Sad report:as A. J. Hinch  made Terrified statement about Detroit Tigers that……..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MLB’s top manager candidates: Who could fill the next job opening?

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 27: Manager Buck Showalter #11 of the New York Mets heads back to the dugout in the seventh inning against the Miami Marlins during game one of a double header at Citi Field on September 27, 2023 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

By The Athletic MLB Staff

Oct 1, 2023

The San Francisco Giants kickstarted this offseason’s managerial hiring cycle by dismissing Gabe Kapler after four years on the job. The Cleveland Guardians will have an opening with the pending retirement of Terry Francona. Los Angeles Angels manager Phil Nevin will not be returning to the team next season, according to a team source. Buck Showalter announced on Sunday that he will not return as the New York Mets manager in 2024. And it’s also possible that the Milwaukee Brewers could be in the market for a new skipper depending upon their ability to retain Craig Counsell.

 

Given there are multiple openings this winter, The Athletic compiled a list of people who are viewed within the industry as clear candidates to become big league managers (or, in some cases, managers again).

 

Gabe Kapler, former manager, San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies

Kapler has been fired from his first two managerial stops, and he may not get a chance for a third. There have been reasonable criticisms about his teams fading down the stretch. But as recently as 2021 he was the National League Manager of the Year, the steward of a 107-win team in San Francisco. His preparation and tactical acumen are renowned – even if those qualities led to a robotic brand of baseball that Giants fans turned on this summer. Given a quality roster, one that does not require platoons and openers, Kapler could still flourish. – Andy McCullough

 

Clayton McCullough, first-base coach, Los Angeles Dodgers

McCullough interviewed with the New York Mets for the job that eventually went to Showalter and finished as the runner-up to Matt Quatraro for the Royals job last offseason. He spent several years as a manager in Toronto’s minor-league system before serving as the minor-league field coordinator with the Dodgers. He has earned praise for his work with younger players. — AM

 

 

Chris Taylor and Clayton McCullough celebrate. (Isaiah J. Downing / USA Today)

George Lombard, bench coach, Detroit Tigers

Lombard has a significant amount of experience in the minors and the majors. He was Mookie Betts’s first professional manager, with the 2011 Gulf Coast League Red Sox. He wore a variety of hats in player development with Boston and Atlanta before joining Dave Roberts’ coaching staff with the Dodgers in 2016. After the team won the World Series in 2020, Lombard departed to work with A.J. Hinch in Detroit. His son, George Jr., was a first-round pick for the Yankees this past summer. – AM

 

Don Mattingly, bench coach, Toronto Blue Jays

After a decade spent managing in Los Angeles and Miami, Mattingly walked away from the Marlins last season only to segue into a gig with Toronto. Mattingly never had a losing record in five seasons managing the Dodgers, where he was well-respected within his clubhouse. Mattingly understood, players have said, the challenges of succeeding at the big-league level, but never lorded his own outstanding playing career over his team. – AM

 

Mark DeRosa, MLB Network analyst

DeRosa, 48, managed Team USA in the World Baseball Classic earlier this year, his first professional coaching experience. The University of Pennsylvania product bounced around to eight different teams during a 16-year big-league career. He spent his first seven seasons with the Braves. He has served as an analyst for MLB Network since retiring in 2013. – Zack Meisel

 

Benji Gil, infield coach, Los Angeles Angels

Gil firmly established himself as an intriguing managerial candidate this spring when he guided Team Mexico to the World Baseball Classic semifinals, and very nearly pulled off a massive upset to reach the finals. Gil won four championships as a manager in the Mexican League. That’s not a typical proving ground for MLB managers, but maybe that’s a good thing. Gil has some pedigree as a former player, as well, playing a small but critical role in the Angels’ lone World Series title in 2002. Gil clearly has managerial chops, but do they translate at the major league level? – Sam Blum

 

 

Benji Gil managed Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. (Chris Coduto / Getty Images)

Don Kelly, bench coach, Pittsburgh Pirates

The nine-year MLB veteran was a clubhouse leader in his playing days and became a Tigers scout following his on-field career. In 2019, Kelly served as the first-base coach for the Astros under A.J. Hinch. Since 2020, he has been the Pirates’ bench coach under Derek Shelton — Cody Stavenhagen

 

Stephen Vogt, bullpen and quality control coach, Seattle Mariners

The former big-league catcher jumped straight into coaching this season and has expressed a desire to manage since his playing days. One member of a major-league staff predicted Vogt will become “a manager in no time.” — CS

 

Rodney Linares, bench coach, Tampa Bay Rays

The 46-year-old spent two decades coaching in the Astros’ system, and in 12 seasons as minor-league manager he oversaw the development of players such as Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and George Springer. Linares has also managed in the Arizona Fall League and Dominican Winter League, in addition to managing the Dominican team in the most recent World Baseball Classic. He became the Rays’ third-base coach in 2018, and was promoted to bench coach before this season. — CS

 

Will Venable, associate manager, Texas Rangers

The son of a big-leaguer and longtime minor-league coach, Venable, 40, played nine seasons for the Padres, Rangers and Dodgers. In 2017, he joined the Cubs’ front office as a special assistant to Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer. He then transitioned to the field, serving as a base coach for three years and then the Red Sox bench coach for two. In 2023, he became Bruce Bochy’s lieutenant. He’s an Ivy Leaguer, having played at Princeton with Guardians GM Mike Chernoff. The A’s, Cubs, Giants, Astros, Red Sox and Tigers all spoke with him about their managerial openings in recent years. – ZM

 

Bob Melvin, manager, San Diego Padres

Bob Melvin currently has a job, so why is he on a list of candidates? The Padres are entering a period in which they must evaluate their disaster of a season, and Melvin’s relationship with Padres GM A.J. Preller has been a source of tension. If that pairing is severed, the highly-respected Melvin could quickly become a coveted managerial candidate. Adding to the intrigue here: Melvin and the Giants’ Farhan Zaidi worked together in Oakland, so a Bay Area reunion in San Francisco would make sense. — Marc Carig

 

Mark Hallberg, third base coach, San Francisco Giants

Hallberg has served as Giants’ third base coach for the last two seasons, taking the position upon the retirement of Ron Wotus. Few candidates will have a background as varied as Hallberg, the son of international school administrators who grew up in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan before winding up at Florida State where he became teammates and close friends with some catcher named Buster Posey. After playing in the minors, Hallberg’s coaching ascent has been swift. In 2019, he was managing the Giants affiliate in Salem-Keizer. A year later, he joined the big league staff where he has remained. — MC