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Manny Acta had lunch with the Indians' beat reporters this afternoon, and the first piece of news to come out of it is that this guy loves the margherita pizza at Pickwick and Frolic.

"I had an eight-hour interview [for the job with the Tribe]," Acta said, "and the thing I remember most was that pizza."

He was joking. Kind of. I mean, that pizza is pretty good.

The topic of the pizza led to the broader discussion of the psychological stresses of having a job interview that involves pizza. If you go for the last slice, does that preclude you from getting the job? It's a tough call, but, for the record, Acta didn't grab the last slice in front of Mark Shapiro, and look where he is today. That's a lesson for you kids out there.

Anyway, here are the non-pizza notes to come out of the interview session.

EXCRUCIATING MINUTIAE OF THE DAY...

• Acta voiced the importance of the Indians adding a veteran starter in free agency. But he stressed that is has to be "the right guy" and not just someone who's going to come in and block the progress of the Indians' young arms. When I asked Acta if the Indians will still look for a starter if Westbrook proves he's healthy and ready to come back, he replied, "We might still [get a pitcher], because you have to cover yourself. You can never go into Spring Training short on pitching."
• Will the Indians add anyone to the bullpen? "We're very happy with what we have," Acta said. "That being said, there's going to be about 200 players out there."
• What else might the Indians look for in free agency? Acta said a utility infielder (as expected) and possibly a right-handed bat who can help out at first base, if Matt LaPorta isn't completely up to speed by Opening Day. Acta said the Indians have also discussed the possibility of bringing in a veteran catcher to handle their young arms, though they also saw last year that having two veterans in Victor Martinez and Kelly Shoppach on the staff didn't exactly cure what was ailing the pitching staff. Acta said that Shoppach is still in the Indians' plans at this moment. Obviously -- and these aren't Acta's words -- that has the potential to change by the non-tender deadline.
• I'll caution you that none of the above translates into the Indians' suddenly becoming major players in the free agent market. This is merely Acta's wish list, and he admitted that, if asked, he could come up with a list longer than anything you'd submit to Santa Claus. The Indians won't have the resources to fulfill every need.
• Internal candidates Jon Nunnally and Dave Hudgens are the only remaining candidates for the hitting coach position. Acta will visit with them in Venezuela the first week of December and make his decision at that time.
• The only other two positions on Acta's staff will be of the bullpen catcher variety. Those will go to in-house candidates as a way for them to get their feet wet for future coaching or managerial assignments. Similar to Dave Wallace's experience last year.
• In mid-January, Acta will assemble his complete coaching staff in Goodyear, Ariz., so that they can discuss the players and also get acclimated to each other.
• Acta has already had some in-depth conversations with several players, including face-to-face meetings here in Cleveland with Jhonny Peralta and Travis Hafner in the last few days. Acta said he expressed to Peralta how much the Indians will be counting on him next year. "I think, and he admitted, that the switch of positions affected him last year."
• Though Fausto Carmona was not on the initial list of players participating in winter ball, he will, in fact, be suiting up in the Dominican in December. Carmona had made it clear to the Indians that he preferred to pitch this winter, and they eventually decided to allow him to do so. "He felt it helped him in the past," Acta said. Acta also said he doesn't expect Carmona to long more than 30 innings of work.
• Jake Westbrook will make his Puerto Rican winter ball debut in about 10 days. For now, he's still at the Goodyear complex getting stretched out, with pitching coach Tim Belcher on hand to make sure Westbrook's mechanics are in line before he pitches in games. Westbrook is slated to make five starts in Puerto Rico, and Acta will be on-hand to see him pitch in mid-December.
• Acta said he will likely play his regulars for the last 10 days to two weeks of Cactus League play. "You can't lose your last eight or nine games of Spring Training, then show up in Chicago on opening night and just turn on the switch," he said.
• Acta said LaPorta, once healthy, is likely to play more at first base than left field, and he implied that Michael Brantley will be on the big-league club. But don't expect Brantley to bat leadoff right away.
• Grady Sizemore is progressing well in his rehab from groin and elbow surgery. He is doing running and agility drills at the Goodyear complex.
• Acta is not opposed to Kerry Wood logging some four-out saves.
• The bullpen roles, aside from closer, are wide open, in Acta's mind. "We need to convey the message that roles have to be earned," he said. "[The 'pen] was not a strength of this ballclub last year, so we can't go into Spring Training with roles."
• Acta knows he's inherited a challenge, given the Tribe's payroll constraints. But he seems genuinely excited about this opportunity. "In baseball, you never know," he said. "On any given day, Aaron Laffey can beat Roy Halladay."

~AC

Manager Manny Acta, nearing the completion of his coaching staff, has hired Alomar to be his first base coach. Alomar will also work closely with the Tribe's catchers.

