Colorado Rockies manager search: 20 men who could fill the job

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DENVER — In a bit of a shocking development, Walt Weiss decided to step down as manager forcing the Rockies to look elsewhere in the offseason for a new leader in the clubhouse. There are many candidates to choose from and because the franchise decided to terminate the contracts of the entire staff, this will allow a new coach to formulate his own identity.

The BSN Denver staff has broken down as many people as we could think of who might be considered for the job.

Cameron Parker

Back in 2012, Troy Renck, originally of the Denver Post, stated the Rockies would consider Jason Giambi as manager of the Rockies. Giambi would later be turned down in favor of Weiss. Fast-forward four years, Giambi appears to a possible fan favorite to be coach of the Rockies. He is a player’s coach and understands the responsibility of coaching at Coors Field. However, he is a hitter at heart and the best thing would be for the Rockies is to hire outside the organization. Another point is for the team to steer away from another first-year manager like Giambi, but a hitting coach could be possible.

Two intriguing under-the-radar choices for manager of the Rockies are Mike Maddux and Orel Hershiser. Maddux is currently the pitching coach for the Washington Nationals and one of the most well-respected coaches in the Major Leagues. The Rangers’ pitching coach understands how to handle a pitching staff continuing to add his name to a list of managerial contenders every year.

Los Angeles Dodgers great, Orel Hershiser has made it known his desire to change how to operate at Coors Field. Now that the fences have changed and the starting rotation is on the rise, both Maddux and Hershiser may be fascinated by the idea of coaching the Rockies.

Matan Halzel

Many people forget that Gabe Kapler spent parts of 13 seasons with six different MLB teams as a player. He was drafted by the Detroit Tigers all the way back in 1995 and didn’t make his major-league debut until 1998. He was traded to the Rockies in July of 2002, and was an effective bench/role player throughout the 2002-2003 season, hitting .357 with RISP.

As his career progressed, that is what Kapler became known for: a quality role player who brought his clubhouse closer together, and could come through in the clutch when his name was called upon. The right-hander out of Taft High School was also well-respected by all of his teammates for giving 100% effort in every plate appearance and defensive effort. His managerial experience is brief, but it does include stints with the Boston Red Sox Single-A affiliate and Israel’s national team in the 2013 World Baseball classic, and currently works for the LA Dodgers’ front office.

Rumors indicated that Kapler was a close second choice behind Dave Roberts for the Dodgers managerial position this past offseason, and given Kapler’s baseball IQ, personality, and playing experience, it’s easy to understand why. If the Rockies pass on Kapler, he will surely be hired to manage another team in the near future.

Drew Creasman

Bud Black is at the top of the food chain in this managerial search as he is the only available candidate with MLB managing experience. Named Manager of the Year in 2010, Black is well respected around the game and is especially known for getting the most out of pitching staffs since he used to toe the rubber himself.

Though it should be noted, managing for so long in San Diego absolutely inflated how good his pitchers often looked, and Black will come with a much higher price tag than anyone else on this list which might be a bit of a risk for someone with no postseason series wins. He is the safe bet in terms of being able to handle the rigors of the job but cost whoever he signs with more than he is worth.

Todd Greene may not be the most exciting name — and not just because his name is Todd Greene — but he may be the best-suited candidate for the job. With two years under his belt catching for the Colorado Rockies, Greene has also been working inside baseball since 2009 as a scout in the front offices for the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Greene is regularly listed among the top potential new managers and his unique blend of Rockies and outside experience might just make him the perfect fit.

Like Greene, current Chicago White Sox third base coach Joe McEwing has been at the top of the lists for future managers, pulling upon both playing and coaching experience. Ironically, he played every position except for pitcher and catcher, and his understanding of the entire diamond has played to his benefit.

McEwing should be given an interview if he wants one and if he nails it, you could see him here very soon.

If the Rockies want to steal away a man from inside the division, they could go after Ron Wotus, current bench coach for the San Francisco Giants. He has been with the Giants since 1999 meaning it would be strange to see him jump ship to a place where he would have to see his old team so many times a year, but for the top job, maybe he would.

A member of the Braves current staff, Eddie Perez has been reported as being on the Rockies radar. Unlike most of the other names on this list, Perez’ strong suit is pitching, which is obviously promising for Colorado. Perez has been in charge of the Braves bullpen the last few years and was known as Greg Maddux‘ personal catcher during his playing years.

