Managing candidates

These five candidates to replace Ron Gardenhire as Twins manager have either interviewed or been asked to interview:

Paul Molitor: Hall of Fame manager was first candidate to interview, and has had several meetings with Twins officials. He never has managed at any level, but was on Twins coaching staff last season.

Doug Mientkiewicz: The 40-year-old certainly would bring bring youthful exuberance to the job. The former Twins first baseman has a 161-113 (.588) in two seasons managing Class A Ft. Myers.

Gene Glynn: He has managed eight years in the minors, the past three at Class AAA Rochester, where his teams have been .500 or better each year. He's 58 years old, the same age as Molitor.

Chip Hale: He spent parts of six seasons with the Twins as a player, and has been a coach for the A's (past three seasons), Mets and Diamondbacks. He'll turn 50 in December.

Tory Lovullo: The Red Sox bench coach has minor league managing experience in the Boston and Cleveland organizations. The 49-year-old also coached for Toronto.

Five more to watch …

Terry Steinbach: The Twins bench coach is expected to get an interview. He's a former catcher, a position that has produced an inordinate number of top managers.

John Russell: The Orioles bench coach and former Pittsburgh manager is expected to interview, according to Baltimore manager Buck Showalter. Russell also has managed in the Twins farm system.

Dave Martinez: He should be ready after serving as bench coach to the highly respected Joe Maddon in Tampa Bay since 2007. Martinez would give a Latin influence to a clubhouse heavy in Latin talent.

Joe McEwing: The White Sox third base coach is a former Mets player, the organization that produced Twins General Manager Terry Ryan and Gardenhire. McEwing was also a successful minor league manager in White Sox system.

Jose Oquendo: The Puerto Rico native has been a Cardinals coach since 1999, and also spent a year managing in the minors. He managed Puerto Rico in the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classic.