Browsing: Craig

TAMPA – Never mind salvaging the season, the Calgary Flames need to safeguard their future.

And that starts with signing Craig Conroy to a contract extension.

It should have happened months ago, as itâ€s beyond insulting for him to have been operating this season as a rare, lame-duck GM whose contract runs out next summer.

That is, of course, unless an extension has already been quietly agreed to. Â

Thatâ€s certainly a possibility, as ownership is well aware of how well the popular spokesman for the club has navigated through choppy waters over the last two-plus years.

The club may simply be waiting to find the right time to make it public, which has been tricky due to the optics of announcing that the man in charge of the leagueâ€s 31st-ranked squad is being extended.

And so we wait, with everyone outside the organization pondering whether the team is somewhat directionless without him getting the nod to plot a clear path through the new series of tests that await.

Despite the teamâ€s current standing, there is certainly no shame in what Conroy has done to date.

Given how well he re-shaped the team through two years of tumult, heâ€s proven he has the patience and smarts to continue putting pieces in place as part of a rebuild/retool/hybuild (hybrid rebuild) he kickstarted to help stabilize a team in significant flux.

The players trust him, they like him, and they respect him, as he was once one of them.

Equally as important is the fact heâ€s beloved in the community.

Now, perhaps more than ever, heâ€s needed to not only pave the way forward, but also be the one to shape the messaging hockey president Don Maloney struggled with last week.

As one of the most popular players ever to wear the Flaming C, heâ€s built up plenty of emotional equity with a fan base heâ€s asking to be patient.

Itâ€s time to give Conroy another three-year mandate to continue trying to accumulate and develop a young core capable of taking over from the veteran leadership group when the time is right.

Long-term vision is what’s needed most.

As players are dealt, acquired, drafted and developed moving forward, there needs to be one stabilizing voice mapping the way, setting the tone and staving off criticism from a growing number of impatient fans.

Heâ€s done it before, as evidenced by the mess he tackled admirably his first year when he had to trade away key veterans Tyler Toffoli, Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm, Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin.

By seasonâ€s end, he managed to stabilize the team, putting a cherry on it in the summer by trading Markstrom and Andrew Mangiapane in separate deals.Â

The second-rounder for Mangiapane turned into highly-touted Theo Stockselius.

The Markstrom swap with New Jersey will pay off for years to come, landing the Flames Kevin Bahl, first-rounder Cole Reschny and opening the door for franchise backbone Dustin Wolf to become a Calder finalist.

Despite being criticized by knee-jerk fans at the time, it proved to be his finest hour.

The Lindholm trade was equally as shrewd, landing the Flames Andrei Kuzmenko, Joni Jurmo, Hunter Brzustewicz, a conditional fourth-round pick and a 2024 first-rounder that turned into one of the organizationâ€s most exciting prospects, Matvei Gridin.Â

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Kuzmenko was later packaged up to help the Flames land top-six forwards Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee.

Both trades are well-orchestrated gifts that keep on giving.

Although perceived as a deal in which Conroy was backed into a corner, the Hanifin swap gave the Flames a third-rounder last year (Kirill Zarubin) and a first-rounder from Vegas in this yearâ€s deep draft.

His moves havenâ€t all been home runs (see Yegor Sharangovichâ€s extension), but his track record is full of patient, well-thought-out transactions that demonstrate he is capable of boldly moving the organization forward. Â

Debate all you want which veterans should be shipped out, which youngsters should be brought in, and how the team should react to a playoff-ending start that has the fan base in a tizzy.

But the reality is there is only one obvious first step that needs to be taken: ink the architect, giving him a runway on which to build something the city can be proud and excited about a year, two or three after the new arena opens.

Ownership was proven right when it took a chance on Conroy to be the clubâ€s rookie GM.

The group put even more faith in Conroy when they approved his recommendation to promote Ryan Huska from assistant to head coach.

Conroyâ€s intuition was right on Huska, as evidenced by the two-year extension he just inked to continue managing the bench.

Now itâ€s Conroyâ€s turn.

If it hasnâ€t already been signed, you can bet it will be.

Given the noise, frustration, uncertainty and importance of charting the right course, thereâ€s no better man for the job.

And thereâ€s no better time than now to make it public.

