With Thursday morning’s announcement that Dodgers manager Don Mattingly and the team had a “mutual parting of the ways,” the task now begins to find his replacement. As such, I offer these simple word of advice to Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman and to general manager Farhan Zaidi – you guys better make this Priority One and get it done real soon for one very obvious reason – there are a number of teams shopping for new managers and the so-called “good ones” are going to go fast.

As always happens in situations like this, the media (and fans) go into a frenzy with rumors, speculation and just plain nonsense over who should or might fill Mattingly’s vacancy. Among some of the more popular names being floated around are current Dodgers bench coach Tim Wallach and third base coach Ron Roenicke, and Chicago Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez.

But in Thursday’s press conference addressing Mattingly’s mutual “organic decision” to part ways (as Friedman called it several times), he also made it clear that prior managerial experience isn’t necessarily a prerequisite for Mattingly’s replacement.

“My sense is that we’ll have candidates that have prior managerial experience and others who don’t,” Friedman said. “I think for us to cast as wide of a net to have as thorough of a process as we want to to end up with the guy that we feel strongest about to lead this organization going forward, we’re going to go into it with a really open mind. And so my strong sense is that we’re going to have candidates that have [had managerial experience] and some that haven’t.”

With Friedman having said this, all of a sudden that media (and fan) frenzy adds a whole new level of rumors, speculation and nonsense into the equation. It also puts Dodgers Director of Player Development Gabe Kapler to the front of the line of potential candidates.

Kapler, who was born in Hollywood, California and attended Taft High School in Woodland Hills and drafted out of Cal State Fullerton in 1995 by the Detroit Tigers in the 57th round, actually does have managerial experience, having served as manager of the Boston Red Sox Low Single-A affiliate Greenville Drive for one season in 2007 before returning to the MLB for three more seasons. One of the teams that Kapler played during those final three seasons of his 12-year MLB career was the Tampa Bay Rays, during which time then Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said this of Kapler:

“Because he’s also a plus defensive outfielder, he’s become a tremendous asset here. His value even extends beyond the field; his knowledge and presence make him a positive influence on our younger players.”

The relationship between Andrew Friedman and Gabe Kapler goes back to their days together in Tampa Bay. Could it be that Friedman has a higher goal for his 40-year-old Director of Player Development? (Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)

Do you see where this is going?

Kapler was among the very first front office additions that Friedman made after being appointed as the Dodgers President of Baseball Operations on October 14, 2014. Shortly after his appointment as the Dodgers new Director of Player Development, Kapler – who bears the nickname “The Body” for his obsession with physical fitness – announced that every level within the Dodgers organization would go organic with all food and drink served in the respective clubhouses – including the coffee they drank. Although this was received with mixed reviews on the major league level, it was embraced by players and coaches on the minor league levels. It also might explain why both Friedman and Zaidi used the word “organic” several times during Thursday’s press conference.

Kapler was very aggressive in his new role as the Dodgers Director of Player Development this past season. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

In his new role with the Dodgers, Kapler was often seen at games on every level of the franchise’s minor leagues system during his first year as a member of the Dodgers front office – something that Friedman and Zaidi are very well aware of. As such and with both Friedman and Zaidi’s often-stated organizational goal to “get younger,” it’s difficult not to see Kapler as the front runner to replace Mattingly – although this is only rumor, speculation and and just plain nonsense on my part.

…or is it?