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NEW YORK – The Mets ‘decision to decline their 2022 option on Luis Rojas’ contract has left them a managerial position vacant for the third time in the last five offseason. It’s not a position they expect to fill in the next few weeks, as the team must first hire a president of baseball operations to proceed with the hiring.
It is nonetheless an important role that will shape the future of the organization. Here’s a look at the various aspects Mets officials will consider:
Team president Sandy Alderson made it clear last week that if he fired Rojas from the manager’s chair, he wouldn’t be the one to name a replacement. Instead, Alderson and owner Steve Cohen plan to hire a president of baseball operations, who will make that decision.
The fact that the club have barely started the process of finding this executive makes it difficult to project the identity of the new manager. If the Mets manage to keep A’s executive vice president Billy Beane of Oakland away, for example, his longtime manager, Bob Melvin, would become an obvious candidate – and so on for various other executives.
(For what it’s worth, when Beane was asked about the Mets’ job on Monday, his answer wasn’t “no.”)
The president of baseball operations’ decision is expected to take place in late October or early November, when New York’s managerial research will become significantly clearer.
What qualities will the Mets look for in a hire?
It’s easy to say “experience” here, given that the team’s last three hires – Mickey Callaway, Carlos Beltrán and Rojas – were all entry-level managers whose terms ended in disappointment. Many in the squad believe a seasoned hand is exactly what the Mets need to stabilize the organization, which has underperformed despite a strong core of talent in recent seasons. But experience is not necessarily a prerequisite for employment. Of the 10 teams that qualified for this year’s playoffs, seven employ managers who were rookies (full-time) when they were hired.
If the Mets are looking for experience, Melvin (who is under contract with the A’s and therefore needs a trade) would be an obvious name to consider, as would veterans Buck Showalter and Ron Washington, who are not currently in charge.
Would the Mets consider hiring from within?
Probably not. The team is looking to radically change its operations this winter; hiring even a deserving candidate within the organization would go against this philosophy. As such, the Mets are unlikely to tap into their Major League development team or players to find their next skipper.
What about those who have had previous connections with the Mets?
It’s always a consideration. One name that comes up in every Mets manager search is Joe McEwing, now a longtime White Sox coach. A popular bench player from 2000 to 2004 who mentored David Wright early in his career, McEwing last interviewed the Mets’ top dugout position in ’17. He didn’t when the team finally hired Beltrán ahead of Season 20, but McEwing could be interested again. He would be a popular choice with fans, especially if he helps Chicago play through October.
The other name worth mentioning is Beltrán himself. It was mainly public pressure that led the Mets to part ways with Beltrán shortly after hiring him, following Major League Baseball’s investigation into the Astros’ sign-stealing practices. Now that two years have passed, Beltrán could become a candidate again, just as the Red Sox reinstated Alex Cora after his one-year suspension for similar offenses.
McEwing and Beltrán would both be managers for the first time.
Would Wright consider the job?
The most recent Mets captain has been clear and consistent about his lack of desire to pick up the pace of a baseball season while his three children are still young. (His most recent, a boy named Brooks, is set to celebrate his first birthday.) While it’s possible Wright will change his mind in a decade or two, he won’t be a leadership contestant anytime soon. .
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