The Tampa Bay Rays narrowed the managerial candidates to just three remaining. One of them had decided he was happy where he's at. That was Craig Counsell who had decided that he was no longer interested in the position. The three names mentioned were a shocker. The obvious snub was Dave Martinez. This one was a complete shocker. Everyone thought he was going to easily have the job. He was the bench coach under Joe Maddon and a former Devil Rays player. It's unclear if he'll remain with the team after hearing this news. The three candidates of this were Raul Ibanez, Kevin Cash and Don Wakamatsu.
Raul Ibanez is an interesting choice. He doesn't have any experience and is technically still playing. Ibanez hasn't even retired yet. The former outfielder would be an interesting choice due to no experience at managing. He's been rumored to have been offered jobs not as good as this one though.
Kevin Cash was actually the most obvious choice out of the three. He's a Tampa native who's actually played catcher for the Devil Rays. He's familiar with the organization and some of the staff. Currently, he's the Cleveland Indians bench coach. Possibly, a chance to return near home will lure him in as the manager.
Finally, Don Wakamatsu who has the most managerial experience out of the three. He was last the former Seattle Mariners manager. He is currently the bench coach of the Kansas City Royals. The experience he provides makes him a valuable asset for this position.
December 1 is the possible date for selecting a new manager. The Rays want to take their time and make sure everything is in place.
The Rays released a statement regarding Dave Martinez not being selected, " The decision on Dave Martinez was especially difficult. He's played a key role in our organization's evolution, and he's done all he can to put himself in position to be a manager. In the end, we determined that our clubhouse would best benefit from a new voice that will add to our already strong and cohesive culture. We're excited to get to know our three remaining finalists better as we look to name our next manager in the coming weeks."