The Blue Jays have interviewed Canadian Stubby Clapp for their managerial vacancy, Bob Elliott of Canadian Baseball Network reported Monday.
It’s unclear whether Clapp’s one of the four finalists for the job or whether he simply interviewed earlier in the month when the Blue Jays were gathering background information on candidates across the league.
Astros bench coach Joe Espada, Cubs bench coach Brandon Hyde and Rays major-league field coordinator Rocco Baldelli are among the finalists to replace John Gibbons as Blue Jays manager. David Bell had also been in that group before signing a three-year contract to become the Cincinnati Reds’ manager.
Clapp, 45, has managed the Cardinals’ triple-A affiliate for two seasons, winning the Pacific Coast League’s manager of the year award both times. Earlier in his career, the Windsor, Ont. native was a hitting coach in the Blue Jays’ minor-league system at Class A Dunedin and double-A New Hampshire.
The former big-league infielder has also played and coached for Canada’s baseball teams internationally.
[relatedlinks]
