6 Cleveland Indians connections who could manage 2019 Toronto Blue Jays

Six men with ties to the Cleveland Indians may have a shot at managing the Toronto Blue Jays in 2019 if the club parts ways with John Gibbons.

The Cleveland Indians are one of the best run organizations in pro sports. No, they don’t have the World Championships to prove it, but look no further than the Tribe’s tree.

How much turnover do the Indians incur? Their guys establish roots in the organization, grow within it, and then leave only when an enormous opportunity comes their way.

This is obviously a reference to Mark Shapiro, the current president and CEO of the Blue Jays. Shapiro worked his way up the Indians’ front-office ladder becoming GM in the early 2000s, and then later, the GM.

He eventually rose above that position, becoming the club’s team president, only to leave for a gig with a big-market club playing in an international city.

Look elsewhere around the big leagues and you’ll see names once associated with the Cleveland Indians.

So while we’re on the topic of Shapiro, he and current GM Ross Atkins, whom Shapiro took up north from Cleveland, may be in the market for a new manager next season.

John Gibbons had a decent run with the Jays, but the expectation is that the organization will replace him at the end of the season.

So, who’s next?

A strong number of former Indians would be great fits based on their connections to Shapiro, according to the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo.

Here’s a look at each and their odds of actually getting the gig should it open.