Me personally, I’d like to see the name of a successful major league manager come up during the Orioles’ search.
Technically, there are two known candidates with managerial experience at the big league level in former Mets manager Luis Rojas and current interim manager Tony Mansolino. But neither has achieved any actual success as a major league manager. If we add Cubs bench coach and former Orioles infielder Ryan Flaherty (who has been linked to the opening by multiple MLB insiders, including Jon Heyman most recently) and future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols to the list, all of the known candidates would be judged by what they might be able to accomplish as a manager instead of by what they actually have accomplished as a manager.
That’s more than a little disappointing to me.
As I’ve stated before, the biggest issue facing the franchise at the moment is the state of their core of young position players. The team’s next manager will need to be personally responsible for getting more out of this group. Unless the Orioles intend to start wildly spending money, any path to success involves dramatic improvement from the core.
That’s why I’m inclined to believe the Orioles’ best path forward is a manager with not just experience but with real cache. I’ve described the manager I’m looking for as a “big stick” manager — someone who demands accountability on Day 1, someone who would have the ear of this group, someone whose accomplishments would leave them inclined to immediately get on board with the messaging of the new manager.
My contention is that Mansolino already had the opportunity to prove that he was that guy and didn’t. I don’t believe that anything that Rojas has accomplished would make him that manager. Flaherty remained a major league ballplayer for far longer than what his actual talent level should have allowed and is now a respected coach, but it’s still hard for me to envision him as someone who can challenge both upward and downward in the organization’s communication process, which I believe is necessary.
Which is why, of the group, I’m most intrigued by Pujols. It’s not that he’s the most famous of anyone on the list. Actually, wait, it kind of is exactly that.
Well, not necessarily because he’s famous. If Sabrina Carpenter were to get an interview, she would be more famous. Pujols is famous because of his remarkable accomplishments in the sport. Those accomplishments are in fact so significant that we literally never see players of his stature as managers anymore.
In the 21st century, only five Hall of Fame-caliber players have managed. Tony Perez managed the Marlins for part of 2001. Alan Trammell managed the Tigers for three seasons and the Diamondbacks for three games. Frank Robinson returned to managing to lead the Expos/Nationals for five years. Paul Molitor is the only other Hall of Famer to have worked in the last decade, leading the Twins from 2015-2018.
But even among that group, only Robinson is on the level of Pujols. You know, Albert Pujols? The guy with the second-most RBIs in baseball history and the fourth-most home runs? THAT Albert Pujols.
I don’t know if the Pujols experiment would work, but I’m at least intrigued. Presumably Pujols would command respect and accountability on Day 1. He has minimal managerial experience (and none in the majors) but he would absolutely carry the biggest stick of any managerial candidate possible. Given that there is nothing more important than getting the core offensive players going again, I can’t help but wonder what impact one of the greatest hitters in baseball history might have.
Still, the five Hall of Famers who have managed in the 21st century have combined for all of one playoff appearance (Molitor in 2017) and all of zero playoff wins.
And ultimately, I can’t pretend that I think Pujols is the best candidate for the job. I’m admittedly confused as to why we haven’t heard the Orioles connected to more experienced managers, particularly former Orioles catcher Bob Melvin. Melvin has eight playoff trips on his resume despite not always being with franchises that were putting him in the best situations to succeed.
Melvin is the candidate I’m most interested in but as of right now, he’s not a candidate. Hopefully that changes. But if the options are only the candidates we know to this point, I think Pujols is the risk most worth taking.
Photo Credit: St. Louis Cardinals Archive