Although this has been a nightmarish year for the Mets, it doesn’t appear rookie manager Mickey Callaway’s job is in jeopardy. Even if the Mets hire a new general manager, Callaway is expected to return in 2019, Steven Marcus of Newsday reports. Sandy Alderson, the GM who played a key part in hiring Callaway last offseason, went on leave in June to battle cancer. Whether the soon-to-be 71-year-old Alderson will return to his post in 2019 is unclear, but in the meantime, the Mets have essentially been utilizing tri-GMs in John Ricco, J.P. Ricciardi and Omar Minaya. Any of those three could be candidates for the team’s full-time GM role if Alderson doesn’t come back next year, but regardless of who ultimately holds the position, it seems that individual will be working with Callaway.
Here’s more from the National League…
- Prior to their midseason resurgence, the Pirates were leaning toward selling at the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, general manager Neal Huntington told KDKA-FM on Sunday (via Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review). However, the team never gave any thought to dealing two of its top controllable assets, right-hander Jameson Taillon or closer Felipe Vazquez. “When club hit rock bottom at seven (games) under (.500 on July 7),” Huntington said, “(we began to consider), ‘Maybe ‘18 isn’t our year. How do we strengthen ’19, ’20, and ‘21 moving on?’ (But) it was never a consideration to trade Felipe Vazquez, and trading Jameson Taillon was never a consideration for us.” The Pirates actually fell to eight games under .500 on July 7, but they then ripped off 15 wins in 19 games before July 31 and ended up as buyers, acquiring right-hander Chris Archer from the Rays and reliever Keone Kela from the Rangers.
- This has been a disappointing offensive season for Cardinals left fielder Marcell Ozuna, whom the team acquired from Miami over the winter on the heels of a career year in 2017. After posting a 142 wRC+, mashing 37 home runs and recording a .237 ISO last season, Ozuna’s down to 90, 13 and .124 in those respective categories this year. It’s possible right shoulder problems are at least partly to blame, as Ozuna told Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com and other reporters that he has been battling tendinitis and inflammation dating back to last season. The Cardinals were aware of that when they picked up Ozuna, per president John Mozeliak, though Langosch adds that the team hasn’t considered surgery for the 27-year-old. Regardless, Ozuna’s arm strength has taken notable steps backward, Langosch details in her piece.
- Meanwhile, Reds outfielder Scott Schebler is dealing with his own right shoulder troubles, and they may shelve him until September, manager Jim Riggleman announced (via Kyle Melnick of MLB.com). Schebler went on the DL on July 15 with a sprained AC joint, and even though the Reds activated him Friday when his 20-day rehab stint ended, he’s still unable to throw properly. Schebler had been in the midst of a fine season before going on the DL, with a .278/.351/.470 line and 12 homers in 299 plate appearances.
How is his job not in jeapordy, if/when the Mets hire someone from outside the organization, outside 3 GMs?
In any case, let’s examine the Mets’ Three Headed GM:
John Ricco, J.P. Ricciardi and Omar Minaya.
I don’t think their problem is with Callaway. Imo, he’s actually a decent manager.
he may become a good manager
but he certainly is not a good or
“decent” manager right now
Firing a Rookie manager after one bad season would set a bad precedent. Not many managers would apply to a team if they had one season to do well or get fired.
I’d give him another chance next season and if things weren’t going well by the trade deadline, then there’d be some serious changes.
Its fine to fire callaway if the mets bring in a real GM. Most people get it. New GM. Wants his guy.
But the mets just need to head into the off season with the intent of trading Degrom and Syndergaard and let the GM they hire go full rebuild.
Starting a rebuild doesn’t seem wise. Sure they could trade Degrom & Syndergaard for a bunch of prospects, but there aren’t many other players that have a whole lot of value right now.
I’d say give 2019 a shot and if it doesn’t work out, have a massive sell-off at the trade deadline next year. Hopefully their injured veterans will have recouped some value.
In Wilpon-ville, the GM rarely has the power to fire or hire a manager, because after all it’s a monetary decision. The GM will do the dirty work, but it’s a Stupid Jeff call. Heck, the GM can’t even decide to eat a few months of salary on a traded player.
The “new” GM will likely not be an impressive baseball man like Alderson (regardless of what one thinks of the job he did, he has gravitas, and people like that rarely work for the Wilpons). Like most inept leaders, the Wilpons like having people around them who they know (i.e., know won’t expose them for what they are).
they do not want to pay two managers in a year
that they have no shot of winning in
Rename them the New York Mess
I’d like to see the Mets trade Pat Roessler to the Cubs for the goat curse.
If the Pirates traded for Archer and Kela to try to win, why does Hurdle continue to manage like a Little League coach?
He puts in a warm body named Alex McRae (not ranked among the Top 28 Pirates prospects) to pitch the 5th inning of a tied game yesterday.
Today, he pinch hits Jordan Luplow with Harrison and Freese with 1 out, men at 1st and 3rd (he GIDP). Then, again with Freese on the bench, he lets Sean Rodriguez make the final out in the 9th. Luplow and S Rod are both hitting under the Mendoza Line.
Fringe contenders have to maximize their lineup, not minimize it.
Hurdle does this all the time, not only with pitchers but with position players. It’s almost as if he says hey, the guys need a rest. We weren’t gonna win em all anyway
And I guess I’m greedy. Archer is a nice addition although I don’t think he’s a guy who makes the difference when it’s all said and done. That said, how does Tyson Ross slip through waivers to the Cardinals? This team can’t win with Nick Kingham as a starter. I’m not even real sure about Nova. But not looking to add another experienced arm and letting him go to a rival is ridiculous
At the time the of the waiver claim the cardinals were ahead of the pirates because of a tie breaker of sorts. Since they had the same record when the claim was made
God forbid the Wilpons eat any money off anybody contract, even their own managers. Mets should have take a flyer on Tyson Ross. They could’ve claimed him ahead if anyine i the NL. But rhat would mean
Eating some if Jason Vargas’s contract. Never happen in a million Wilpon years ( which by now to Mets fans, feel like DOG years ). Don’t let anyone ever mistake me equating this front office to ANY efficient front office, nor this ownership to any company supportive ownership (Steinbrenner, Henry, Autry, Busch or O’Malley). These guys just follow in the tradition of Lorinda DeRoulet. Very sad times indeed.
And I am sorry, the minute Saul Katz CONSPIRED to squeeze Nelson Doubleday out of the picture was the day they this team turned the corner towards penny-pinching. And now that they are getting back in their financial feet, their money is not being invested back into the Mets but rather diverted to other NON-Mets sports enterprises. You dint have ti be stupid to see that they want you to believe they spend $150 million in the Mets but it really cost them $110 M because the insurance saves pays them back the rest. Met fans don’t be morons and drink the koolaid. False news coming from Shills like Steve Phillips.
I was all for the Ozuna trade but looking back on his arm problems I don’t understand how they feel it’s just gonna get better! In today’s game he bounced the ball to the 3rd baseman and you know it’s hot to be affecting his swing also! Hopefully next year he just tears it up!
It’s not like that was a good trade for the Marlins though, so whatever
It’s a bad trade in both sides…… and now Ozuna will probably need surgery and he may start off the 2019 season hampered as well. I think the Cards May be best suited to trade Ozuna for something before 2019 trade deadline…… I guess we will see.