By Tim Kelly, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Though it isn't progressing at the pace some may have initially anticipated, the Philadelphia Phillies managerial search does appear to be progressing.
They are, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, interested in former Miami Marlins manager Mike Redmond. The 46-year-old had a 13-year major league career, largely as a backup catcher, with the then-Florida Marlins, Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians. In parts of three seasons as the manager of the Marlins, Redmond posted a 155-207 record, before being fired in May of 2015.
Redmond would check off a few boxes for the Phillies. He's still a relatively young candidate, but he's also one that has managerial experience. Prior to being named Marlins manager in 2013, Redmond had just limited minor league coaching experience. Redmond wasn't the first former catcher with limited or no coaching experience to become a manager – Brad Ausmus and Mike Matheny had similar profiles – but he's gained valuable coaching experience since his first managerial stint. He spent the 2017 season as the Colorado Rockies bench coach, working under Bud Black, who is one of the most respected managers in the sport.
Heyman did say that the Detroit Tigers also have interest in Redmond, with Katie Strang of The Athletic reporting that the Tigers plan to interview Redmond this week. Heyman noted that the Tigers seem to be moving more quickly in their managerial search, which could mean that if they decide on Redmond, the Phillies miss out on a chance to hire him as they interview other candidates.
Redmond joins a list that includes the aforementioned Ausmus, Seattle Mariners bench coach Tim Bogar and Boston Red Sox bench coach Gary DiSarcina, who Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported were the among the team's managerial candidates.
Another potential possibility could be Houston Astros bench coach Alex Cora. After the Phillies announced that Pete Mackanin wouldn't return as manager in 2018, I suggested that Cora could be a name to watch as a potential successor. Though it wasn't necessarily a report, Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe wrote this weekend that the Phillies could begin to show interest in Cora, and it sounded like more than just speculation:
Cora is a hot commodity. He’s received a high profile for his work with the Astros, but has been hurt by the Astros’ policy of not allowing coaches to speak to the media. Cora would be an interesting choice for a team that has a big Latino presence. Cora will also draw interest from the Phillies and Tigers.
The former big-leaguer is only in his first season as the bench coach of the Houston Astros, but he's extremely well-regarded around the league and has a pretty interesting resume. In addition to a 14-year stint in the major leagues, Cora worked for ESPN for three seasons and was Puerto Rico's general manager for the 2017 World Baseball Classic, when the island made it all the way to the finals. Cafardo and others have also pointed out how valuable Cora's ability to speak Spanish is in today's game.
In addition to the Phillies and Tigers probably being interested in Cora, Cafardo also noted that the New York Mets are likely to pursue him. Former Met and current Astro Carlos Beltran spoke highly of the idea of the Mets potentially hiring Cora. So whether it is in Philadelphia or elsewhere, Cora feels likely to be managing somewhere in the near future.
The Phillies don't seem to have an exact timetable for hiring their next manager, as general manager Matt Klentak tentatively suggested on a telecast that he hoped to have a new manager in place by the end of the World Series, which starts on Oct. 24. President Andy MacPhail gave an even more open-ended timeline when he met with the collective media last week, pointing to the Nov. 13-16 general manager's meetings. In any event, the Phillies don't seem to feel rushed to make a decision about their next manager, which is probably for the best.
