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At the end of a season, many teams have to make a tough decision: whether or not they should fire any members of their coaching or front office staff. This article will provide the latest updates regarding team’s searches for a new manager or general manager.
In addition, you can check out the Manager and General Manager spreadsheets for the statuses off the most-likely candidates.
Orioles have new manager. Maybe. | December 11
Multiple reports indicate the Baltimore Orioles have hired Chicago Cubs bench coach Brandon Hyde as their new manager. However, Orioles GM Mike Elias denied offer the job to Hyde at the winter meetings today.
Orioles interview sixth candidate | December 10
The Orioles have interviewed their sixth managerial candidate: Manny Acta, who used to be a MLB manager, has interviewed, per Jon Heyman of FanCred.
Orioles begin search for new manager | December 9
The Baltimore Orioles are interviewing Mike Redmond, Mike Bell, Pedro Grifol, Chip Hale, and Brandon Hyde for their vacant managerial position, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Dodgers won’t hire new GM this offseason | December 9
The Los Angeles Dodgers announced they will not hire a new general manager to replace Farhan Zaidi, who left LA to become the new vice president of baseball operations with the Giants.
Orioles make first major staff change, hire Mike Elias from Houston | November 13
The Baltimore Orioles have to find a new general manager and field manager this offseason. They got the first part done as they hired Houston Astros’ assistant general manager as the new general manager of the Baltimore Orioles. The Astros need a new assistant general manager; meanwhile, the O’s can finally search for a new field manager.
Farhan Zaidi becomes newest president of baseball operations with Giants | November 7
The Los Angeles Dodgers need a new general manager. Farhan Zaidi has accepted the San Francisco Giants’ offer to become the new president of baseball operations.
Giants offer President of Baseball Operations job to Farhan Zaidi | November 6
The San Francisco Giants have offered Farhan Zaidi the job of “President of Baseball Operations.” Zaidi is currently the general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, so San Francisco is expected to have a backup plan in case Zaidi declines the job offer.
Rangers officially announce hiring of Chris Woodward | November 3
The Texas Rangers officially announced the hiring of Chris Woodward as their newest field manager. Woodward, who served as the third base coach of the Los Angeles Dodgers for three seasons, is just a few years removed from his playing career, when he played with several teams, including the Blue Jays, Mets, Braves, Mariners and Red Sox.
Rangers expected to hire Chris Woodward | November 2
The Texas Rangers are expected to hire Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach Chris Woodward as their new manager, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today. After Woodward’s Dodgers lost the World Series, he received an interview from the Rangers and he reportedly impressed the top Rangers executives.
Rangers interview Derek Shelton | October 31
The Minnesota Twins have granted permission for bench coach Derek Shelton to interview for the vacant managerial position with the Texas Rangers. The Rangers are just one of two teams that are without a manager, along with the Baltimore Orioles. Texas is expected to be more interested in a new manager at the moment than the Orioles are, considering Baltimore needs to hire a general manager before they conduct interviews for a new field manager.
Mets officially hire Brodie Van Wagenen | October 30
The New York Mets have officially hired a new general manager, becoming the first team to do so this offseason. The Mets hired Brodie Van Wagenen, who is a certified player agent, and also the son-and-law of Neil Armstrong, the Mets confirmed this week. With the Mets no longer in the market for a GM, just two teams remain in the search for a new general manager: the Baltimore Orioles and the San Francisco Giants.
Brodie Van Wagenen expected to become new Mets GM | October 26
Multiple reports indicate the New York Mets are set to introduce Brodie Van Wagenen as their new general manager next week. It came down to Van Wagenen and Chaim Bloom, but the Mets ultimately decided to go with Van Wagenen. What is unique is that Van Wagenen is a certified player agent, and will be until he officially joins the Mets. But wait, there’s more: Van Wagenen is/was the agent of former Mets pitcher Matt Harvey, who refused an assignment to the minors so he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds.
Doug Melvin out of running for Mets GM role | October 25
Doug Melvin is no longer a candidate for the vacant general manager position with the New York Mets. The search for a new GM is down to Brodie Van Wagenen and Chaim Bloom, per Jon Heyman of FanCred. It seems like the Mets could be close to making a decision. Will it be Van Wagenen or Bloom?
Blue Jays hire Charlie Montoyo | October 25
The Toronto Blue Jays have hired Charlie Montoyo as their new field manager. Montoyo was not believed to be one of the five finalists for a job, but the hiring of Montoyo proves otherwise. Montoyo served as the bench coach for the Rays from 2016-2018, and he’s the second Rays coach to get hired as a manager today (following Rocco Baldelli, who became the youngest manager in MLB after joining the Twins).