Alomar had a job as a catching instructor with the Mets, but his acceptance of the position with the Indians makes for a homecoming, of sorts. Alomar spent 11 seasons with the Tribe from 1990 to 2000. While with them, he was a six-time All-Star and a leader on the field on Tribe teams that won five AL Central titles and two AL pennants. The Indians gave Alomar a fitting tribute when was a he was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame this past summer.

More to come on Indians.com.

Friday is the last day teams can protect eligible players from the Rule 5 Draft by adding them to the 40-man roster.

The Indians, at the moment, have 33 players on their 40-man. Free agents Jamey Carroll and Tomo Ohka will officially come off that list at week's end, and Jake Westbrook and Anthony Reyes (both on the 60-day DL) would have to be added, so the number of open spots could remain at seven.

It's possible the Indians could designate Reyes for assignment, given that his recovery from Tommy John surgery won't make him a rotation option until midseason, at the earliest, in 2010. If that's the case, that would free up an eighth spot.

In any event, the following is the list of Rule 5 eligibles who will have to be added to the 40-man or else exposed.

Juan Aponte
Cristo Arnal
Jordan Brown
Alex Castillo
Jose Constanza
Adam Davis
Kelvin De La Cruz
Kelvin Diaz
Kevin Dixon
Jason Donald
John Drennen
Ryan Edell
Damaso Espino
Jose Flores
Jared Goedert
Jeanmar Gomez
Jerad Head
Stephen Head
Frank Herrmann
Wes Hodges
Zach Jackson
Scott Lewis
Chuck Lofgren
Anillins Martinez
Richard Martinez
Matt McBride
Matt Meyer
Lucas Montero
Roman Pena
Vinnie Pestano
Yohan Pino
Carlos Rivero
Josh Rodriguez
Luis Rodriguez
Niuman Romero
Gregario Rosario
Carlton Smith
Erik Stiller
Josh Tomlin
Sung-Wei Tseng
Neil Wagner
Nick Weglarz
Steven Wright

As is the case most years, the Indians are going to have some tough choices in here. Brown, a subject of controversy when he wasn't promoted in September, figures to be protected. Same with Weglarz (who had surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left leg earlier this month but should be ready for Spring Training), Donald and Hodges. McBride was stellar at Kinston and made the transition to Akron in May. He therefore might get protected.

On the pitching side, the left-handed De La Cruz is one of the best arms in the system, but he missed most of the year because of injury. Gomez is a lock. The left-handed Lofgren's improvement this season gave the Indians something to think about this time of year. Pino was an intriguing addition in the Carl Pavano trade, Edell is left-handed and Wright made the transition to the bullpen at Akron this year.

Those are the names that jump out to me, though one can never be exactly sure what a Major League team (the Indians included) will value in the Rule 5, which, for the record, takes place Dec. 10 in Indianapolis.

Tim Tolman will be coming aboard as the bench coach, Scott Radinsky has been promoted from Triple-A pitching coach to big league bullpen coach, and Steve Smith is joining the Indians as Acta's third base and infield coach.

Tolman has previous ties to both Acta and the Indians. He served as Acta's third base coach with the Nationals in 2007 and 2008. He spent last season as a Minor League instruction coordinator for the Mariners. He was with the Indians as a Minor League field coordinator from 2003-06 and, prior to that, spent 12 years working in the Astros' player development system.

Radinsky was passed over for this bullpen coach position a year ago, when the Indians hired Chuck Hernandez to replace Luis Isaac. Now, Radinsky, who has 557 Major League relief appearances under his belt, joins the staff after spending three years as pitching coach at the Triple-A level.

Smith is a new face to both Acta and the Indians. He spent a total of 11 seasons serving as the third base and infield coach for the Mariners (1996-99), Rangers (2000-06) and Phillies (2007-08). Charlie Manuel dismissed him after the Phillies won the World Series title in 2008. Smith had been suspended twice for on-field incidents.

With pitching coach Tim Belcher also in tow, there are just two prominent jobs remaining on Acta's staff -- hitting coach and first base coach.

As for me, I'm fleeing the country for a little while. I'll catch up with you soon.

~AC

Well, what are you rooting for in Game 1 of the World Series tonight?

CC and the Yankees?

Cliff and the Phillies?

A rainout?

Sudden, irrevocable blindness?

Indians GM Mark Shapiro, the man who helped make this scintillating Cy Young showdown possible, is just as torn as you.

"It's bittersweet," Shapiro said of the matchup. "You don't work in this game without building a personal attachment to guys. So I look out there and see those two guys, and, as people, I'm excited for them. I'm excited for them to show their talent on that stage, I'm excited for them to get that type of exposure.

"And yet I'm bitter that they're not doing it in the Indians uniform."

