There's one open manager job in Major League Baseball, it belongs to the Tampa Bay Rays and it seems like they're running their job search like a reality TV show.
The Rays announced their final three finalists Friday — Kevin Cash, the bullpen coach of the Cleveland Indians, Don Wakamatsu, the bench coach of the Kansas City Royals and player Raul Ibanez, who isn't yet retired and last played for the Royals.
That is pared down from 10 candidates that the Rays announced on Nov. 6. Most notably absent from the finalist list is Dave Martinez, who many considered the favorite for the job after serving as the Rays' bench coach under Joe Maddon since 2008.
The Rays put together these bio cards for each finalist. See what we mean about a reality show.
There won't be a public vote, like most reality TV competitions. Not that we've heard, at least.
Each Rays candidate brings something different to the table: Ibanez is a known name with a proven pedigree as a player. It's not uncommon these days for ex-players to get manager jobs with no coaching experience, so that shouldn't be viewed as a knock on Ibanez.
Cash, on the other hand, is a young up-and-comer who's looked at as a rising star among coaches. He's only 36, so he's actually much younger than Ibanez, who is 42.
Wakamatsu, meanwhile, is the only one with managing experience. He's been a coach since 2003 and managed the Seattle Mariners for a season and a half starting in 2009. He's 51.
The Rays said they were looking for a "new voice," which is why Martinez didn't get a place in the final three, even though he had the support of Rays star Evan Longoria.
Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times says the three finalists will come to Tampa for interviews the week of Dec. 1. So that'll be like the season finale.
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