The Giants recently signed veteran captain Bob Melvin to a three-year contract, filling the managerial vacancy ahead of what could be a busy offseason. However, if they had failed to woo Melvin, they probably would have hired one of the Mariners’ bullpen coaches Stephan Vogt or Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza (according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle). The only other candidates to receive an interview were Giants coaches Alyssa Nakken, Kai Correa and Mark Hallberg, although the team also expressed interest in a Red Sox player information coach Jason VaritekAngels third base coach Bill Haselman and special assistant to the Rangers Nick Hundley.
Mendoza’s candidacy comes as a bit of a surprise; He is considered a possible contender for the Guardians’ leadership position, but has not yet been linked to the Giants.
After four years as a player in the Yankees’ farm system, Mendoza moved into a minor league coaching role in 2009. He served in various coaching roles at various levels over the next nine seasons before being promoted to the big league roster in the 2018 campaign. He served as an infield coach for two years and has been Aaron Boone’s backup coach since 2020.
More coaching and management news from the Senior Circuit…
- Jon Heyman of the New York Post identified Marlins Manager Skip Schumaker as a potential target for the Padres – the team loved him during his tenure as coach in San Diego – although it seems unlikely the Marlins will give him permission to interview with another club. The 2024 season will be the last guaranteed year on the captain’s contract, but Miami has a club option for the 2025 season. Still, Heyman suspects the junior manager may already be thinking about moving on; He is reportedly upset with the way the team pushed former GM Kim Ng out of her role. Ng hired Schumaker last October and probably planned to work with her for longer than one season.
- Heyman also mentions the Pirates’ replacement coach Don Kelly, labeling the former utility player a “future manager” – although not linking him to specific teams. In fact, Kelly has no plans to throw his hat in the ring for one of the league’s leadership positions. After the recent death of his father-in-law Tom Walkerhe would prefer to stay near his family in Pittsburgh, where he has worked under coach Derek Shelton for the past four seasons.