Canadian Stubby Clapp and former Toronto Blue Jays infielder John McDonald are among names the team will consider for its managerial opening, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Rosenthal also connected Eric Wedge, David Bell, Sandy Alomar Jr., and Dave Valle to the Blue Jays, noting that the team will be conducting a wide search with a list that could include more names.
Clapp, a Canadian baseball icon, has won two straight manager of the year awards with the triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. McDonald began his career with the Cleveland Indians before spending seven seasons with the Blue Jays, becoming a fan favourite.
Toronto parted ways with manager John Gibbons at the conclusion of the 2018 regular season. He had been at the helm since 2013 in his second stint as Blue Jays skipper.
General Manager Ross Atkins said on Tuesday the organization is still at the “gathering information” stage of putting together an initial list of candidates and added that the Blue Jays have already reached out to some people.
“Tough, smart and passionate,” are traits Atkins said he’ll be looking for in the club’s next bench boss. “Those are the overarching themes as I think about what it means to lead an environment in here to sustain championship-level expectations, understanding what it takes for communication to keep not just the 25-man roster, but also the 40-man roster, the 200 minor-league players, the 100-plus scouts, the 100-plus coaches and medical staff people pulling in one direction and feeling connected.
“That person has to be an organizational leader and spokesperson, not just a leader of the 25-man clubhouse.”
Earlier this week, Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi reported that Alomar Jr., Rocco Baldelli, Derek Shelton, Chris Woodward, Joe Espada, Rob Thompson and Matt Quartaro were names linked to the team:
[blockquote] “Unconfirmed names circling around the Blue Jays that seem to fit Atkins’ vision include: Rocco Baldelli, the Tampa Bay Rays’ major-league field co-ordinator; Derek Shelton, the Minnesota Twins bench coach who was the quality control coach for the Blue Jays in 2017; Chris Woodward, the Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach who played shortstop for the Blue Jays; Sandy Alomar Jr., the Cleveland Indians first base coach who interviewed with the Blue Jays when Farrell was hired after the 2010 season; Joe Espada, the Houston Astros bench coach; Rob Thompson, the Sarnia, Ont., native who is bench coach with the Philadelphia Phillies; Matt Quartaro, the Rays third base coach.” [/blockquote]
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