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In recent years, teams have begun installing managers that have little or no experience. Brad Ausmus, AJ Hinch (with the Diamondbacks), and Robin Ventura are just a few examples, but according to Ken Rosenthal, the next trend could be Hall of Fame shortstops.
"Barry Larkin appears to stand a better chance of becoming the next manager of the Cincinnati Reds than Cal Ripken does of becoming the next manager of the Washington Nationals. But both ideas, at the very least, are intriguing."
Ripken was apparently considered for Washington's opening before it was given to Matt Williams, and while "nobody has contacted him" recently, if the Nationals don't rebound in the final month of the season, they could be interested in bringing in a new manager. However at least for now, Williams' job appears to be safe, as "some club officials attribute the team's disappointing season to a series of injuries to key players".
While that may be the case, Rosenthal notes that "Williams is struggling to maintain the confidence of his players", which in most cases usually leads to a managerial change. For now, talk of Ripken to the Nationals seems to be nothing more than speculation, but for Larkin and the Reds there may be more substance to those rumors.
"Talk at the All-Star break that Larkin could replace Price before the end of the season proved unfounded. But Larkin in recent months has surveyed former Reds teammates about whether they would join his coaching staff if he became manager, sources said."
Current manager, Bryan Price, is signed through the 2016 season, but the Reds have entered a rebuilding phase and could benefit from a new voice to lead them through it. Larkin hasn't managed at the big league, or the minor league level, but he did serve as Brazil's head coach in the most recent World Baseball Classic, and is a roving instructor with the Reds.
Heading into 2016, it looks like there could be more than a few managerial openings, and the Nationals and Reds could jump start a new trend.