Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
The speculation arrived before Bruce Bochy left his dugout perch.
With five games to go in his Giants tenure, the retiring manager will leave big shoes and a bigger hat. There are a few names surfacing who could try to fill them.
ESPN reported a few potential candidates this weekend, starting with an obvious one: incumbent bench coach Hensley Meulens. “Bam Bam” has been with the organization since 2010 and is a fixture, often Bochy’s right-hand man, a former big-leaguer who speaks five languages and can handle the clubhouse.
Former A’s manager (and current Dodgers bench coach) Bob Geren is also listed, which is backed by a Jon Heyman report. Geren is from Farhan Zaidi’s past and seems like a shoo-in interview, though it likely will be delayed because of Los Angeles’ playoff run.
Another Zaidi ally is Raul Ibanez, currently a special assistant to the GM for the Dodgers. He’s been with LA since 2016, overlapping with Zaidi.
Eric Chavez, a special assistant to the Angels GM, was a player in Oakland while Zaidi was there. He has risen with the Angels, and was nearly made manager before they tabbed Brad Ausmus.
Finally, Yankees bench coach Josh Bard is named, a former Dodgers coach while Zaidi was in the front office. He’s well-liked by the successful Yankees and one of Aaron Boone’s most trusted lieutenants.
Whoever gets the job, “He’s going to be one fortunate manager,” Bochy said Tuesday. “Storied franchise with such a great history to it. Beautiful ballpark. Beautiful city. Beautiful fans. There’s not a better place to manage in baseball.”