Gerry Hunsicker was introduced as the senior vice president of baseball operations Tuesday at Tropicana Field.
And while the Rays welcomed the new addition to their front office, the occasion also served as a coming-out party of sorts for Andrew Friedman, who was officially named executive vice president of baseball operations.
The chain of command inside the Rays’ organization will see Hunsicker become an experienced front-office complement and mentor to Friedman, but ultimately, Friedman, will make the final decisions when it comes to baseball operations.
Hunsicker will jump immediately into the decision process regarding who should be the Rays’ next manager. Friedman said he wants to make a decision in the next few weeks. The list was narrowed to three candidates Tuesday — Rays bench coach John McLaren, Angels bench coach Joe Maddon and former Rangers and Mets manager Bobby Valentine.
The Rays are scheduled to conduct follow-up interviews with McLaren and Maddon next week and hope to have their initial interview with Valentine.