There are currently seven managerial positions open, with many of them being attractive jobs. But a job that people around baseball are intrigued by is the Colorado Rockies, wanting to be the person to turn that organization into a winner.
But Colorado will have to compete with seven other teams for a manager, though they are one of the few looking to add to the front office. So who could these teams hire?
Here are some of the top options for teams with managerial openings.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
San Francisco Giants: Nick Hundley
Backup catchers are typically the best future managers, and no one will know that better than Buster Posey. He was teammates with Hundley with the Giants and the two know one another. If the Giants hire Hundley, who currently works in the Rangers’ front office, they’d need to hire a veteran coaching staff around the first-time manager.
Los Angeles Angels: Albert Pujols
If the Angels hire Pujols, it would be an Arte Moreno decision. I feel very confident in that. Pujols is someone who has had managerial buzz since he retired, with many wondering if that could come with the St. Louis Cardinals. But with Oli Marmol staying in St. Louis, it leaves the door open for the Angels to swoop in and hire him as their manager. Like Hundley, the Angels would need to hire a veteran coaching staff around Pujols. But I think he’d be a terrific manager.
Atlanta Braves: Mark DeRosa
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: when it comes to the Braves’ managerial search, there are not many whispers about where this thing could go. That’s the type of operation Alex Anthopoulos runs. But DeRosa, who played seven seasons with the Braves and debuted with the team in 1998, makes plenty of sense here.
Baltimore Orioles: Bob Melvin
When Mike Elias was asked about what he’s looking for in a manager, he told reporters: “Experience is usually, overwhelmingly usually, a big positive. In our particular situation, I think it’ll definitely carry a lot of weight.” That would make sense for a team with a very young clubhouse, and Melvin feels like a really strong option here because of it. Scott Servais was another thought here, too.
Minnesota Twins: Ryan Flaherty
I admittedly don’t have a good feel with the Twins. They could go in a few different directions – a veteran manager? A first time manager? A former player? – but I’ll go with Flaherty, the Cubs’ bench coach. He’s highly respected and with eight total managerial vacancies, he’ll get plenty of interviews elsewhere. So if the Twins want to hire him, they might have to move fast. But Derek Falvey has insisted that he’ll be patient and not rush the process.
Washington Nationals: Rocco Baldelli
I could also see Bob Melvin being an option here. But the thought of having a veteran manager in place around that young roster is really appealing. Baldelli also being a former player would be a very good thing in relating to the clubhouse. I think he’s a better manager than what the Twins’ record showed, and he’ll be back in the managerial position sooner than later.
Colorado Rockies: It's a job, right?
They need to hire a head of baseball operations before we determine this. But the candidates for the front office position include Thad Levine, Royals executive Scott Sharp and others, possibly Brewers executive Matt Kleine. Levine would have ties to Derek Shelton and others with the Twins. Kleine would have ties to Rickie Weeks, Walker McKinven and others. Colorado is a sneaky very attractive job that could land a top front office candidate.