CINCINNATI -- Rays coach Rocco Baldelli was the 12th candidate to interview for the vacant Reds managerial position when he met with the club this past week, a source told MLB.com on Sunday.
Baldelli, 37, is currently Tampa Bay's Major League field coordinator under manager Kevin Cash after he spent 2015-17 as that teams' first-base coach. From 2011-14, he was a Rays baseball operations special assistant, a position he took after retiring as a player following seven seasons as an outfielder in the big leagues.
In the 2000 MLB Draft, Baldelli was the sixth overall pick by the Rays.
The Reds began interviews with managerial candidates last month and have a long list of choices. Also interviewed were interim manager Jim Riggleman, former Red Sox manager John Farrell, former Yankees manager Joe Girardi, Giants vice president of player development David Bell, former Tigers manager Brad Ausmus, Giants bench coach Hensley Meulens, Rays bench coach Charlie Montoyo, Pirates bench coach Tom Prince and Reds coaches Pat Kelly, Billy Hatcher and Freddie Benavides.
Reds president of baseball operations Dick Williams told MLB.com last week that he expected a second round of interviews with some of the candidates this week. Williams only noted that the list of contenders would be "cut down a lot" from the current total.