In the wake of Skip Schumaker’s four-year contract to manage the Texas Rangers, one executive wondered if Schumaker’s playbook would be copied by any hopeful managers who want to hold out for a specific job that may potentially open down the road. (Schumaker left the Miami Marlins and spent the 2025 season as a special assistant to Rangers general manager Chris Young.)
Perhaps. But with a somewhat astounding seven openings remaining around baseball, more than double the jobs from a year ago, many front offices see 2026’s large turnover as an anomaly, particularly ahead of a potential work stoppage in 2027. (That doesn’t mean there aren’t several managers — including the New York Mets’ Carlos Mendoza — already on the hot seat for 2026.) It’s a great time to want to manage right now.
Skip Schumaker, seen here managing the Marlins in 2024, spent the 2025 season working as a special assistant to Rangers GM Chris Young before he was hired Friday to manage Texas. (Matt Blewett / Imagn Images)
Schumaker, the 2023 National League Manager of the Year, is widely respected and was seen as the top managerial candidate available. Every team with an opening — except the Atlanta Braves — inquired about Schumaker’s interest, league sources told The Athletic, perhaps prompting the Rangers to act as quickly as they did Friday. With Schumaker now off the board, there’s expected to be movement around some of the other openings this week. Former players turned special assistants seem to be the game’s newest trend.
Former MLB catcher Nick Hundley is considered the favorite for the opening with the San Francisco Giants, where his former teammate, Buster Posey, is the president of baseball operations. Hundley, who is currently part of Young’s front office in Texas, already interviewed with Posey, according to league sources, confirming an initial report by the San Francisco Chronicle. Hundley turned down a chance to interview with the Giants the last time the job opened up, citing family reasons. He is a big part of the Rangers’ front office and isn’t believed to be considering other managing opportunities outside of the Giants.
The favorite for the Los Angeles Angels’ job is special assistant Albert Pujols, as reported by The Athletic last week, though special assistants Torii Hunter and Kurt Suzuki are also in the mix. Suzuki also interviewed for the Giants job, while Hunter could be in the mix with the Minnesota Twins to replace Rocco Baldelli.
Baldelli and Brandon Hyde, dismissed from Minnesota and the Baltimore Orioles, respectively, are two well-thought of candidates who have experience and could be willing to immediately dive back in. They have the benefit of selectivity given their contract status. Baldelli’s 2026 option with the Twins was picked up during the season, while Hyde was dismissed in May despite being under contract through 2026, league sources told The Athletic.
Hyde’s player development background in overseeing the Orioles from rebuilding to a playoff berth in 2024 may be attractive to younger teams like the Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies, though Colorado won’t even begin the process of interviewing managerial candidates until it hires someone to lead baseball operations. Washington’s hiring of Paul Toboni as president of baseball operations gives that job more gravitas. The changeover means the club won’t necessarily rotate away from another first-time manager after Dave Martinez was dismissed in July. Martinez told The Athletic on Monday that he “definitely” wants to manage again.
The Giants, like the Braves and Orioles, offer an open position with a team that is expected to be in win-now mode. Should the O’s choose to focus on managerial experience after the rookie Hyde, David Ross, who told The Athletic last week he wanted to manage again, is an intriguing possibility. Ross could also be a fit for Atlanta, though the Braves have not yet begun asking permission for interviews as of Monday. Atlanta gave Brian Snitker’s coaches permission to interview for other jobs, though bench coach Walt Weiss is expected to get consideration as Snitker’s successor. The Orioles are a little further ahead in the process than the Braves, though they — like several other clubs — may choose to wait until the postseason ends to interview candidates from teams still playing.
Teams generally hire the inverse of the last person in the job — meaning veterans after a rookie manager and vice versa — though that’s not a guarantee. Candidates without managerial experience who could get strong consideration for some of these openings include Chicago Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty, Cleveland Guardians coaches Kai Correa and Craig Albernaz, Kansas City Royals third-base coach Vance Wilson and Detroit Tigers bench coach George Lombard.