Diamondbacks to hire Chip Hale as manager

The Diamondbacks will hire Chip Hale as their manager on Monday, as first reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Hale, who has served as the Athletics' bench coach for the last three seasons, received a two-year deal from the D-Backs, according to CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman.

Hale, 49, will get his first chance at a big league managerial job after being considered for jobs with the Mets, Mariners and Twins in recent years. He will take over the helm of the D-Backs following the firing of Kirk Gibson, joining Tony La Russa and new general manager Dave Stewart on the organization's brand new team of decision-makers.

Hale has experience in the Diamondbacks' organization, having worked as the team's bench coach from 2007 to 2009 under Bob Melvin. Hale was the Mets' bench coach in 2010 and 2011 before re-joining Melvin with the Athletics and serving as their bench coach from 2012 to 2014.

After attending the University of Arizona, Hale was drafted by the Twins in 1987 and played in 333 games over a seven-year major league career with the Twins (1989-1990, 1993-1996) and Dodgers (1997). He was a lifetime .277/.346/.363 hitter with seven home runs and 78 RBI as a backup infielder and pinch hitter.

Before hiring Hale, the Diamondbacks interviewed Tim Bogar, Joe McEwing, Turner Ward, Phil Nevin, Andy Green, Jay Bell, Jim Tracy and Sandy Alomar Jr. According to a report from Heyman over the weekend, the finalists for the job were Hale, Alomar, Tracy, Nevin and Ward.