I have a hunch that bitterness is shared by the CastroTurf Commenters. Let's hear your thoughts.

Acta was the first candidate to come to Cleveland for a formal interview, and he left a lasting impression. He has been signed by the Tribe to a three-year contract through 2012, with a club option for 2013.

Acta beat out Bobby Valentine and Torey Lovullo for the job. The Indians were expected to interview Don Mattingly this week.

The Astros were also interested in Acta, which might have forced the Indians' hand. Acta spent 16 years in the Astros' system, but he opted to take on the Tribe.

Some quotes from the release:

"We are very excited to have Manny Acta as our Major League manager," general manager Mark Shapiro said. "After speaking with an impressive array of candidates, we feel that Manny is a very strong and experienced leader who possesses great energy and enthusiasm along with tremendous communication skills and a positive mindset that will command a presence in the dugout, clubhouse and with our fans."

Said Acta: "I am very excited to become part of the Cleveland Indians family. I look forward to working with this talented group of young men who seem to possess a lot of energy and passion for their work. I believe we will grow together as a team with the ultimate goal of bringing a championship to Cleveland and its fans."

The Indians will hold a press conference with Acta at 4 p.m. ET Monday at Progressive Field.

Thoughts?

UPDATES: The Astros had offered Acta a two-year contract with an option for a third year to be their manager. He opted for a longer guarantee with the Tribe.

Here's the link to an interesting background piece from my MLB.com colleague Jesse Sanchez from a few years back.

Watching from afar here in Anaheim, I am scratching my head at the quotes he gave reporters. (The full story is here.)

On his interest in managing a rebuilding ballclub: 
 
"I'm not sure that's what I want to do. But again, I haven't been offered a job, so I don't have to decide whether or not I definitely want to do this."

On his knowledge of the American League, the Central and the Tribe:

"I can tell you I don't know about the American League, I don't know about the (AL) Central, and I don't know about the Indians, but I sure as hell am willing to learn and spend about 28 hours a day, if necessary, to know everything I could possibly know."

The Indians are likely to lose as much as, if not more, than they win next season, and Valentine admitted he's a "lousy loser." He said he was in Cleveland because he's a baseball manager, and that's what the position is.

All righty then.

Look, I'm not privy to the interview process, and I only know Shapiro's general sketch of what the Indians are looking for with this hire. There is, obviously, much more to Valentine than what is being presented here. He's a proven winner who commands respect.

But these arranged meetings with the media are the Indians' effort to see how their candidates present themselves in public and how the public reacts to them. If the formal interview was anything like the public one, then you'd have to imagine Manny Acta is the clubhouse leader right now, wouldn't you? 

Torey Lovullo, you're up.

Note: Thanks to MLB.com contributor Steve Herrick for the above quotes.

As you know, Manny Acta, who interviewed Tuesday, and Don Mattingly, who is in the NLCS with the Dodgers, are the two other finalists. Mattingly's interview won't be set until after the Dodgers' postseason run is completed.

Mark Shapiro said Tuesday that there are two other potential candidates that might still emerge. It's believed that former Rockies manager Clint Hurdle could be one of the two, though that's not confirmed.

In unrelated matters...

Here in Anaheim, CC Sabathia talked about the possibility of facing Cliff Lee in the World Series. Great catching up with CC, who, I think, might have actually gotten taller. Or maybe I've just become too accustomed to interviewing Aaron Laffey.

Elsewhere, Derek Shelton is named the Rays' hitting coach. I'm happy for Shelton, who will get to be near his kids, who live in the Tampa area, full-time.

~AC

MANNY ACTA
Age: 40
Experience: Former Nationals manager

Hire him: His open-mindedness toward sabermetrics might mesh well with the Indians' front office, his Dominican roots allow for an easy rapport with Latin players and he could be primed to succeed after learning from his experiences with the Nats.

Stay away: Yes, the Nats were an awful ballclub, so it's best not to put too much stock into Acta's managerial record, but the team was 26-61 with Acta this season and 33-42 after he was dismissed, so they showed improvement without him.

TOREY LOVULLO
Age: 44
Experience: Triple-A Columbus manager

Hire him: As the Indians retool with their young talent, who better to take over that young talent than the guy who helped mold those players at the Triple-A level? Lovullo is smart, confident and a good communicator.

Stay away: Hiring Lovullo, who has no Major League coaching experience, would reek of the "same old, same old" atmosphere the Indians are trying to avoid. Fans might view him as a Wedge clone.

DON MATTINGLY
 Age: 48
Experience: Current Dodgers hitting coach and former Yankees first baseman

Hire him: His credentials as a player would earn him instant respect with his players. He's studied under Joe Torre and is even said to be in line to be Torre's successor, if he doesn't leave first. "Donnie Baseball" has been very successful as a hitting coach.

