If the Yankees want Raul Ibanez to be their next hitting coach, they could have some competition to get him.
The former Yankee — who hasn’t even officially retired as a player yet — was named on the preliminary list of candidates to replace Joe Maddon as manager of the Rays.
Tampa Bay’s new President of Baseball Operations, Matt Silverman, said in a statement he expected the list of candidates to grow from the eight names included on Thursday. Among the other possibilities are some with prior major league managerial experience such as Manny Acta and Don Wakamatsu.
The Yankees have spoken with Ibanez about taking over for Kevin Long, who was let go with one year remaining on his contract and quickly scooped up by the Mets.
Previously, the Yankees interviewed Chili Davis, who went to Boston instead and Dave Magadan, who was turned down.
Among the reasons Long wasn’t brought back was the Yankees’ failure to hit against the shift last season. On Thursday, one of the main culprits, Brian McCann, said he might bunt more next season, but didn’t intend to totally change his game.
“I’ve hit a certain way a long, long time,” McCann said on MLB Network. “I’m definitely going to change my approach a little bit, but not drastically.”
Report: NYC teams in on White Sox shortstop
With the shortstop position on both New York teams in a state of flux, one name to keep an eye on could be Alexei Ramirez of the White Sox, who reportedly is a potential trade target of the Mets and Yankees, among other teams.
Ramirez, 33, was an All-Star for the first time in 2014 and CBS Chicago said the Mets scouted him heavily during the season. A Mets source, however, significantly downplayed their interest. Ramirezhas been a productive and durable player throughout his seven-year career since coming to the majors from Cuba.
A solid defender, Ramirez is due $10 million this season and a $10 million team option for 2016, with a $1 million buyout. Chicago is said to be looking for young starting pitching in return for Ramirez, who has played at least 156 games in each of the past five years.