5 managers the Cincinnati Reds can hire to fix their mess

1. Barry Larkin

Larkin spent his entire Hall of Fame playing career with the Reds, and he’s also a Cincinnati native. He is currently serving as a special assistant for Reds GM Dick Williams, but Larkin has prior experience in a front office role with the Washington Nationals. He also has coaching experience for Team USA in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, managerial experience for Brazil in the qualifying stage for the 2013 World Baseball Classic and he’s been sought out for private coaching by current major leaguers like Francisco Lindor and Dee Gordon.

Larkin has interviewed for the managerial opening with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2014, after turning down an interview with the Detroit Tigers the previous year. However, just earlier this year Larkin told Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer he only wants to manage the Reds.

"He’s a fan of his current workload – he travels two-and-a-half weeks out of every month during the season to work with players at the Reds’ various minor-league affiliates – but he admits his interest in managing is greater than it’s ever been. Still, he has eyes only for the Reds. “I only want to be in Cincinnati,” Larkin said."

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As Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY noted, Larkin would be the clear “people’s choice” as the next Reds’ manager. He seems to want the job too, and has presumably already conveyed that privately to go along with his quote from over the winter. The wider baseball community seems to recognize Larkin’s acumen for the game, so the Reds should take the hint.