It’s been a busy offseason for Braves’ first base coach Eddie Perez, who has been in the mix for three different managerial openings with the Braves, Rockies, and now, according to a report by David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Diamondbacks as well.
The Braves passed on Perez earlier this week, naming interim manager Brian Snitker to the post instead. Snitker was promoted in May following former manager Fredi Gonzalez’s departure, and saw the team through a 59-65 record to close out the 2016 season.
The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, are not only mired in a search for their new manager, but for a new GM to boot. It’s unclear whether they would prefer to hire a general manager who can offer his own staff recommendations, but right now, it looks like they’re just trying to plug holes as quickly as they can. Perez, 48, has yet to manage at the major league level, but spent the last 11 seasons as a player-coach in Double-A Mississippi, bullpen and first base coach for the Braves, and four-time manager in the Venezuelan Winter League.
As for the Rockies, they appear to have narrowed their candidates down to, well, almost every viable candidate. Perez’s name is in the mix, along with the Padres’ Bud Black (though to be a favorite for the Braves’ managerial opening not too long ago), the Astros’ Brad Mills and Bo Porter, the Brewers’ Ron Roenicke, the Indians’ Sandy Alomar Jr., the Red Sox’ Torey Lovullo, the Cubs’ Dave Martinez, the Giants’ Ron Wotus, and, to top it all off, Rockies’ Triple-A manager Glenallen Hill. No one appears to have declined the opportunity to interview with Colorado’s head honchos yet, but no clear frontrunners have emerged, either.
