Major League Baseball

Quade the favorite, but Girardi still looms; Cubs' manager search progressing; Yanks' skipper is

Published Oct. 14, 2010 10:09 p.m. ET

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So onetime Cubs manager candidate Fredi Gonzalez formally took over for Bobby Cox as the Atlanta Braves' manager Wednesday.

So what's taking the Cubs so long with a process that began in earnest with Lou Piniella's retirement announcement in July and that was anticipated for a year?

The official answer is that in leaving no stone unturned in their search -- as general manager Jim Hendry promised in July -- the process has progressed as expected, with ownership interviews of three finalists already completed.

That might put the Cubs in position to be the next team to announce a new manager, especially if the new guy is presumptive favorite Mike Quade.

But the Cubs are in no rush to conclude the process for at least two reasons.

For one, they don't have to. As the most attractive of the seven remaining teams with jobs open, the Cubs don't face any significant competitive heat for their top candidates, especially considering that two of the leading candidates are in-house (Quade and Class AAA manager Ryne Sandberg).

The other reason for the deliberate pace, of course, is New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi. A source close to the process said the Cubs continue to monitor potential signals that Girardi, whose contract expires when the Yankees' season is done, might be interested in the job.

The Cubs don't want to close the door on what would be the best available outside candidate if Girardi makes himself available for an interview, the source said, regardless of how much of a long shot it might seem to land him. Girardi, a former Cubs catcher with strong local ties, was a candidate for the job four years ago.

Other sources close to Hendry emphasize that he is under no orders to stretch out the process for Girardi -- or anyone else -- if he's confident he has identified and secured the top man for the job.

Several insiders expect an announcement before the World Series opener in less than two weeks -- unless Girardi joins the mix. Hendry said at the start of the process that it would be ideal to have a manager in place by the organizational meetings, which are scheduled to start Nov. 2.

Hendry won't comment about the details or direction of the process, and Quade was unavailable for comment this week because of family and fishing obligations.

But as the Cubs appear to get within sight of the finish line for a decision, this much is known, based on several conversations with people close to the process:

- Finalists Quade, Sandberg and former Cleveland Indians manager Eric Wedge advanced to the final stage of the process, having interviewed with Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts.

- Hendry favorite Bob Melvin, who is said to be the favorite to land the Milwaukee Brewers' job, was in the running through last week but hasn't interviewed with Ricketts -- and it hasn't been determined that he will. Ricketts is in Arizona this week, stumping for the Cubs' spring-training initiative.

- No other teams with openings formally have requested permission to contact Quade or Sandberg, which seems to be an acknowledgment in the industry that neither would consider another job until the Cubs' process concludes. In Quade's case, it also might indicate an industry assumption that he is taken, especially after his impressive 24-13 season-ending run and the chorus of endorsements from veteran players.

Meanwhile, Melvin and Wedge -- the National League and American League managers of the year, respectively, in 2007 -- continue to keep busy interview schedules, with Wedge meeting with the Seattle Mariners' brass Wednesday.

MANAGING CAROUSEL

With the announcement Wednesday of Fredi Gonzalez as Bobby Cox's replacement with the Atlanta Braves, seven managerial jobs remain open in the majors. The openings, with the presumptive favorites:

Team Favorite

Cubs Mike Quade

Milwaukee Brewers Bob Melvin

Seattle Mariners Bobby Valentine

Toronto Blue Jays 20-plus ''candidates''

Florida Marlins Bobby Valentine

New York Mets GM comes first

Pittsburgh Pirates Eric Wedge

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