Internal candidates among LA manager options

LOS ANGELES -- Where will the search for a manager lead Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman?

Friedman wouldn't discuss any names during his Thursday press conference. But ones floated floated even before the Dodgers and Don Mattingly parted company on Thursday and included internal candidates Gabe Kapler, Ron Roenicke and Tim Wallach, plus outsiders Bud Black and Dave Martinez.

Friedman is a contrarian and could land on names such as Jason Varitek, Alex Cora, Eric Young, Rocco Baldelli or a relative unknown like Clayton McCullough.

And there are plenty of successful former managers available, such as Dusty Baker, Ron Washington and Ron Gardenhire.

The Dodgers have never had a minority field manager, but the organization of Jackie Robinson does have a minority owner in Magic Johnson.

The "Selig Rule," part of retired Commissioner Bud Selig's legacy, requires every club to consider minority candidates "for all general manager, assistant general manager, field manager, director of player development and director of scouting positions."

Friedman said he expects to interview candidates with and without Major League managerial experience.

"We're going to set out to find someone who can create a plan, lead people, create a strong environment for players to succeed in," Friedman said. "We'll cast as wide a net to end up with the guy we feel strongest about to lead the organization forward."

General manager Farhan Zaidi said "fluency" in analytics isn't as important as "openness" to new ideas.

"We're looking for somebody that can lead," Zaidi said. "Donnie did really well leading players, leading the clubhouse. Certainly somebody that sort of can rally the troops. Somebody open minded, somebody we can have an exchange of ideas and thoughts is important. Someone who can bring a degree of accountability to the clubhouse as well.

"A teacher and leader to get somebody over the hump and into the Majors will be a key part. The model how we worked with Donnie is a good model going forward, a lot of collaboration. Somebody we can collaborate and share ideas with."

Kapler, 40, the Dodgers' director of player development, is a protégé of Friedman, who acquired him to play for Tampa Bay and mentored him for a post-playing career in the game. He grew up in the San Fernando Valley.

Roenicke, 59, dismissed in May as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, was hired by the Dodgers in August to take over third-base coaching duties. He was drafted and played for the organization and still makes Southern California his home.

Wallach, 58, Mattingly's bench coach, has long been considered a manager-in-waiting but was passed over when Joe Torre handed the Dodgers' baton to Mattingly five years ago. Wallach, a lifelong Orange County resident and former All-Star third baseman, reportedly has interviewed for the vacant Washington manager's job.

Black, 58, was let go by the Padres as manager this summer after nearly nine years and was manager of the year in 2010. Black managed the Padres while current Dodgers executive Josh Byrnes was general manager in San Diego.

Martinez, 51, taps into Friedman's Tampa Bay roots even more deeply than Kaplan. He was the Rays' bench coach, then followed manager Joe Maddon to fill the same role this year with the Cubs, though he was passed over to succeed Maddon at Tampa Bay.

Varitek, 43, just interviewed for Seattle's vacant job and played with Boston when Byrnes was there, a connection that shouldn't be minimized, nor should his college education. He's currently a special assistant for the Red Sox.

Cora, 40, played his first seven seasons with the Dodgers and most recently has been an ESPN analyst.

Young, 48, played twice for the Dodgers as a high-energy leadoff hitter and currently is Colorado's first-base coach.

Baldelli, 34, is currently the first-base coach for Tampa Bay and spent three years as a scout and Minor League instructor for Friedman after retiring as a player.

McCullough, 35, is the Dodgers' Minor League field coordinator whose father headed Arizona's scouting department.