Bryan Price was fired as manager of the Cincinnati Reds, after a 3-15 start to the season. Jim Riggleman was appointed the interim manager and a search for a permanent replacement for Price will be conducted later in the season. That leaves the question: Who will be in contention for the job?
Jim Riggleman
Riggleman has been with the Reds’ organization since 2012 and has served a number of roles for the club. He has been a manager in the minor leagues and a third base/bench coach in the major leagues. He has been given the chance to manage the Reds for the rest of this season and if he impresses, could be awarded the job on a permanent basis.
As a manager in the big leagues, Riggleman has posted a record of 662-824. He has only had a .500 record in three different seasons and two of those were only partial seasons.
Getting the job will be a longshot for Riggleman, but he does have the first crack at it. The Reds aren’t expecting to win much of anything this season, but if he can show that the team can grow and improve under his leadership, he will be considered for the job.
Barry Larkin
The 1995 National League MVP has been a rumored candidate for manager of the Reds for years now. Larkin was born and raised in Cincinnati and played his entire career for the Reds. He was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2012 for his illustrious career.
Larkin’s only managerial experience was with Brazil in the World Baseball Classic. Although they qualified for the event, they did not win a game once the event started. Since 2015 he has been with the Reds as a coach in different capacities and has been credited with helping the development of Zack Cozart.
He has been a candidate for the manager position in past years for the Detroit Tigers and the Tampa Bay Rays. Since his retirement as a player, he has also been involved in the Nationals’ front office and a media member for ESPN.
This would be the time for the Reds to take a shot on a new manager, as the expectations aren’t high and Larkin would help nostalgic fans a reason to go to Great American Ballpark.
John Farrell
Farrell was fired as manager of the Red Sox two days after losing the ALDS in 2017. He posted a 586-548 over his seven seasons as a manager with the Blue Jays and Red Sox. He won the World Series with Boston in 2013.
He was hired as a scout for the Reds in March of this season. He doesn’t have a lot of ties to the Reds’ organization before being hired, but his son Luke did pitch in nine games for Cincinnati last season.
There is a large contingent of Boston fans who would not recommend Farrell as a manager, but for possible candidates, he does work for the organization currently, has above a .500 record and a World Series title, which is more than a lot of other candidates can say.
Joe Girardi
The Yankees decided not to offer Girardi a new contract after they made it to the ALCS last season, as they wanted a different type of manager. Girardi has a career record of 988-794 in his 11 seasons as a manager. His greatest accomplishment is winning the World Series with the club in 2009. He also managed the Florida Marlins for a season in 2006 before joining the Bronx Bombers in 2008.
Girardi had the task of managing a high-payroll, big market team and did have to go through a lot of different things. He had a player suspended for steroids(Alex Rodriguez), a Yankee legend’s (Jeter) play decline then retire, a lot of overpaid players and overbearing owners.
He is the most experienced manager that is also near the top of the Reds’ wish list and will be one of the first people called when the search starts.
Other notable contenders
Billy Hatcher- Hatcher has been with Reds for a long time as a coach but hasn’t ever seriously been considered for the manager position. He likely won’t get the job this time either but should get a look due to his tenure with the Reds.
Matt Williams-Â He is currently the third base coach of the Oakland Athletics, but has managerial experience with the Nationals. In his two seasons in Washington, he had a record of 179-145 and one postseason appearance.
Fredi Gonzalez-Â Gonzalez has managed both the Braves and Marlins but is currently the third base coach for Miami. He has a career record of 710-692.
Brad Ausmus-Â The Tigers decided not to extend Brad Ausmus for 2018 and he is now a special assistant for the Los Angeles Angels. In his four seasons with the Tigers, he was 314-332 with one postseason appearance.
Jim Tracy-Â Tracy is a scout for the Pirates, but is a former manager, who won the manager of the year award in 2009. He was born in Hamilton, Ohio and has a career record of 856-880, but hasn’t managed since 2012. He is not favored to get the job but has the local ties, which make him a candidate.
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