Twins hire Rocco Baldelli | October 25
After a quiet few days, another domino has fallen. Now, the Minnesota Twins are hiring Rocco Baldelli as their new field manager. Baldelli, a former major-league outfielder, spent his 2017 working with the Tampa Bay Rays as their field coordinator.
Mets narrow search for new GM down to three candidates | October 22
Chaim Bloom, Doug Melvin, and Brody Van Wagenen are the three remaining candidates in the running for the vacant general manager position with the New York Mets, per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo.
Angels hire Brad Ausmus | October 21
The Los Angeles Angels have hired Brad Ausmus, who served as a special assistant to the general manager with the Angels for the 2018 season. Prior to that, he spent four years in Detroit as the manager of the Tigers. The length of Ausmus’s new contract is unclear, but it is likely similar to the deal the Cincinnati Reds gave to David Bell.
Reds announce hiring of David Bell | October 21
The speculation ends, and the official announcement is here. The Cincinnati Reds have announced the hiring of David Bell, who served as the Giants’ vice president of player development for the 2018 season. Bell’s contract lasts three years (through 2021) and includes a club option for the 2022 season.
Joe Girardi withdraws name from Rangers managerial search | October 21
MLB Network analyst Joe Girardi withdrew his name from the Reds’ managerial search on Friday, and now he is backing out of the Rangers’ search, too.
David Bell is most likely to become Reds manager | October 20
San Francisco Giants vice president of player development David Bell is the most likely candidate to become the next manager of the Cincinnati Reds. Bell was recently dubbed as the front-runner for the job, and with the Reds hoping to announce their new manager by Monday, it seems like they will decide Bell is their best option. Among the three people who advanced to the second round of the search were Bell, Brad Ausmus, and Joe Girardi. (Yesterday, Girardi announced he was withdrawing from the search.)
Mets continue to search for new general manager | October 20
Chaim Bloom, Doug Melvin, Kim Ng, De Jon Watson (Washington Nationals, special assistant), Gary LaRocque (St. Louis Cardinals, director of player development), Omar Minaya (New York Mets, special assistant) and Dave Littlefield (Detroit Tigers, vice president of player development) have all interviewed for the vacant general manager position with the New York Mets. Player agents Casey Close and Brody Van Wagenen also interviewed. Littlefield, Watson, Close, and LaRocque are no longer under consideration, while Minaya is a lonsghot. Ng and Bloom remain under consideration for the job, but Melvin and Van Wagenen appear to be the front-runners.
Twins rule out two candidates, have five remaining | October 20
The Minnesota Twins will not fill their vacant managerial position with Joe Espada or Hensley Meulens. Five candidates remain in consideration: Rocco Baldelli, Brandon Hyde, James Rowson, and David Ross.
Joe Girardi withdraws himself from Reds’ managerial search | October 19
After he advanced to round two of the Cincinnati Reds managerial search, Joe Girardi has withdrawn himself from the search. The other two candidates who advanced to the second round of the search are David Bell and Brad Ausmus, with Bell the apparent front-runner to win the job.
Blue Jays interviewed Ed Sprague | October 19
The Toronto Blue Jays recently interviewed Ed Sprague, who is currently the Oakland Athletics coordinator of instruction. It’s unclear if Sprague advanced to the second round of Toronto’s managerial search, but it’s worth noting that, of the five that advanced, only four names have been released. David Bell (San Francisco Giants, VP of Player Development), Joe Espada (Houston Astros, bench coach), Rocco Baldelli (Tampa Bay Rays, field coordinator), and Brandon Hyde (Chicago Cubs, bench coach) are all believed to be on their way to the second round, which leaves one more un-named person. Could it be Sprague? Only time will tell.
Reds officially narrow search down to three candidates | October 18
The Cincinnati Reds announced today that their search for a new manager is down to three candidates. Two of them are former MLB managers, Brad Ausmus and Joe Girardi, while the other is currently a member of a front office staff, David Bell. Ausmus managed the Detroit Tigers from 2014-17, before serving as a special assistant for the Angels in 2018. Ausmus is also being considered for other jobs, such as the vacant managerial position with the Angels. Girardi is one-year removed from his managerial stint with the Yankees, from 2008-17, and is a current MLB Network analyst. Bell has served as a minor-league manager, but his highest managerial roles were as a third base coach with the Chicago Cubs and bench coach with the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the vice president of player development with the San Francisco Giants.
