There's a good chance Sandy Alomar Jr. will someday become a major league manager, but it might not happen this offseason.
Alomar, who is still under contract with the Indians, anticipates that he'll return to Cleveland to be a part of manager Terry Francona's staff in 2013.
"I'm a professional with one more year on my contract," Alomar said in a text, according to The Cleveland Plain Dealer. "I expect to come back. Terry said he wants me on the staff."
Francona did make it clear that Alomar has a spot on Cleveland's coaching staff next season, even though Alomar interviewed for the managerial job that Francona ended up obtaining.
"Sandy knows how I feel," Francona reportedly said. "Sandy knows that he's very welcome on this staff. That's as honest as I can be."
It was hard to imagine Francona feeling otherwise, as Alomar has long been regarded as a manager-in-waiting and someone who has excelled as a coach. Alomar took over as the Indians' interim manager this season after Manny Acta was fired by the club on Sept. 27, and he was a candidate to take over the gig full-time before the mutual interest between the Tribe and Francona became apparent.
Since Francona's hiring, there have been some fans wondering whether Alomar may look elsewhere, but the former big league catcher continues to handle the situation with plenty of professionalism.
Alomar, who served as Cleveland's bench coach before taking over the interim duties this season, could soon find himself once again interviewing for managerial jobs, as there are a few teams who are — or could be — looking for a new skipper. If he does seek other options, Indians general manager Chris Antonetti will certainly understand.
"We've talked to Sandy multiple times. Sandy wants to make sure that it's the right fit and that it makes sense for everyone," Antonetti reportedly said. "Terry and I have both reassured Sandy that we want him on the staff so he can continue to impact the organization.
"We're certainly not going to rush Sandy into making a decision. We're going to give him some time to work through it."
If Alomar ends up returning to Cleveland, as he insists, the Indians will certainly have an impressive coaching staff to work with in 2013. The problem lies in what the on-field product could look like.
Photo via Flickr/Keith Allison
