Brandon Hyde, who is still the Cubs’ bench coach for the time being, has become a very hot commodity on the managerial-opening circuit. We looked yesterday at his candidacy for jobs with the Twins, Rangers, and Angels, and now comes word that he’s among the finalists for the Blue Jays’ vacancy.
Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reported Tuesday afternoon that Toronto was “believed to be down to five candidates for new manager.” And though the Jays have not confirmed the names, Davidi listed Joe Espada (Astros bench coach), David Bell (Giants VP of player development), Rocco Baldelli (Rays major-league field coordinator), and Hyde.