With Joe Maddon's abrupt departure, the Rays' front office is now tasked with finding a new manager to guide a young and talented ball club. It looks as if bench coach Dave Martinez may be the front-runner for the position, but little is known at this point as the speculation persists.
Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times listed five potential candidates for the opening, including Martinez, former Rays' player Gabe Kapler, recently-removed Rangers bench coach Tim Bogar,
White Sox third-base coach Joe McEwing and Rays' Triple-A Durham manager Charlie Montoyo. Tampa Bay recently announced they would be retaining the entire coaching staff that was under Maddon, which means Martinez will be remaining with the team no matter what.
The Rays and Twins are the only two MLB teams without a manager, so the two could potentially overlap their searches. However, based on Twins general manager Terry Ryan's preference to hire within the organization, the two may not be competing for the same candidates. It is believed Ryan could be nearing a decision between infield coach Paul Molitor or Class-A manager Doug Mientkiewicz. Bogar was loosely linked to Minnesota and McEwing was informed he was no longer being considered for the position.
Based on pure speculation, Martinez and Bogar would be the top options for Tampa Bay based on coaching experience. Martinez has been the bench coach for the Rays since 2007, which was his first coaching job. Bogar on the other hand has an extensive coaching resume that dates back to 2004. He managed a number of minor league teams and was named Minor League Manager of the Year on three separate occasions, and then he joined the big leagues in 2008 as a coaching assistant for the Rays under Joe Maddon. He then served as the first-base coach for the Boston Red Sox and then as the bench coach and interim manager for the Texas Rangers. He was passed up for the open manager spot in Texas this month.
Both men played in the big leagues and have much experience in that department, but the Rays could be facing a predicament here. If they don't hire Martinez, will he remain with the team? When Bogar was passed up for the Rangers' manager position, he was welcomed back to the team to retain his bench coach position, but opted not to return. Martinez has been with the team long enough to be rightfully upset if he were to interview for the position and then be turned down.
The Rays have a young team that is in need of proper guidance, so it will be up to the front office to make the appropriate hire. Martinez is likely a front-runner because he's been with the team for so long and is a favorite in the clubhouse, but the Rays could still decide to look elsewhere for more managerial experience.
Also, let's not forget that Ron Gardenhire is still on the market.
