Tim Wallach is going to be a manager sometime, somewhere.

That’s the feeling that those who know the 17-year big-leaguer had about the now 56-year-old Wallach, who was considered a shoo-in for the Los Angeles Dodgers job before Don Mattingly got it, and again once it looked appeared Mattingly might be on his way out.

He was a finalist for the Boston Red Sox job last year, before the club acquired John Farrell.

And now, it appears, he might be one of the key candidates in the Detroit Tigers’ managerial search.

Citing a source, Jonah Keri — an analyst for ESPN’s “Baseball Tonight” and a writer for its Grantland site — said that talks are “escalating” between the Tigers and Wallach, the third-base coach for the Dodgers.

Now for something completely different -- an actual source-based rumor. Hearing talks escalating for Tim Wallach re: Tigers manager job.
— Jonah Keri (@jonahkeri) October 26, 2013

The LA Times' Bill Shaikin confirmed that Wallach had spoken with the Tigers about their managerial vacancy. Chris Iott of MLive.com confirmed from Wallach himself that he interviewed Friday with the Tigers.

“I think everybody knows I want to manage someday,” Wallach told ESPNLosAngeles.com’s Ramona Shelburne earlier this month, before the Dodgers lost in the National League Championship Series.

“But right now my focus is completely on what we’re doing here in L.A. and trying to win a World Series.”

Wallach has history with Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski.

The longtime third baseman was drafted by the Montreal Expos in 1979, and played 13 of his 17 seasons there.

Dombrowski was the youngest GM in baseball when he was named to the post for the Expos in 1988.

A five-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner at third base, Wallach was the hitting coach for the Dodgers in 2004-’05. From 2009-10, hewas the manager of the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate in Alburquerque, earning Pacific Coast League manager of the year honors. He was considered an insider to get the job as Dodgers manager when Joe Torre retired, and would’ve been a favorite to replace Mattingly, had the current manager of the Dodgers not worked out his issues with management earlier this week.

Wallach was the second candidate interviewed by the Tigers in as many days. Internal candidate Lloyd McClendon, the Tigers' hitting coach, interviewed Thursday.