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  Kristen ShiltonNov 18, 2025, 02:14 PM ET

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  Kristen Shilton is a national NHL reporter for ESPN.

TORONTO — Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving put his full support behind coach Craig Berube as Toronto navigates a disappointing start to the NHL season.

Treliving made his usual quarter-season address to the media on Tuesday and was candid about how the Leafs have “underperformed” given their 8-9-2 record. But Treliving still believes Berube is the right person to get a “disconnected” Toronto team back on track.

“I’ve got all the faith in our coach right now, so I don’t look at that as the issue,” Treliving said. “I believe in Craig and his messaging. Craig didn’t become a bad coach overnight.”

Berube was Treliving’s first coaching hire as Leafs’ GM after he fired former bench boss Sheldon Keefe in May 2024. At the time Treliving felt Toronto needed a new voice and the Leafs responded well to Berube last season, finishing atop the Atlantic Division with 108 points.

Toronto is on pace for just 78 points this year, and Treliving is still figuring out why the Leafs have taken such a slide in Berube’s second season. Other than losing top-line winger Mitch Marner in free agency last summer, this is essentially the same group Berube was working with in 2024-25. The results, though, have continuously fallen short of Treliving’s standards, particularly on the defensive side.

The Leafs are giving up the second-most goals in the league (3.79 per game) and the fifth-most shots against (31.2). Their goaltenders have been average — starter Anthony Stolarz is 6-5-1 with an .884 save percentage, far from the standout he was last season.

Treliving also sees a general lack of “enthusiasm” from the team that suggests something has to change for Toronto to pull itself back into the playoff picture. They’re currently four points out of an Eastern Conference wild-card spot heading into Tuesday’s game against St. Louis — Berube’s old team.

Treliving stressed it’s on the Leafs’ players to sort out their problems as opposed to management chasing new additions or revamping the staff.

“The reality of the business is you’re not trading your way out of problems,” Treliving said. “We’re not just going to go panic and start throwing things overboard just to do something. My job right now is to support our coach, support his message, and support our group, and push the group.”

Treliving also refused to blame the Leafs’ injury woes for their struggles. Toronto is missing several key skaters with Auston Matthews (lower body), Stolarz (upper body), Nic Roy (upper body), Chris Tanev (upper body), Scott Laughton (upper body) and Brandon Carlo (lower body) all unavailable. It has significantly impacted the Leafs’ center and defensive depth, and that’s a challenge they’ll have to overcome in the short term.

Toronto did claim defenseman Troy Stetcher off waivers from Edmonton this week to as a stopgap, and goaltender Joseph Woll — who played his first game of the season on Saturday after a monthlong absence for personal reasons — should be back up to speed soon.

Matthews, though, only resumed skating Tuesday and will miss his second straight game, while Laughton could return Thursday against Columbus. Treliving is adamant though that unless Toronto can play better collectively, it won’t matter who’s in the lineup.

“I think there’s been too much vanilla with our team,” Treliving said. “I think you can count on one hand how many full, complete games we’ve had. Put anybody in the uniform. “If [we are] playing the way we’re playing, we’re probably going to have the same result.”

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That next game is an important one.

Wales need to beat North Macedonia in Cardiff to finish second in Group J and guarantee a home play-off semi-final.

Fail to win at Cardiff City Stadium and Bellamy’s side will still make the play-offs thanks to their Nations League success, but they will be away for their semi-final.

They will need to improve on their performance in Liechtenstein and they will be without Ethan Ampadu and Jordan James – captain and goalscorer respectively in Vaduz – who are suspended after receiving their second yellow cards of the campaign on Saturday.

At least Wales will be travelling home after a win, though.

Before beating Liechtenstein, they had lost three games in succession and four of their previous five.

The performance in Vaduz will not have impressed many people, but the result keeps them in contention to qualify for next summer’s World Cup.

“One game at the time, we knew we had to take care of today. We did that, and now our focus goes to North Macedonia,” said Cremers.

“I thought we played really well over there [the 1-1 draw in March], creating some really good opportunities.

“It’s not easy to get a win against them, that’s a fact we’ve seen this group. So it will be another difficult game in Cardiff, but obviously this time we play at home, we’ve got our fans in numbers and we’ll look to turn it into a positive result.”

