There is no manual that defines the job of manager. Every market is different. Every organizational culture is different. One team is about now, another about rebuilding, another about the back pages of their hometown newspaper and the six o’clock news.
He who is chosen will likely be the face on that team’s media guide in March. The Red Sox want energy, a person who can connect with its talented young core. The Mets want stability, someone who understands pitching and probability. The Phillies and Tigers want a manager who can help long-term development; the Tigers up-and-down their organization (thus the reason they settled on veteran Ron Gardenhire); the Phillies wanting to mold a young, high-ceiling group of players.