Will big-name choices fit Mets’ needs?
Mickey Callaway is gone, and the Mets are again looking for a new manager. It’s the managerial opening that could draw the most high-profile candidates of the offseason.
Three types of candidates general manager Brodie Van Wagenen mentioned are those with major league managerial experience, those with minor league managerial experience and outside-the-box options.
Here are some names that could be considered.
Joe Maddon
He has to lead the list, right? Van Wagenen, faced with making his first managerial hire, could look to make a splash. The name certainly turns some heads.
Maddon, who managed the Cubs to a World Series in 2016, is out in Chicago and looking for his next gig.
However, if the Mets are interested, they won’t be the only ones.
Other clubs, such as the Angels and the Padres, could have interest.
Joe Girardi
This name seems natural. The former manager of the Yankees, Girardi is accustomed to the expectations that come with working in New York. Winning now is expected.
He’s a broadcaster with MLB Network, but he recently told Yahoo Sports he wants to manage again.
He is not a young guy (54) or a diamond in the rough. But if he wants to become a manager again, would the Mets give him a look?
Buck Showalter
A three-time AL Manager of the Year, Buck Showalter, 63, is now an analyst for the Yankees’ YES Network.
He is a year removed from getting fired as the Orioles’ manager after nine seasons. He also managed the Rangers, the Diamondbacks and the Yankees and led his teams to the postseason in five of the 20 years he managed.
Dusty Baker
Unlike Showalter, Baker, 70, hasn’t expressed public interest in the job but might feel like he has unfinished business as a manager after the Nationals dismissed him in 2017.
It came after consecutive Game 5 losses in the NL Division Series round.
Baker won an average of 96 games in two seasons with Washington and is 1,863-1,636 in 22 big-league seasons. He has won one NL pennant and made nine playoff appearances as a manager in all.
Eric Chavez
Over the offseason leading into 2019, rumors swirled about Chavez being in line to replace former Angels manager Mike Scioscia.
That didn’t end up happening, but it seems he could be in line for a major league gig soon. In addition to being a finalist for the Angels’ job, he is the special assistant to Angels general manager Billy Eppler.
Late last season, Chavez filled in as manager of the Class AAA Salt Lake Bees.
Joe Espada
Espada, the Astros’ bench coach, has been talked about as a potential riser in the industry.
He’s been in a few roles. He served as a pro scout with the Yankees before becoming their third base coach.
Obviously, the Astros gain respect because of their recent success. But it seems folks in baseball have also pivoted to the analytical side of the game, for which Houston is also known.
Sandy Alomar Jr.
He is the Indians’ first-base coach, but he’s also been a bench coach in Cleveland. Perhaps the biggest connection is that he spent two seasons as the Mets’ major league catching instructor.
In Cleveland, Alomar became the interim manager at the end of the 2012 season. He managed the final six games.
Luis Rojas
Rojas served quality control as the Mets’ coach for the 2019 season.
The 38-year-old is young enough to relate with today’s players. It appears he’s analytically sound, too, which the Mets must care about in today’s game.
The Mets could merely promote him. There’s a chance he has some backing from the clubhouse because of his role in 2019.
Carlos Beltran
The former Met and Yankee has been talked about as a potential candidate. It remains to be seen if the Mets will reach out, or if Beltrán would have interest.
One guarantee, though: The fan base loves him, and that matters.