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This story was excerpted from Ian Browneâ€s Red Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

BOSTON – While calling the annual GM Meetings that are taking place in Las Vegas this week “largely symbolic at this point,†Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow did provide some hints and insight into the shaping of Bostonâ€s roster for 2026.

Here are some takeaways, with an assist from MLB.com senior national reporter Mark Feinsand, who attended Breslowâ€s recent session with the media.

Thinking big with starting pitching

At last Julyâ€s Trade Deadline, Breslow was in several discussions with teams about top starters, most notably Minnesotaâ€s Joe Ryan. While nothing came to fruition, the offseason offers more time for a deal to come together.

“Starting pitching,†said Breslow. “And particularly someone we feel can start alongside or slot in behind Garrett and start a playoff game for us. Because of the depth that weâ€ve built up over the last couple of years, we feel pretty good about overall starting pitching and Nos. 3-ish through 10-ish, and thatâ€s not to take away from guys who are certainly capable of doing more. Itâ€s just to say, I donâ€t think weâ€re going to spend a ton of time trying to add a No. 4 or a No. 5 starter. If weâ€re going to make a starting pitching addition, I think it should be somebody who can pitch at the front of a rotation and start a playoff game for us.â€

There are also established starters to be had on the free agent market, including Dylan Cease, Framber Valdez, Ranger Suárez and Zac Gallen.

“We’ll see what the trade and free agent markets dictate,†said Breslow. “There are compelling opportunities in both, we think. We also are mindful of, while we believe we’re in a window to contend and to compete for the postseason, World Series championships, we’re also mindful of keeping one eye on the future. Trading away four really good young players for a starting pitcher is one way of pulling those wins forward. And there are times we showed, last year being one of them, that you have to do that. But we also don’t want to be in a position where we’re having to do that year over year.â€

Letâ€s face it. The Red Sox still need to fill the power void left by Rafael Devers, who they traded to the Giants in June.

The expected return to health from Roman Anthony and Wilyer Abreu will help, but a centerpiece run producer is on Breslowâ€s wish list.

In particular, the data proves that power really plays in October.

“I donâ€t want to get so anchored to this idea that the only way to score runs is home runs. We showed that isnâ€t the case. That said, a disproportionate number of runs in the postseason are scored via the home run, and thatâ€s not something that we can ignore,†said Breslow.

Pete Alonso, the right-handed masher who has belted 264 Mets homers over the last seven seasons, would look good in a Red Sox uniform taking aim at the Green Monster with his light tower power. Kyle Schwarber, a left-handed hitter, made a strong impression during his first stint with the Red Sox down the stretch in 2021. But given his connection to the Phillies and their fans, it might be unlikely he leaves.

Does Breslow prefer a lefty or righty masher?

“In a perfect world, I would suppose we would want to balance out the lineup a bit [with a righty]. That said, I think when you can hit the ball out of the park, it doesnâ€t really matter,†Breslow said. “I think we have found that lefties can use the wall and create a good offensive environment, righties who can pull the ball in the air can do the same thing. There are a number of different ways for us to improve our slug, but I think this idea that we can do more damage on balls on play is certainly a correct one.â€

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Last year, only three MLB teams made managerial changes: the Cincinnati Reds, Miami Marlins and Chicago White Sox.

This offseason, there has been a flurry of movement at the skipper position. Just a few teams are still searching for their next manager, with the Rangers, Angels, Giants, Orioles, Nationals, Twins and Braves having already filled roles this offseason.

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Yahoo Sports is keeping tabs on who will be turning in lineup cards next season. We’re tracking the latest news about managerial openings and candidates below:

Philadelphia Phillies

There will be no opening in Philadelphia, as Rob Thomson will reportedly return next season, according to the New York Post’s Joel Sherman.

Thomson has been in charge since 2022 and led the Phillies to the playoffs in each of his four seasons. After reaching the World Series in 2022, Philadelphia lost in the NLCS the following season. The past two years, they’ve not advanced out of the NLDS, losing to the New York Mets and Dodgers, both times in four games.

Colorado Rockies (still have to decide on interim manager)

The Colorado Rockies started the season 7-33 and fired Bud Black in May. After that, Warren Schaeffer got the bump from third-base coach to interim manager. With Schaeffer leading the way, the Rockies went 36-86.