Perez checks a lot of boxes; he’s from outside the organization, clearly has experience with elite-level pitching, and has coached at the big league level.

Dave Martinez has always been a popular guy to bring up in these conversations going back years. The current bench coach for the Chicago Cubs has a pretty good gig, though, coaching for the team he used to play for on a mission to break a 100+ year championship drought with arguably the best chance ever to do so.

I doubt Martinez leaves the Cubs … unless … Chicago wins the World Series. If somehow a miracle happens on the south side of Chicago, Martinez might decide it’s time to move up the ladder, but should they fall short it would be strange to see him leave that roster behind without giving it another shot.

Torey Lovullo is another guy with a pretty good job as the bench coach of the Boston Red Sox after spending time with the Cleveland Indians. Lovullo actually has the rare experience of even managing an MLB team when he took over the Red Sox job on an interim basis for the final seven weeks of 2015.

The only other guy who has managed an MLB team before is Manny Acta, who is now with Seattle but has been the guy in charge for both the Washington Nationals and Cleveland Indians. He also managed the Dominican Republic team at the World Baseball Classic in 2006.

Acta has been ciriticized for a lack of postseason success, but hey, at least he’s been to the postseason.

That makes Luvollo the only guy other than Black who has actually helmed and MLB club. Sure, it was just seven weeks, but it shouldn’t be ignored.

Alex Cora‘s name has been tossed about. The current ESPN analyst has shown a keen eye and mind for the game and his communication skills and personality would likely make him popular with any clubhouse. Of course, the Rockies have to ask themselves if they really want to hire another former shortstop with no managing or coaching experience of any kind.

A similar profile belongs to the more-well-known Raul Ibanez. There is no doubt in my mind that Ibanez will make an excellent manager in the game of baseball some day, but at this particular moment in time, taking a risk on a brand new guy who has been mostly on TV the last few years just doesn’t seem wise.

A former player who does have that experience is Phil Nevin whose son Tyler was drafted by the Rockies a little over a year ago. You may remember Nevin as a big power bat for the Padres and he currently makes his living managing the Reno Aces, the Diamondbacks Triple-A affiliate. Nevin is well liked and respected especially as someone who has exhibited love for the game his whole life, never really leaving after retiring.

Nevin is a smart guy who knows how to hit and how to coach hitting. And who knows? If the Rockies do go get him, he could end up managing his own son in MLB one day.

Stu Cole and Glenallen Hill are both standup gentlemen who command respect and even borderline adoration from every single man in the Rockies clubhouse. That is why both should continue to play a pivotal role in the future for this team. But Cole hasn’t exactly excelled as a base coach and while Hill might mix brilliantly with the players, the fans will riot if they see the Rockies making another in-house promotion after so many years of losing.

The question with either Cole or Hill is whether or not the Rockies powers that be want to withstand the firestorm of backlash that would come from going with somebody already inside the organization instead of shaking things up.

Tony Diaz would also fit into that category and is more than a longshot but his name should enter into the conversation as a rising star in the Rockies coaching world. He has experienced nothing but success the last four years, players like David Dahl, Jon Gray, Raimel Tapia and others giving him a ton of praise for his role in their development. Recently named to coach the Arizona Fall League Salt River Rafters, Diaz has a unique combination of being a former player with an analytic mind who has worked in player development and is bilingual.

Speaking of in-house candidates who are bilingual, it is at least interesting to note that despite the ax coming down on so many of his peers, Vinny Castilla remains a part of the Rockies organization. Does this mean he is being considered for the job? Not necessarily, but the Rockies could do a whole lot worse at least in terms of clubhouse chemistry. Would be nice to see him at least get an interview.

We have no reason to believe the Rockies are looking into Todd Helton, but they should be, at the very least for the newly vacated hitting coach position. Helton may or may not be interested in jumping back into baseball so soon, but it would be hard to argue against his wisdom when it comes to the strangeness of baseball in Denver.

In conclusion

The Rockies have a lot of interviews ahead of them and no easy choices. There are no perfect candidates here and ultimately who falls in line with the current philosophy is the guy most likely to land the gig. There aren’t a ton of options with experience and/or ties to the organization — or conversely no ties to the organization.

It will likely be some time before we get an answer, and even more names could enter the conversation, but either way, it’s going to be a future-defining winter for the Colorado Rockies.