Eduardo will interview for Mets manager job

The list of candidates that Brodie Van Wagenen will have to choose from to be the next Mets manager keeps growing. Eduardo Perez is scheduled to interview with the Mets in hopes of replacing Mickey Callaway, according to multiple reports. Perez, a former first baseman/outfielder and current ESPN analyst, joins Joe Girardi, Carlos Beltran, Mike Bell, Luis Rojas and Derek Shelton as other reported applicants for the open Mets manager job.

The 50-year-old Perez played for the Cardinals, Reds, Angels, Rays, Mariners and Indians across 13 years in the big leagues. After retiring in 2006, Perez was named 2008 Manager of the Year in the Puerto Rico baseball league for guiding Leones de Ponce to a league title.

Perez later became the Marlins hitting coach in 2011 — leaving his role as a special assistant for the Indians baseball operations department. He then served as the Astros bench coach alongside manager Bo Porter during the 2013 season. Perez appeared to be moving up the ladder with Houston when he was offered the first-base coach job in 2014, but he transitioned into a fulltime role with ESPN instead.

The Mets continue to hold interviews with a wide range of candidates as their managerial search kicks into gear. Seven other teams — representing over a quarter of MLB clubs in total — have a managerial vacancy this offseason. The Cubs, Phillies, Angels, Giants, Pirates, Royals and Padres are all competing with the Mets for a suitable candidate to takeover as their next skipper. Experienced and marquee names that are still available for interviews include: Buck Showalter, Joe Maddon, Dusty Baker, John Gibbons and Clint Hurdle. Baker recently interviewed with the Phillies after Gabe Kapler was dismissed earlier last week. Maddon is expected to land with the Angels, according to multiple reports, where his managerial career began in 1996.

Girardi, 55, is still the most favored candidate to land in Flushing, though he also reportedly interviewed with the Cubs last week. Girardi was drafted by the Cubs in the fifth round of the 1986 draft from Northwestern University in his home state of Illinois. He debuted for the Cubs behind the dish on April 4, 1989 and spent seven seasons with Chicago.

Beltran, 42, told MLB.com’s Nathalie Alonso on Saturday that the Mets are the only team he will consider managing. According to Alonso’s tweet, Beltran declined managerial interviews with the Cubs and Padres to prioritize his desire to manage the Mets.