Although the Winter Meetings are ongoing, the Baltimore Orioles have yet to name a manager for the 2019 season. The Orioles dismissed Buck Showalter after the season and were slow to install a new front office. They've since hired former Houston Astros executive Mike Elias, who has apparently settled on a list of six candidates.
We touched on three of those just over a week ago: Chicago Cubs bench coach Brandon Hyde; Washington Nationals bench coach Chip Hale; and Arizona Diamondbacks director of player development Mike Bell.
On Monday, three rumored names were added to the pool: Manny Acta, the bench coach for the Seattle Mariners; Pedro Grifol, a coach for the Kansas City Royals; and Mike Redmond, the bench coach for the Colorado Rockies.
As for names, Elias wouldn’t confirm names from @Ken_Rosenthal and @JonHeyman (Bell/Hale/Hyde/Grifol/Redmond/Acta) but said could be hired by end of the month and process may not include a round two.
— Jon Meoli (@JonMeoli) December 11, 2018
It's worth noting Acta and Redmond have both managed in the past -- an attribute the Orioles were said to desire entering this process.
Acta had stints with the Nationals and Cleveland Indians, amassing a career 41.8 winning percentage. He's a known proponent of advanced metrics, making him a good fit for a front office headed by dataheads. Redmond had a 42.8 winning percentage in parts of three seasons as the Miami Marlins skipper.
Grifol, for his part, has never managed in the majors. He has been connected to managerial openings in the past, however.
