According to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated, the Seattle Mariners have settled on Eric Wedge as their next manager. Wedge was seen as the favorite for the Pittsburgh Pirates open spot, and with him off the market, the race seems wide open.
Currently the Pirates have interviewed seven candidates, including Wedge. The other candidates are:
Jeff Banister – Interim Pirates bench coach.
Ken Macha – Former Brewers manager.
Dale Sveum – Current Brewers hitting coach.
Carlos Tosca – Former Marlins and new Braves bench coach.
John Gibbons – Current Royals bench coach, former Blue Jays manager.
Bo Porter – Bench coach for Arizona in 2010.
The Pirates have also been linked to John Samuel (Orioles interim manager in 2010), Jose Oquendo (Cardinals third base coach), and have unofficially talked with Andy Van Slyke about his interest in the position.
If I had to name a favorite right now, it would probably be Banister, since he’s been with the team for a long time, and has been with all of the young players in the system since they came to the Pirates. My personal favorite remains John Farrell, as it would be the equivalent of stealing the Boston Red Sox’s pitching coach, although nothing has been mentioned about Farrell with the Pirates, or with anyone else.
Tim started Pirates Prospects in 2009 from his home in Virginia, which was 40 minutes from where Pedro Alvarez made his pro debut in Lynchburg. That year, the Lynchburg Hillcats won the Carolina League championship, and Pirates Prospects was born from Tim's reporting along the way. The site has grown over the years to include many more writers, and Tim has gone on to become a credentialed MLB reporter, producing Pirates Prospects each year, and will publish his 11th Prospect Guide this offseason. He has also served as the Pittsburgh Pirates correspondent for Baseball America since 2019. Behind the scenes, Tim is an avid music lover, and most of the money he gets paid to run this site goes to vinyl records.
