Some updates on a fairly quiet manager search…
-It was expected that the Pirates would interview Juan Samuel, although Bill Brink of the Post Gazette reports that Samuel hasn’t heard from the club, making it unlikely that he’s a candidate.
-John Perrotto had a string of rumors and updates on Twitter. He said that he thinks Jeff Banister will get the job (note that it was a prediction, not a reporting), that Tony Pena doesn’t seem to be a candidate, and that there has been talk that the Pirates might wait to talk to Rangers’ hitting coach Clint Hurdle.
You might think that the Pena news isn’t a big surprise, as nothing has been mentioned linking him to the Pirates. However, Pena’s contract with the Yankees expires at the end of the month, making it impossible for the Pirates to contact him until that point. We’ll see next week whether he gets an interview. As for Hurdle, we heard the same rumors about Pena and some of the Phillies coaches, including Pete Mackanin, who isn’t a candidate. I wouldn’t rule out Hurdle, or Pena, but I wouldn’t hold out hope that the Pirates are specifically waiting on one of those guys.
As for Banister, Perrotto offers the following for anyone who goes ballistic over the idea of him becoming the manager:
Before #Pirates fans go ballistic about Banister possibly becoming manager, please know he is a good man who embodies “pride and passion.” (Twitter)
To clarify, that I’m not saying that Jeff Baniser is necessarily the best possible person for the job but he is no fool. (Twitter)
The Pirates only have three candidates who they have interviewed. Banister is one of those three, joined by Carlos Tosca and Bo Porter, who has been mentioned as a favorite for the Florida position.
