Passed ball
Mets whiff on another prospective exec
The Mets continue to cast a wide search for a president of baseball operations but aren’t finding any takers.
Giants general manager Scott Harris recently interviewed with the Mets, according to industry sources, but is unlikely to leave San Francisco, where he helped build a team that won the NL West title with 107 victories this season.
The Mets’ hope would be to have a president of baseball operations in place by the time the World Series is complete, but that timeline could be in question. The general managers’ meetings — where offseason business usually commences — are scheduled to begin on Nov. 8 in Carlsbad, Calif.
Oakland’s Billy Beane and MLB consultant Theo Epstein (the architect of World Series winning teams with the Red Sox and Cubs) are other executives the Mets spoke to on some level who won’t be accepting the job. In addition, the Mets were denied permission to speak with Milwaukee president of baseball operations David Stearns.
Milwaukee general manager Matt Arnold and Tampa Bay vice president of baseball development Peter Bendix have been on the Mets’ radar, according to sources, but it’s unclear if team president Sandy Alderson or owner Steve Cohen have spoken to either.
➤ Luis Rojas, who earlier this month was informed by the Mets he won’t be returning in that role for 2022 — officially, his club option was declined — has interviewed for the Padres’ managerial vacancy, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. The Padres, who are searching for Jayce Tingler’s replacement, have also interviewed former Cardinals manager Mike Shildt.
The 40-year-old Rojas has ties to the Padres — his half-brother, Moises Alou, serves as a special assistant to general manager A.J. Preller.
Rojas, whose departure as Mets manager came after consecutive losing seasons, has been offered an unspecified job within the organization if he chooses to stay.