signing with the Nationals,” said the outfielder (via interpreter). “From the start I was pushing my agent because I wanted to come back to the Mets.” The Nats reportedly made Cespedes a five-year offer that topped $100MM but also came with heavy deferrals prior to his re-signing with the Mets on a three-year, $75MM deal (with an opt-out clause after the 2016 season).
- Phillies GM Matt Klentak tells Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com that if the Phillies can continue their surprising start and remain in the playoff picture, he’ll certainly be willing to seek upgrades on the summer trade market. “There will be nobody happier than me if we are still in playoff contention in July, and if that happens we’re going to do everything we can to help this team improve and get better and make a run at it,” said Klentak. The GM did preach some caution, noting that only one quarter of the season has been played, and he also explained that he’s been hesitant to go through too much early turnover, hoping instead to allow the players on the roster to settle into roles with which they feel comfortable. The Phillies did make a minor move, promoting Tommy Joseph in an effort to increase the club’s offensive output, but Klentak also acknowledged what has helped his team to its current place in the standings: “We continue to be open-minded towards any types of additions and ways to improve, but right now the success of our team has been built on pitching and defense and we’re going to continue to respect that.”
Marlins Notes: Fernandez, Free Agents, Alvarez, Coaches
While specifics of the deal aren’t known, Marlins president David Samson told reporters today, including Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link), that ace Jose Fernandez rejected a long-term contract offer made by the team. It’s not exactly surprising that Fernandez, a Scott Boras client coming off a season that was shortened by 2014 Tommy John surgery, would be averse to a long-term pact at this time. Boras clients rarely sign pre-arbitration extensions, and Fernandez’s value is down due to his long layoff (although he was utterly dominant when healthy). A right biceps strain also slowed Fernandez late in the season, but he’s still one of the two faces of the Miami franchise, alongside Giancarlo Stanton. An extension for Fernandez, if even possible, would figure to be exceptionally lucrative, though the 23-year-old and his agent may simply prefer to wait until he’s pitched a full season post-Tommy John before even opening their minds to such a concept.
A few more notes from Samson’s session with the media…
- The Marlins have a known desire to add starting pitching this winter, but Samson says the team won’t pursue the top tier of available arms, via Jackson’s tweet above. That means that David Price and Zack Greinke are off the table, and I’d imagine that Johnny Cueto and Jordan Zimmermann are similarly too pricey for Miami’s tastes. The Marlins, of course, weren’t expected to pursue free agents of that caliber anyhow, although the Fish did jump into the James Shields derby late last offseason.
- Right-hander Henderson Alvarez, who missed nearly all of the 2015 season with shoulder injuries that eventually required surgery, won’t be ready for Opening Day, according to Samson (via Jackson). The 25-year-old Alvarez was Miami’s Opening Day starter and has a no-hitter under his belt since coming to Miami by way of a trade with Toronto, but the Marlins aren’t even decided on whether or not they’ll tender him a contract, per Samson. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected Alvarez to earn $4MM next season, and while that’s not an outrageous number, the team could conceivably cut ties if the belief is that Alvarez’s injuries will keep out for a significant portion of 2016.
- Via MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro (on Twitter), first base/infield coach Perry Hill will return to the coaching staff for a third straight season. Lenny Harris will return as the assistant hitting coach/third base coach, and Reid Cornelius will reprise his role as bullpen coach. With a new manager entering the picture, the future of the coaching staff can always be a bit uncertain, but it appears that there won’t be sweeping changes under newly minted skipper Don Mattingly. However, Mattingly did indicate at today’s press conference that he believes Dodgers bench coach Tim Wallach will accompany him from L.A. to Miami.
- Frisaro also tweets that former Major Leaguers Joey Cora and Mark DeRosa interviewed for the Marlins’ managerial vacancy. Both former infielders have been doing broadcasting work recently but were well-liked and well-respected players during their playing careers.
Mark DeRosa To Retire
Veteran infielder Mark DeRosa is set to retire this offseason, Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos tells Shi Davidi of Sportsnet (via Twitter). Toronto exercised their $750K option on the veteran late last month. Toronto has confirmed the news via press release.
DeRosa, 39 in February, slashed .235/.326/.407 with seven homers in 236 plate appearances last season. Over the course of his 16-year career, DeRosa owns a career .268/.340/.412 batting line with the Braves, Rangers, Cubs, Indians, Cardinals, Giants, Nationals, and Blue Jays. DeRosa has earned more than $29MM over the course of his career, according to Baseball-Reference.
The Passaic, New Jersey native belted his last and 100th home run of his career off the Astros’ Dallas Keuchel on July 27th of this past season.