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Of Colorado’s seven pitchers with at least 10 starts this season, only one had an ERA below 6.33. But perhaps even more alarming were the 3.69 runs per game the team scored, the second-fewest of any major-league team despite their famously hitter-friendly ballpark.

The latest:

First things first: The Rockies need a new executive. General manager Bill Schmidt stepped down after Colorado’s worst season in franchise history. The Rockies occupied the cellar of the NL West in each of the four seasons since Schmidt took over as GM. Colorado is searching for its next head of baseball operations. Then it will have to decide if it wants to keep Schaeffer or pick someone else to be the full-time manager.

Will interim manager Warren Schaeffer earn the full-time gig for the Colorado Rockies? (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)

(Orlando Ramirez via Getty Images)

Filled: San Diego Padres hire Craig Stammen

Latest news:

On Oct. 20, former MLB star Albert Pujols was reported as a possible candidate to take over for Mike Shildt, who retired a couple of weeks after San Diego was eliminated from the postseason. Despite the interview reportedly lasting nine and a half hours, the organization went in another direction, reportedly signing former relief pitcher Craig Stammen to a three-year deal to become the Padres’ next manager.

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Stammen was hired by San Diego as a special assistant in player development in January of 2024 following his retirement the previous year, and he continued to serve in that role through the 2025 season. Stammen spent the final six years of his career with the Padres as a reliever after seven years with the Washington Nationals.

Shildt was out as manager on Oct. 13. He informed the team that he would be retiring in an effort to “take care of myself and exit on my terms,” he shared in a letter to the Union-Tribune.

The news followed a 90-72 season in which the Padres finished second in the NL West and lost to the Chicago Cubs in the NL wild-card round. Shildt spent two years with the team, reaching the playoffs both seasons and accumulating a 183-141 record.

The Atlanta Braves’ seven-year playoff streak ended this year, and after 10 seasons in charge, Brian Snitker told the organization that he won’t return as manager in 2026. Snitker, who is staying on with the club as a senior advisor, led the Braves to a World Series title in 2021 and 100-plus-win seasons in 2022 and 2023.

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Now, Atlanta is hiring Walt Weiss as the team’s new manager. Weiss had been the Braves’ bench coach since 2018.

Weiss, a former shortstop, also spent three seasons with Atlanta as a player, finishing his career there.

He managed the Colorado Rockies from 2013 to 2016 before joining the Braves’ organization.

Filled: Washington Nationals hire Blake Butera

The Washington Nationals won the World Series in 2019. They’ve had six consecutive losing seasons since. They’ve won 66 or fewer games in three of the past five years. Washington split with manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo in early July. Bench coach Miguel Cairo was promoted to interim manager, and he led the team to a 29-43 record.

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Blake Butera, a 33-year-old who has worked in the Rays’ organization for the past decade, is the choice. Butera served in numerous roles with the Rays, from player to coach to manager to minor-league field coordinator, before becoming senior director of player development in October 2023.

As far as managing experience goes, Butera led the New York-Penn League’s Hudson Valley Renegades for two seasons before guiding Low-A Charleston to a league title in two seasons with the Riverdogs. He compiled a 258-144 record, and his teams finished in first place four times.

Filled: Minnesota Twins hire Derek Shelton

Rocco Baldelli’s seven-season stretch with the Minnesota Twins ended with a 70-win campaign, which featured a sell-off at the trade deadline. Minnesota won three AL Central titles under Baldelli, who was a first-time manager when he got the job in 2019. But back-to-back seasons without a playoff appearance did him in as the organization searches for new leadership while its ownership group, led by brothers Jim, Bill and Bob Pohlad, retains controlling ownership of the franchise.

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Before Derek Shelton spent five-plus seasons as the Pittsburgh Pirates’ manager, he was the Twins’ bench coach in 2018 and 2019. Now Shelton’s managerial career will continue in the Twin Cities, where he’s being hired as Minnesota’s next skipper, the team announced. Shelton went 306-440 with the Pirates. He was fired after Pittsburgh slipped into a seven-game skid and a 12-26 start early this season. That said, Shelton’s first few seasons at the helm were part of a franchise-wide reset that included swapping known big-league talent for new prospects. Shelton will get another shot at managing a rebuild with the Twins, who traded away one-third of their active roster at the deadline.

