There are seven managerial openings as the baseball world awaits puffs of smoke or whatever it is exactly the Phillies will do to signal whether they will or will not be retaining Gabe Kapler.

That is nearly one-quarter of teams with availability — more if Kapler is removed. Four of the top 10 teams in 2019 payroll — the Cubs, Giants, Angels and Mets — are looking, and so would the 11th if (everyone now) Kapler is removed. The teams that signed the two biggest free agents last offseason will be looking if the Phillies (Bryce Harper) join the Padres (Manny Machado).

So since candidates of all degrees of experience and backgrounds are lining up, some thoughts 1-to-8 (we will pretend Kapler is losing his job) on the best managerial landing spots:

1. Giants
The roster and farm system lack impact and depth. So this is largely a vote of confidence in president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, who just completed his first year. If you think he knows what he is doing (and I do), then the time will be given to a manager to be part of a rebuilding that has behind it money when needed and a large fan base. Zaidi does not fit the analytic narrative: He respects managers, but he is going to want one who can handle his passion for churning the roster in search of useful pieces (like this season with Mike Yastrzemski). He worked with Raul Ibanez while they were with the Dodgers, and I think Ibanez has the skill-set to be a terrific manager.

2. Cubs
In the short run, there is a roster to clean up with a lot of highly paid players and real pitching issues without much from the minors ready to help. But baseball operations is strong, the fan base is not going anywhere and there will ultimately be money to spend. There is no other overt beast in the NL Central. The Cubs can stay competitive after Joe Maddon while transitioning. I wrote months ago that broadcasters Mark DeRosa and David Ross, and coach Mark Loretta would be the frontrunners. Just subtract DeRosa.

3. Royals
They have a new owner, which is a wild card, but John Sherman is a long-time Royals ticket-holder, so the passion will be here. It is near universal how much people like working for Kansas City general manager Dayton Moore. They have potentially put some building blocks (Whit Merrifield, Adalberto Mondesi, Jorge Soler) in place with quality pitching prospects rising in the system. There is no AL Central powerhouse, so there are opportunities if the Royals reconstruct well. Former Cardinals skipper Mike Matheny is a strong favorite here ahead of quality control coach Pedro Grifol — who, if he doesn’t get a managing opportunity elsewhere, could end up Matheny’s bench coach.

4. Mets
What is sad is just what a plum job this should be. They have a large, passionate fan base and a beautiful stadium. They should be a big-market behemoth. This is one of those moments when ownership self-assessment and potential for growth would be recommended, but at this point we should assume that is not going to occur. It is what it is. This isn’t the Dolan Knicks. But it should be so much more appealing.

Whoever gets the job inherits the fan base, stadium, a win-now rotation, Pete Alonso and a go-for-it approach. But also the dysfunction, a GM who has yet to show command of his job, a depleted farm system and, at least initially, not a lot of money to spend. The Mets plan to interview a spectrum from experienced to coaches to wild cards.

5. Padres
Fernando Tatis and Chris Paddack were strong additions from an excellent farm system with more expected. This is as laidback as baseball will get, even with owner Ron Fowler exclaiming “heads will roll” without improvement next year (they haven’t had a winning season since 2010). The head most likely to roll would be GM A.J. Preller, who Fowler said will get to hire the new manager.

Will Moises Alou take the job, as many in the industry say Preller wants? If not, Preller has history in Texas with Showalter, who managed Machado in Baltimore — though he would be a long shot here. More likely the pivot would be to Loretta or Mark Kotsay.

6. Phillies
Again, big proviso being this job might not be open. If it is, I think it is not as attractive as the Mets. There is a willingness to spend, but a lot of wasted money already on the books. The farm system is better than that of the Mets, but not great. I would take Alonso, Jeff McNeil, Michael Conforto and Jacob deGrom over Rhys Hoskins, Scott Kingery, Harper and Aaron Nola. Still, there are resources to win here.

7. Angels
You get Mike Trout. But an overbearing owner, a need to remake an entire pitching staff, a refusal to ever go over the luxury-tax threshold to try to win and a little-brother syndrome to the Dodgers. They will at least have to pretend to have a search, but there will be widespread shock in the industry if Maddon does not get the job.

8. Pirates
If the Pirates stopped playing with a month left, would anyone have even noticed? There are a lot of complaints about the Wilpons being cheap or the Angels’ Arte Moreno being too involved. But would you rather have Bob Nutting’s indifference and tight payrolls, plus a baseball operations crew that, aside from the 2013-15 postseason oasis, has layered one bad move on top of the other? Neither the major league nor the minor league talent is special. At least you get the most beautiful stadium in the majors. Jeff Bannister and Joey Cora are perceived frontrunners.