Rudy Jaramillo won't be a candidate for manager of the Texas Rangers, telling general manager Jon Daniels that he prefers to remain the team's hitting coach.

``Rudy told me ... that's where his heart is,'' Daniels said Monday. ``As such, he won't be interviewed in our search.''

Daniels is looking to replace Buck Showalter, who was fired last week. Daniels is in the early stages of his hunt, with several potential candidates still involved in the postseason. Another candidate, Trey Hillman, is involved in the playoffs in Japan.

Jaramillo and bench coach Don Wakamatsu were considered the top internal candidates.

Jaramillo has interviewed for other manager jobs, including with the New York Mets before Willie Randolph got the position. Jaramillo is widely considered one of baseball's top hitting coaches, having worked with several MVPs.

``I think Rudy's capable of managing someday, but I'm happy he's on our side regardless of which position it's in,'' Daniels said. ``He's as well thought of as it gets in this business.''

© The Canadian Press, 2007