Blue Jays Rumour Roundup: The Managerial Shortlist

A whole wack of notes and rumours related to the Toronto Blue Jays managerial search, updated on Oct. 16th, 2018.

Espada Interviewed; Did Well

Astros bench coach Joe Espada, who was confirmed to have been interviewed by the Blue Jays, did, in his words “pretty good”, per Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae. According to multiple sources (including MLB Network’s Jon Morosi), Espada has also been connected to the managerial search of the Minnesota Twins.

Baldelli Impressed in Interview

Tampa Bay Rays major league field coordinator, who has also been connected to the Cincinnati Reds (according to the Tampa Bay Times) and the Cincinnati Reds (according to C. Trent Rosecrans of the Athletic), made a “strong showing” in the Blue Jays managerial interview process, Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reports. Baldelli spent parts of six major league seasons with the Rays and has since been rumoured to be connected to the Jays.

Scoscia Not a Candidate (Report)

Though he was never connected to the Blue Jays, former Los Angeles Angels skipper Mike Scioscia is not garnering interest from Mark Shapiro and company, reports Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe in his latest column. Scioscia, who had managed the Angels since 2000, has a career managerial record of 1650-1428.

DeRosa Declines to Interview

Jon Heyman of Fancred and Morosi have both reported that Mark DeRosa, MLB Network analyst and former Toronto Blue Jay, is not interested in leaving his position and will not interview for the vacant managerial position for the Texas Rangers, thus effectively eliminating him from contention for the Blue Jays job. The Jays were, however, connected to him in the early stages of their search.

Woodward Not a Finalist

Though my colleague Chris Henderson provided genuine support for his candidacy as the next skipper, it appears as though Chris Woodward, former MLB shortstop and current Dodgers third base coach, will not be a finalist for the job, Sportsnet’s Arash Madani reported earlier this week. Woodward, 42, would still like to manage, per Madani.

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Fuld Declined Interview

A surprising name in the race, former Chicago Cubs outfielder Sam Fuld, who is currently serving as the major league player information coordinator for the Philadelphia Phillies, was intriguing to the Jays in their search, Rosenthal reports. However, Jerry Crasnick of the Athletic reported later that Fuld apparently “withdrew his name from consideration”, taking him out of the race as well.

Giants’ Bell Dark Horse Finalist

Rounding out the list of finalists outlined by Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi Tuesday afternoon is San Francisco Giants VP of player development David Bell, who served as the bench coach for the St. Louis Cardinals from 2015 to 2017. Bell has long been considered to be a good fit for manager due to his baseball expertise and knowledge of the inner workings of the game.

Fifth “Mystery Man” Among Candidates

Though all the aforementioned names (Bell, Espada, Baldelli and Brandon Hyde) are among the list of finalists who could be headed to Toronto for an in-person interview, Shi Davidi said Tuesday appearing on Sportsnet that there is presumably one more finalist. While no specific names have been mentioned as to who the last individual is, some possibilities include Mike Matheny, Bobby Meachum, and John Schneider.