METS REACH FINAL 4
Former Yanks Girardi, Beltran top Amazin’s list for next manager
Nearly three weeks after Brodie Van Wagenen and Mets ownership dismissed Mickey Callaway before he could complete his three-year contract, four reported finalists have emerged for the team’s managerial vacancy. The Mets’ second round of interviews are underway and it’s possible additional finalists could materialize.
Major League Baseball encourages clubs to refrain from dropping news during the postseason, and it’s unlikely the Mets will hire Callaway’s successor before the World Series between the Nationals and Astros starts Tuesday. But if that series ends with a sweep, the Mets could name their 22nd manager in franchise history as early as this weekend.
Here’s a look into the final candidates and what makes them appealing to the Amazin’s.
JOE GIRARDI
Girardi, 55, is the only known candidate with experience managing an MLB team. He was called back for a second interview with Mets officials, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. Mets fans are hankering for Girardi to be at the helm of a young team coming off an 86win season. The former Yankees skipper is familiar with winning in New York and how to handle the media circus that accompanies a managerial job in the Big Apple.
He managed the Yankees from 2008-17 and led them to their most recent World Series title in 2009. He navigated Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera’s retirement seasons, Alex Rodriguez’s PED suspension that forced him to miss the entire 2014 season and still put up winning seasons for a decade.
Girardi has garnered interest from a number of teams with a managerial vacancy. Girardi was reported to have a second interview on Monday with the Phillies, who also interested in Dusty Baker and Buck Showalter, two experienced managers the Mets reportedly did not interview. Girardi, currently an analyst for MLB Network, also sat down with the Cubs recently.
CARLOS BELTRAN
Beltran, 42, is currently a special adviser to the Yankees and has no prior experience managing at any professional level. He also received a request for a second interview with the Mets, according to Rosenthal.
The former Met is likely to receive support from Mets assistant GMs Omar Minaya and Allard Baird. In 2005, Beltran signed with the Amazin’s as a free agent under Minaya’s first offseason as the Mets GM. Beltran played under then-Royals GM Baird in the early 2000’s.
Beltran spent seven seasons from 2005-11 in Flushing, earned five All-Star nods while donning orange and blue and helped lead the Mets to the 2006 NLCS. Beltran retired from the big leagues in 2017 and immediately interviewed for the Yankees managerial vacancy before the job went to Aaron Boone. He then landed in the Yankees front office.
Beltran, like Girardi, was expected to draw high interest from other clubs this offseason. But he indicated earlier this month that the Mets are the only team he will consider managing. According to multiple reports, Beltran declined managerial interviews with the Cubs and Padres to prioritize his desire to manage the Mets.
Now that the Yankees are out of the postseason, Beltran’s schedule is freed up to continue the interview process.
EDUARDO PEREZ
Perez, 50, is also reportedly scheduled to have a second interview with Mets officials. He currently serves as an ESPN analyst and was a former first baseman/outfielder 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 full-time role with ESPN instead.
If the Mets are serious about Perez, he would certainly fit the description of an out-of-the-box hire.
TIM BOGAR
Bogar, 55, is the current first-base coach for the Nationals. He was drafted by the Mets in 1987 and played there from 1993-96. Bogar has been a member of the Nationals’ coaching staff for the past two seasons. The Nationals have been busy preparing for the World Series after they swept the Cardinals in the NLCS, so a final decision on Bogar will have to wait.
Add Bogar to the list of candidates who could benefit from the Mets current front office. Bogar, like Beltran, has a relationship with Baird from their time in Boston. Bogar was on the Red Sox’s coaching staff from 2009-12 — as a firstbase coach, third-base coach and bench coach — while Baird served as assistant to the GM and Vice President of Scouting for Boston.
Bogar also has coaching experience with the Red Sox, Rangers and Rays. He was the Rangers interim manager for 22 games in 2014 and led them to a 14-8 record. In 2015, Bogar shifted into the Angels front office as a special assistant to GM Jerry Dipoto. He was named the Mariners GM for two seasons from 2016-17.
OTHER CANDIDATES
Mets quality control coach Luis Rojas, Padres first-base coach Skip Schumaker, Diamondbacks VP of player development Mike Bell and Twins bench coach Derek Shelton were also reported to have interviewed for the Mets job, bringing the total number of known candidates to eight.