11:21pm: Giants third base coach Ron Wotus has also interviewed for the Mets’ bench coach position, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic tweets. Wotus remains in the running for the job, per Baggarly. San Francisco has been the lone stop for the 58-year-old Wotus since his MLB coaching career began in 1998, and the Giants did consider him for their managerial vacancy this fall. However, now that the Giants have hired Gabe Kapler as their manager, it’s unclear if Wotus will remain part of their staff.
7:30pm: The Mets have their new manager in former major league slugger Carlos Beltran, a first-time skipper who brings zero coaching experience to the table. The fact that Beltran’s a neophyte makes it all the more important for the Mets to find an experienced bench coach capable of helping him learn the ropes. They’ve got at least two names on their radar in Fredi Gonzalez and Jerry Narron, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.
The Mets have already spoken with Gonzalez, who’s likely to have a formal interview with the club after the GM meetings, according to Puma. The 55-year-old Gonzalez is a former major league manager who oversaw the Marlins from 2007-10 and the Braves from 2011-16. More recently, Gonzalez was the Marlins’ bench coach over the previous three seasons, but he stepped down from that post a month ago.
Narron, 63, left the Diamondbacks in late October after they chose to replace him as their bench coach. He served in that role for two-plus years before the D-backs decided to give the job to Luis Urueta, though their hope was that Narron would remain a part of their coaching staff. He’s now a free agent, however, and is well-known for managing the Rangers from 2001-02 and the Reds from 2005-07.
What’s Jerry Manuel up to these days? He’ll set Beltran straight for any rookie mistakes.
sny.tv/mets/news/note-jerry-manuel-is-a-gangsta/14…
“I told him the next time he does that, I’m going to get my blade out and cut him, right on the field. Hey, I’m a gangsta now. You go gangsta on me, I’m gonna have to get you now.”
Yes! I still remember the back of the NY Post the day after he said that. My brother and I have a good laugh every once in a while pretending to be as gangsta as Jerry.
Man… I really wanted Wotus to retire from baseball and jump in the presidential race. If he won everyone would call him POTUS Wotus. Or get elected to the Supreme Court so he could go by SCOTUS Wotus. I know those are long shots but he could at least have the common decency to get gender reassignment surgery and then seduce the president into marriage so he could become the first lady and go by FLOTUS Wotus. Any of those things would be acceptable. I know baseball is a big deal to him and everything but he owes this to the American people. He needs to start putting his country first.
Correction: Fredi was 3rd base coach for Marlins recently, not the bench coach.
Retread city. Give me a break.
The latest news on Mets bench coach. NOBODY WANTS IT
Troll why don’t you get a life?
I’ll take it.
Fredi Gonzalez would definitely have the managing/coaching experience to help guide Beltran.
Gonzalez would be a good selection for the bench coach.
Feeling hurt eh..?
There are some good ideas here. Unfortunately Mr. Frugal has already made his choice which will be revealed by Mr. Met Shill (Joel Sherman) in tomorrow’s NY Post.
In an exclusive interview with the Wilpons (Coupons) Sherman reveals an internal disagreement with super smooth GM wanting a really qualified bench coach and the owners wanting to save money.
Here’s Fred’s quote that will tell you who was selected:
“I told Brody that we are paying the guy anyway. He’s been on the payroll since we
dumped him as manager a few years ago. Brody was unhappy and I told him that at least “TC” didn’t wear eyeglasses and a mustache like one of our managers!”
Case closed.