SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Hours before free agency was set to officially begin Monday, the Hot Stove exploded with managerial news, highlighted by the Cubs’ decision to replace David Ross with Craig Counsell.

Counsell was seen by many within the industry as the domino that needed to fall for the managerial hires to commence, but few predicted that the Cubs would relieve Ross of his duties, let alone replace him with Counsell -- who managed the division-rival Brewers since 2015.

• Latest rumors/candidates for managerial jobs

The two teams that had interviewed Counsell moved quickly to fill their respective vacancies, with the Guardians hiring Mariners bullpen/quality control coach Stephen Vogt and the Mets choosing former Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza to be their manager.

Monday’s moves leave four current managerial openings that must be filled. Let’s take a look at where those clubs stand:

Angels
A familiar name in the managerial world has been mentioned repeatedly as the favorite for the Angels' job: Buck Showalter. The recently ousted Mets manager was a finalist for the Angels' job prior to the 2020 season before the club hired Joe Maddon, but Showalter -- who has managed five teams during his career -- is interested in continuing his career at age 67. General manager Perry Minasian worked as a staff assistant in Texas during Showalter’s tenure as Rangers manager, so there is a relationship and familiarity between the two.

• The who's who of Angels managerial candidates

Current infield coach Benji Gil and bench coach Ray Montgomery are internal candidates for the job, while Dodgers third-base coach Dino Ebel and Braves third-base coach Ron Washington also have been rumored to be in consideration. Gary DiSarcina, who spent the past two years as the Nationals’ third-base coach, could be in the mix. Former Angels players Torii Hunter, Darin Erstad and Tim Salmon also have been mentioned as possible candidates.

Astros
Bench coach Joe Espada, who was a finalist for the job four years ago before Dusty Baker was hired, is seen by most as the front-runner to take over in Houston. But even if GM Dana Brown is sold on Espada as his choice, the Astros are expected to go through the interview process with multiple candidates, giving Brown a chance to experience a managerial search for the first time.

Espada has been the Astros’ bench coach since 2018 and has interviewed for managerial openings with multiple teams during the past five years. Promoting the 48-year-old would present a seamless transition for the club, which has reached the ALCS in each of Espada’s six seasons on the staff, winning three AL pennants and the 2022 World Series.

Omar Lopez, Houston’s third-base coach who has managed within the club’s system in previous years, is another internal candidate. Other potential candidates include Braves coaches Walt Weiss and Eric Young, who worked with Brown during his time in Atlanta.

Brewers
Milwaukee’s managerial search began in earnest on Monday, when Counsell made his stunning move to Chicago. Although Counsell had interviewed with both the Mets and Guardians -- with the Brewers’ permission, as his contract didn’t expire until Oct. 31 -- there was still a chance that he would return to Milwaukee, delaying a potential search for his replacement from officially getting underway.

It’s too early to say who might be on the Brewers’ list, though one internal candidate to keep an eye on is Walker McKinven, who has been with the organization since 2016, spending the past three years as the club’s associate pitching, catching and strategy coach.

Other potential candidates include A’s manager Mark Kotsay, former Giants manager Gabe Kapler, Braves bench coach Walt Weiss, Dodgers first-base coach Clayton McCullough, Rays bench coach Rodney Linares, Blue Jays bench coach Don Mattingly and Cubs bench coach Andy Green. The tastiest option, of course, would be David Ross, who was let go by the Cubs in favor of Counsell.

Padres 
San Diego has interviewed four candidates for the job, though one of them -- Carlos Mendoza -- is now off the market. That leaves former Cardinals skipper Mike Shildt, who has been an adviser with the Padres for the past two years, current Padres bench coach Ryan Flaherty and Angels infield coach Benji Gil.

Shildt is the only one with prior Major League managerial experience, though Gil did manage Team Mexico in this year’s World Baseball Classic. Shildt, who guided the Cardinals to a 252-199 record and three postseason appearances from 2018-21, has been viewed as the front-runner for the job, though Flaherty is said to be receiving serious consideration.