Filled: Baltimore Orioles hire Craig Albernaz

Following a 15-28 start to the season, the Orioles let go of Brandon Hyde, who was in his seventh season as manager after piloting the club to back-to-back postseason appearances in 2023 and ’24. Third-base coach Tony Mansolino took over as interim manager and posted a winning record in that role, going 60-59 as the Orioles finished 75-87 and last in an AL East that sent three teams to the playoffs.

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The Orioles opted to hire Guardians associate manager Craig Albernaz to replace Brandon Hyde. Albernaz has spent the past two seasons on staff in Cleveland, and he also spent time with the San Francisco Giants. While this will be his first head manager job in baseball, Albernaz was undoubtedly one of the top names available this cycle.

Filled: San Francisco Giants hire Tony Vitello

Although the Giants picked up Bob Melvin’s option for the 2026 season in July, they ended up firing him anyway. The Giants went a combined 161-163 in Melvin’s two seasons at the helm. Team president of baseball operations Buster Posey said the Giants didn’t perform up to their standard while finishing third in the NL West this year.

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Latest news:

The Giants reportedly hired Tennessee head baseball coach Tony Vitello to become the club’s new manager on Oct. 22. Vitello, a 47-year-old coach who led the Volunteers to the 2024 College World Series, has no major-league coaching experience, but he is a splashy signing for an exceedingly average team. He will be the first college coach to make the jump to MLB manager without any professional coaching experience.

Filled: Los Angeles Angels hire Kurt Suzuki

The Los Angeles Angels parted ways with not only manager Ron Washington but also interim manager Ray Montgomery. On June 27, the 73-year-old Washington went on medical leave. He later explained that he had undergone quadruple bypass surgery on his heart. The Angels haven’t made the playoffs since 2014 and have finished fourth or fifth in the AL West in eight of the past 10 seasons.

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After flirting with Albert Pujols and Torii Hunter, the Angels tabbed another former player. Former catcher Kurt Suzuki will replace Washington as the team’s manager next season.

Suzuki was a bit of a dark-horse candidate for the role, with Pujols receiving the most publicity of anyone who interviewed for the job. While early reports suggested Pujols was Angels owner Arte Moreno’s top choice, talks with the slugger fell through, and Pujols was reportedly out of the running by late October. A day later, Hunter was no longer a candidate. Hours after that report, Suzuki was reported as the team’s next skipper.

Suzuki joins the Angels after a 16-year MLB career. He spent time with five teams during his MLB tenure, playing his final two seasons with the Angels. Suzuki was a member of the 2019 Washington Nationals, who defeated the Houston Astros to win the World Series. He’s also a one-time All-Star.

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Filled: Texas Rangers hire Skip Schumaker

The Texas Rangers moved on from Bruce Bochy, who led the organization to its first World Series title in 2023 after earning three rings with the San Francisco Giants earlier in his career. In the two seasons since its championship run, however, Texas missed the playoffs. Bochy and the Rangers mutually parted ways, according to the team’s statement.

Latest news:

Texas focused its search on former Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker from the start, and that became official Oct. 3. Schumaker earned NL Manager of the Year honors in 2023 when the Marlins returned to the postseason for just the fourth time in franchise history. Schumaker’s two-season stint with the Marlins came to an end when he resigned after an injury-riddled 2024 campaign. He spent the 2025 season with the Rangers as a special advisor.

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Former San Diego Padres pitcher Craig Stammen has been tapped as the club’s new manager after Mike Shildt retired following the end of the 2025 season.

The Padres announced on Thursday that Stammen has agreed to a three-year deal to become their manager.

Stammen spent the past two seasons working with San Diego’s baseball operations department and as an assistant on the MLB coaching staff. He was a relief pitcher for the Padres for six seasons from 2017 to ’22.

Shildt, in a surprise move, announced his retirement on Oct. 13 after just two seasons in San Diego. He cited the “severe toll on me mentally, physically and emotionally” as his reasons for stepping down at the age of 57.

Per USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale, the relationship between Shildt and Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller had become “strained” over the course of the 2025 season.