Angels give long written test to managerial candidates | October 18
MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported that the Los Angeles Angels are giving a two-hour written test to their managerial candidates. A source told Morosi that tests and quizzes have actually played a role in hiring staff members in baseball for over a decade. In fact, Terry Francona took a quiz that included different decisions and choices when he was a candidate for the opening as manager of the Boston Red Sox, which was a job he ended up winning. The story from Morosi is very well-written, and has lots of interesting information; you can check it out here.
Two clear front-runners in Reds managerial search | October 17
John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that there are two apparent front-runners in the search for the newest manager of the Cincinnati Reds: Rocco Baldelli, who is the field coordinator of the Tampa Bay Rays, and David Bell, who is the farm director of the San Francisco Giants.
Angels interview Ausmus, Chavez | October 17
The Los Angeles Angels have interviewed Triple-A manager Eric Chavez and special assistant Brad Ausmus for their managerial opening. Chavez, who has never coached at the MLB level, became the manager of the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees in August. Ausmus, on the other hand, does have experience as a manager from when he was with the Detroit Tigers from 2014-17.
Orioles job search remains quiet | October 17
The Baltimore Orioles have been quiet this offseason when it comes to finding a new manager and general manager. Billy Ripken and Orioles TV analyst Mike Bordick are expected to be candidates for the managerial position. Meanwhile, Amiel Sawdaye (Arizona Diamondbacks, assistant general manager) and Dan Kantrovitz (Oakland Athletics, assistant general manager) are both likely candidates for the general manager vacancy. The Orioles have yet to interview anyone for either position.
Blue Jays managerial search enters Round Two | October 16
The Blue Jays are the second team to enter the second round of their managerial search. David Bell (San Francisco Giants, VP of Player Development), Joe Espada (Houston Astros, bench coach), Rocco Baldelli (Tampa Bay Rays, field coordinator), and Brandon Hyde (Chicago Cubs, bench coach) have supposedly advanced to the second round of interviews, a source tells Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. A fifth candidate has also reportedly advanced to Round Two of interviews.
Minnesota Twins interview sixth person | October 16
The Twins have interviewed their sixth person: like many teams, they have checked in on Joe Espada. They have also interviewed Brandon Hyde, Rocco Baldelli, Hensley Meulens (San Francisco Giants, bench coach), Derek Shelton (Minnesota Twins, bench coach), and James Rowson (Minnesota Twins, hitting coach). They are also expected to meet with retired catcher David Ross, who is currently working for ESPN.
San Francisco Giants interviewed Jason McLeod, Amiel Sawdaye | October 16
It was reported today by Bruce Levine of 670 TheScore that Chicago Cubs senior vice president of player development Jason McLeod interviewed for the Giants’ general manager opening. Although he seems like a strong candidate, he may choose to remain with the Cubs, where he is making $1M per season. Arizona Diamondbacks assistant general manager Amiel Sawdaye is also a strong candidate for the role, and he would be a great fit for the general manager role in San Francisco. Among the players Sawdaye has drafted are Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Sam Travis from his time with the Boston Red Sox.
Cincinnati enters Round Two of managerial search | October 15
The Reds are entering the second round of their search for a manager, and have decided on ten candidates to advance to the next round of consideration. Among those that are expected to remain under consideration are Baldelli, Joe Girardi, and Reds’ 2018 interim manager Jim Riggleman.
Rangers conduct at least seven interviews | October 15
By now, the Texas Rangers have conducted at least seven known interviews for their managerial vacancy. Among those who have interviewed are Don Wakamatsu (Texas Rangers, interim manager), Jayce Tingler (Texas Rangers, assistant general manager), Brandon Hyde, Joe Espada, Joe Girardi, David Bell and Rocco Baldelli.
Angels working on finding new manager | October 14
The Los Angeles Angels are starting the process of finding a new manager. So far, they have interviewed Joe Espada and Brandon Hyde. Brad Ausmus and Eric Chavez are both currently in the Angels organization and may also receive interviews.
Search for the new Mets GM: Chernoff won’t interview | October 14
Chaim Bloom (Tampa Bay Rays, senior vice president of baseball operations), Kim Ng (MLB executive), and Doug Melvin (Milwaukee Brewers, special adviser) have all received interviews with the Mets, and are considered to be the leading candidates. Meanwhile, Cleveland Indians GM Mike Chernoff declined an interview and will stay with Cleveland.
Check back often for the latest updates.