Clint's Replacement - Local Options?

Was he a scapegoat? Stale message? Did he overplay his hand? Did he lose control of the inmates? Well, whatever he did, Clint is gone and the search is on. GM Neal Huntington will stay, with the coaching staff to be determined by the next manager, in case you're wondering why their heads haven't rolled yet.

It'll be a busy and competitive winter to sign a new boss man - beside the Pirates, the Padres, Cubs, Giants, Royals and Angels are all searching for skippers, with maybe more to come. We don't foresee a quick contest; there probably won't even be a full candidate's slate unil the playoffs are deep.

We've compiled an early list of suspects that's frankly kinda bloated, but we have no idea yet of what way the FO is going to turn, whether to an old reliable seeped in the system or someone who will turn around the thinking analytically yet live within the budget. Today, we'll look at the old familiar names in the hat.

Banny - photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates

If they stay in-house, Jeff Banister, 55, is the leading candidate. He’s a Pirates lifer, was a finalist when Clint was hired and served as the Rangers' skipper from 2015-18, winning two titles and the 2015 AL Manager of the Year Award. Banister returned to Pittsburgh, and many thought that he was being groomed as Hurdle's heir; we'll see.

Tom Prince, 55, Clint's bench coach, has spent 26 years in the organization as a player, manager, coach and coordinator. He's known and popular within the clubhouse, but may be too closely associated with Hurdle.

Don Kelly, 39, Astros first-base coach, is from Pittsburgh, he’s worked as a scout, and he’s now serving in the hub of current analytical Nirvana, Houston. The downside - he's a pup, and it would be his first skipper job. But if they wanted to make a clean break with the past with a young, local face, he could fill the bill.

Joey Cora, 54, third-base coach, and Brian Esposito, 40, the Indy manager, may both get courtesy interviews but don't look like serious contenders, though Espo could be a dark horse if the Bucs go analytic; he's data-savvy and has a good relationship with the young guys.

Can the Rock turn some Jimmy Leyland schooling into serious consideration? - 2008 JW 

Jason Kendall, 45, a Royals assistant, and John Wehner, 52, from the booth, was a hitting instructor in the Pirates system. Both are thumping their own drums, though we suspect they're kinda far back in the conga line.

There's a much bigger list of warm bodies available league wise, with former skippers and a small mob of bench coaches whose time may have come falling from the skies; we'll check them out Friday.