The Padres were successful in Shildt’s two seasons, going 183-141 in the regular season and making the playoffs both years. They pushed the Los Angeles Dodgers to five games in the 2024 NLDS, including holding a 2-1 series lead after three games.

Of the eight teams that had managerial vacancies this offseason, the Padres were among the most appealing from that group. They are a ready-made playoff contender with one bonafide superstar in Fernando Tatis Jr. and another with superstar potential in Jackson Merrill, who will be looking to rebound in 2026 coming off an injury-plagued season.

There is work for Preller and the front office to do this offseason with the pitching staff, particularly the starting rotation. Dylan Cease is set to become a free agent. Yu Darvish, who posted a career-high 5.38 ERA in 2025, is at the tail end of his career going into his age-39 season.

One thing about Preller, though, is he won’t be afraid to make aggressive moves if there’s a player he really wants. The Padres made the biggest deal of the trade deadline to acquire Mason Miller from the Athletics.

Even with the Padres not looking to spend as much as they were in 2022 and 2023, ownership has continued to show a willingness to exceed the collective bargaining tax in pursuit of a championship.

Stammen will certainly be under pressure to help get the Padres over the hump in the playoffs after their recent disappointments, but Preller and the front office will provide plenty of talent on the field to help them get there.

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The San Diego Padres have their next manager, and it’s a name the team knows quite well. Former Padres reliever Craig Stammen was reportedly hired to manage the team for the next three years, according to the San Diego Union Tribune.

The Padres are expected to make the news official Thursday. Stammen reportedly signed a three-year deal with the franchise.

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While Stammen’s hiring comes as a surprise to those outside the organization, he’s well-known inside the Padres. As a player, Stammen, now 41, spent six of his 13 seasons with the Padres.

After an injury led to his retirement in 2023, Stammen decided to remain in the game. In January of 2024, he was hired by the Padres as a special assistant in player development. In that role, Stammen worked with players in both the majors and minors. Stammen remained in that role for the 2025 MLB season.

The Padres found themselves as a surprising entrant in the offseason manager hunt after former manager Mike Shildt announced his retirement in October. Shildt cited the physical and mental toll of the job in his statement announcing the news.

With Shildt gone, the Padres were one of the more desirable openings on the market. The team has won at least 90 games in each of the past two seasons, has plenty of star-caliber players and a general manager who will make bold moves in the pursuit or winning a World Series.

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Despite that, rumors regarding the Padres’ next manager were scarce in the weeks leading up to Stammen’s reported hiring. Former MLB superstar Albert Pujols — who was also in the running for the Los Angeles Angels managerial opening — reportedly interviewed with the Padres in October.

Though he never made an All-Star team, Stammen turned in some excellent seasons over his 13 years in the majors. He first reached the big leagues with the Washington Nationals, where he spent the first seven years of his career.

After struggling as a starting pitcher over his first two seasons, Stammen was converted to the pen. He displayed impressive skills in the role, posting a combined 2.54 ERA in 170 innings over the 2012 and 2013 MLB seasons.

Stammen posted another solid year in 2014 before missing most of the 2015 MLB season due to an arm injury. He joined the Cleveland Guardians ahead of the 2016 season but failed to reach the majors.

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Stammen signed a minor-league contract with the Padres that winter, and exceeded expectations in a major way. After not pitching in the majors for roughly two years, Stammen posted a combined 3.06 ERA in his first three seasons with the Padres. While he was never the team’s primary closer, he was a solid back-end weapon in San Diego.

After struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened season in 2020, Stammen returned to post one more strong season with the Padres in 2021.

He struggled in 2022 and was eventually shut down due to a torn rotator cuff. Stammen attempted to return with the Padres for the 2023 MLB season, but sustained a torn capsule in his shoulder, ultimately ending his playing career.

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It has been suggested that McKenna would be open to speaking to Celtic given his boyhood allegiances.

“Growing up, we all have our affinities,” he said when asked about those. “I don’t think everyone has to go around and announce what they were, but of course it’s a really big football club.”

McKenna signed a new four-year contract in 2024 and was asked about his reported £5m release clause.

“In every manager’s contract, there are things,” he replied. “I don’t know what mine are and, if I did, I wouldn’t tell you anyway!

