The Guardians will interview Giants bullpen/catching coach Craig Albernaz about their upcoming managerial vacancy, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Terry Francona may officially announce his retirement as Cleveland’s skipper as early as tonight, so the Guardians are already lining up what is expected to be a long list of possible replacements.
Albernaz (who turns 41 later this month) has spent the last four seasons on the Giants’ coaching staff. A longtime catcher in the Rays’ and Tigers’ farm systems from 2006-14, Albernaz then became a coach, field coordinator, and manager for Tampa Bay at the minor league level. His experience as a manager consists of a partial season with the Rays’ short-season A-ball affiliate in 2017, and then a full year with the Rays’ high-A affiliate in 2018.
Slusser notes that the Giants might interview Albernaz for their own managerial opening, and interim manager Kai Correa and third base coach Mark Hallberg could also be considered. Since a managerial change usually begets changes on the coaching staff, Slusser feels teams could try to make some hires away from San Francisco, with pitching coach Andrew Bailey reportedly on the Yankees’ radar. There hasn’t been any indication that New York pitching coach Matt Blake could be in danger of losing his job, so it isn’t known exactly what role the Yankees might have in mind for Bailey.
More on other possible coaching moves from around baseball…
- Sticking with the Yankees, hitting coach Sean Casey told the New York Post’s Greg Joyce that he has been asked to return in 2024, though he first had to discuss matters with his family before deciding one way or the other. Casey took over the hitting coach job at midseason on essentially a 1.5-year contract, with an understanding that the two sides might re-evaluate things after the season. While the Yankees’ lack of batting prowess has been an issue before and after Casey’s hiring, he has won some immediate support — Aaron Judge praised Casey’s work, while both GM Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone have asked Casey to keep coaching. Joyce observes that Cashman’s support of Casey might indicate that Boone will also be returning as manager, since Boone and Casey are good friends. [UPDATE: Speaking with The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner and other reporters, Casey said that he hasn’t received a former offer to return next season.}
- White Sox manager Pedro Grifol implied that some changes are coming to his coaching staff, though was short on details with the Chicago Sun-Times’ Daryl Van Schouwen (X link) and other reporters because “it’s a very sensitive issue. We talk about the staff, we talk about people who have been in the game a long, long time. Unfortunately, this is a game that’s predicated on wins and losses.” Like Grifol himself, several members of the staff are finishing their first season with the White Sox, including bench coach Charlie Montoyo, third base coach Eddie Rodriguez, hitting coach Jose Castro. It isn’t known if any of these specific coaches might be in jeopardy, or if the Sox are looking at some of the longer-standing holdovers. [UPDATE: assistant pitching coach Curt Hasler will be reassigned to a role in the minor league system, James Fegan of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.]
