It was reported on Friday that the Los Angeles Dodgers narrowed down their list of managerial candidates to four.
The four finalists were to be selected from a pool of five. The group was initially said to be composed of former San Diego Padres manager Bud Black, University of Nebraska head coach Darin Erstad, former Arizona Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson, Dodgers director of player development Gabe Kapler and Padres bench coach Dave Roberts.
A notable omission was Chicago Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez, though an updated report left open the possibility Martinez and others not mentioned above, remained in the mix. Erstad since removed his name from consideration for the vacancy.
The remaining candidates largely supports the importance of finding a strong leader, which Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi discussed on Oct. 22.
Wait, aren’t all front offices interested in leadership qualities? Well, of course, but if we learned anything from the Don Mattingly tenure under Friedman, it’s that leadership is atop a very short list of requirements.
Sure, the Dodgers want someone who is into sabermetrics, but really, the qualifications for manager go something like this:
- You’re a good leader
- You’re willing to do whatever Friedman and Co. tell you
After all, if you’re going to hire the “Geek Squad” to run your team, you might as well let them work their geeky magic everywhere. It’s why rumors swirled that Mattingly wasn’t even filling out lineup cards by the end of his time in Los Angeles — no matter his and Friedman’s assertion that wasn’t the case.
So what does this have to do with the names mentioned as finalists? Well, when you look at Kapler and Roberts, you’re talking about two candidates who haven’t been on many people’s radar as a manager, which means they might be more flexible and moldable than most.
These are two options who might let the front office make decisions about personnel, lineups, bullpens and substitutions. And if that happens, then all the manager needs to do is be a clubhouse leader — a role Kapler and Roberts appear more than capable of.
Really, this isn’t just another bet on the front office, it’s doubling down. Not only are they being entrusted with player movement, but now they’re betting on themselves to essentially manage games.
And, well, if I’m honest, that’s a bet I think qualifies as a smart one.