“I approach this job like I’ll be Ipswich manager forever. I know that’s not always going to be the case, but I’ll always do my best as long as I am here.”

Bellamy played for Celtic on loan from Newcastle United in 2005, but the former Wales striker is minded to complete the current World Cup campaign, a stance that would effectively rule out the 46-year-old from immediately taking the Celtic job.

Wales are currently third in their qualifying group behind leaders Belgium and second-placed North Macedonia.

Victories over Liechtenstein and North Macedonia in November would book their place in the qualification play-offs, but they are all but assured of making those, thanks to a successful Nations League campaign, even if they fail to finish as Group J runners-up.

Given his current stance, Bellamy, whose contract expires after Euro 2028, would not be available until after the play-offs at the earliest.

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The Baltimore Orioles are finalizing a deal to hire Craig Albernaz as manager, tabbing one of the game’s most well-respected young coaches to help engineer a turnaround after a disappointing 2025, sources told ESPN on Sunday.

Baltimore fired manager Brandon Hyde in mid-May after a 15-28 start and named Tony Mansolino interim manager for the remainder of the season, in which the Orioles went 75-87 and finished in last place in the American League East.

With a strong core of young hitters, the Orioles’ job was one of the most alluring during an offseason with more than a quarter of managerial jobs open. And Albernaz, who, in his previous coaching jobs, forged strong relationships with younger players and was leaned on for a baseball sense honed by years behind the plate, leaped to the top of the list in Baltimore.

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Albernaz, 42, was the associate manager for the Cleveland Guardians, who won the American League Central this year. Albernaz was a finalist for Cleveland’s managerial job in 2023 and joined the Guardians as bench coach when they instead hired Stephen Vogt.

During a nine-year catching career that topped out at Triple-A, Albernaz was long regarded as a potential future manager, and the Tampa Bay Rays — with whom he played eight seasons — hired him as a coach in 2015. Albernaz managed two years in the low minor leagues and eventually was hired before the 2020 season by the San Francisco Giants as a bullpen and catching coach.

Albernaz’s ability to connect with players was a hallmark of his time in San Francisco and Cleveland — and was part of the allure for an Orioles team filled with young talent. With star shortstop Gunnar Henderson, catcher Adley Rutschman, infielder Jordan Westburg, outfielder Colton Cowser, second baseman Jackson Holliday, outfielder Dylan Beavers, slugger Samuel Basallo and infielder Coby Mayo, Baltimore has one the highest-ceiling rosters in the major leagues.

The Orioles’ pitching suffered last season, though, and while left-hander Trevor Rogers ‘ breakout year and the return of right-hander Kyle Bradish from Tommy John surgery bode well for 2026, right-hander Grayson Rodriguez is coming off shoulder and elbow injuries and Baltimore’s pitching depth in the rotation and bullpen is limited.

Albernaz’s first major league managerial job will be in the gauntlet of the AL East division, featuring the current AL champion Toronto Blue Jays, a strong New York Yankees squad, the ascendant Boston Red Sox and a Tampa Bay Rays group that is competitive annually.

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The Orioles are finalizing a deal to hire Guardians associate manager Craig Albernaz as manager, according to a report from ESPNâ€s Jeff Passan. The club has not confirmed the news.

Albernaz, 42, spent the last two seasons on Clevelandâ€s coaching staff.

Albernazâ€s coaching career began in 2015 in the Rays organization. Across five years, he handled various roles, including a managerial stint for High-A Bowling Green in 2018.

Before joining the Guardians after the ’23 season, Albernaz spent four years with the Giants as a bullpen/catching coach.

A former catcher, Albernaz spent nine seasons in the Minors after signing with the Rays as an undrafted free agent in 2006.

The Orioles dismissed longtime skipper Brandon Hyde in May, amid a slow start to a ‘25 season that began with lofty expectations. Baltimore closed the year with a 60-59 record under interim manager Tony Mansolino, ultimately finishing in last place in the AL East at 75-87.

Albernaz will try to guide the Orioles back to the postseason — after consecutive playoff trips in 2023 and ‘24 — behind a young core that includes shortstop Gunnar Henderson, catcher Adley Rutschman and second baseman Jackson Holliday.

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