Stay away: The Yankees didn't name him Torre's successor in 2007 for a variety of reasons, including his mild-mannered nature, what they deem to be his unpreparedness for a big-league managing job and the simple reason that they felt he was too much like Torre. If Wedge didn't appeal to fans, would the soft-spoken Mattingly have a better fate?

BOBBY VALENTINE
Age: 59
Experience: Current ESPN analyst, former Mets, Rangers and Chiba Lotte Marines (Japanese Pacific League) manager

Hire him: He is, by far, the most experienced of the remaining candidates, and his career managerial record in 15 big-league seasons is 1,117-1,072, including a World Series appearance with the Mets in 2000. He would bring a welcomed new opinion to an organization that has struggled with the evaluation of its own talent. And his personality might be a hit with fans.

Stay away: At this stage in his career, is Valentine a good fit for a team that figures to come out on the short side quite often next season and will be geared more toward player development? And considering he made about $4 million managing in Japan last year, is Valentine affordable for the cash-strapped Tribe?

Acta, the former Nationals skipper, is, of course, a finalist.

The remaining internal candidate is not Travis Fryman, as had been speculated elsewhere, but Triple-A manager Torey Lovullo. Lovullo will interview on Friday.

Former Mets and Rangers manager and current ESPN analyst Bobby Valentine is also in the mix. Shapiro was not yet sure when Valentine will be coming to Cleveland, but it will be sometime this week.

Finally, there is another candidate whose identity Shapiro did not reveal. Shapiro just said that this candidate currently has other responsibilities -- the implication being that he is still involved in the postseason. Though Shapiro didn't say so, Dodgers hitting coach Don Mattingly is that guy. The Dodgers are down 3-1 to the Phillies in the NLCS, so he could be available to interview soon.

While it's believed these are the final four candidates, there is a chance that one or two others may emerge late. For now, it's down to Acta, Lovullo, Valentine and Mattingly.

MLB.com contributor Steve Herrick will have more on the Indians.com site in a bit. 

The Indians will hold their first formal interview for their managerial vacancy on Tuesday afternoon at Progressive Field, and Acta, the former Nationals skipper, will be the one under the microscope. He'll meet with the Indians at 1 p.m. ET and the local media at 3 p.m.

The Plain Dealer reported that Bobby Valentine and Travis Fryman are two other finalists for the job, but, as of this writing, the Indians have not yet confirmed that. Mark Shapiro had said there would be "three to five" finalists invited to Cleveland for a sitdown.

Two things about Acta that might appeal to the Indians: he's a statistically minded manager who does not shy away from discussing and applying sabermetrics, and he's a bilingual Dominican native who can develop a good relationship with Latin players.

Valentine, with 15 years of big-league managing experience and seven years of experience in Japan, is the most experienced of the bunch, and he'd also be the most costly. He made about $4 million last year with the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan.

Fryman has managed the last two seasons at short-season Mahoning Valley. His potential inclusion at this stage is a surprise, given that the Indians aren't (or weren't) expected to promote from within.

Stay tuned to Indians.com for more on Acta on Tuesday. I'm on the West Coast, covering the ALCS for MLB.com, so, unfortunately, I won't be in Cleveland for the press conference. But we'll have it covered, all the same.

Here's the best part. The kid's name? Blake Lee Hafner.

I asked if the name is an homage to two of Hafner's former teammates (he was particularly good buddies with Casey Blake) and was told that Pronk simply loved the name Blake and is firmly expecting to get all kinds of grief from the Dodgers third baseman.

Little Blake is not so little. He weighed in at 9 pounds, 6 ounces.

The Hafner family is said to be doing well.

Fausto Carmona had indicated to the Tribe that he would like to pitch in the Dominican Republic, but the Indians decided not to go that route.

Here are the participants, by league:

Venezuela: INF Cristo Arnal, INF/OF Jordan Brown, INF Carlos Rivero, RHP Hector Rondon and INF Karexon Sanchez (Caracas), INF Niuman Romero and RHP Steven Wright (Caribes de Oriente), INF Luis Valbuena (Cardenales de Lara), RHP Johan Pino (Tigres de Aragua).

Also, Minor League field coordinator Dave Hudgens will manage Caracas and Triple-A hitting coach Jon Nunnally will serve on Hudgens' staff.

Dominican Republic: OF Jose Constanza and INF Andy Marte (Azucareros del Este), RHP Frank Herrmann (Aguilas), LHP Juan Lara (Las Estrellas Orientales), OF Lucas Montero (Gigantes de San Francisco).

Puerto Rico: C Roberto Perez and RHP Neil Wagner (Mayaguez).

Colombia: 3B Giovanny Urshela (Cartagena).

Mexico: OF Roman Pena.