Now that Steve Cohen has bought the Mets, many changes are expected to be in store (and some have already taken place) for the organization, though the turnover might not extend to the dugout. During an introductory media event with Cohen and team president Sandy Alderson with MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo and other reporters in a Zoom call, Alderson said that manager Luis Rojas was “very likely” to remain in his current role for the coming season.
Rojas was unexpectedly thrust into the manager’s job last January after the Mets and newly-hired manager Carlos Beltran parted ways due to controversy over Beltran’s role in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal. Rojas was already on the Mets staff as the quality control coach and had previously interviewed for the managerial position before Beltran was hired.
It was Rojas’ first time as a Major League manager, and he could hardly have been thrust into a more chaotic situation given both the events of the 2020 season and all of the behind-the-scenes tumult with the Mets. The club posted only a 26-34 record last year, though it is hard to tell how much (if any) Rojas can be faulted for the lack of results, considering the shortened season, multiple injuries to the pitching staff, and perhaps just an overall insufficient roster.
Clearly Alderson and Cohen agree that Rojas should be given a fuller opportunity to manage the team, but with one important caveat. Alderson said he “left the door slightly ajar” for a managerial change if the team’s incoming new president of baseball operations would prefer to make his own hire. Considering most executives indeed prefer to have their own personnel in place, this is no small detail about Rojas’ potential future, though the fact that Rojas wasn’t among the first wave of departures from the organization is a sign that Alderson and Cohen don’t feel a change is immediately necessary.
Alderson and Cohen are quite familiar with Rojas, whose long career as a coach and manager in the Mets’ minor league system predates both Cohen becoming a minority owner (in 2012) and Alderson being hired as the GM in 2010. Rojas’ contract is only guaranteed through the 2021 season, though the Mets have club options on his services for at least 2022 and 2023.
If the locker room has his back, keep him. And pick up his ‘22 option.
Exactly. If he’s here to stay, let him manage knowing he’s locked in for at least 2 yrs under the new front office.
I’m not a Mets fan, but it seems to me that Rojas shouldn’t lose his job. I’m not sure anyone could have done any better given the circumstances and the roster.
I know it’s was his first season but I don’t think he has it. manager and hitting coach definitely need a change
The hitting coach, Chili Davis, wasn’t with the team in person last year and worked with players remotely which some players said didn’t help. If he can be back with the team he can be a real help. Lots of Mets players have spoken very highly of him.
i don’t think anyone can evaluate a manager on just the 2020 season. I also don’t think fans are equipped to evaluate managers, period.
While I can’t fault Rojas for the lack of quality pitching depth and lackluster performances of porcello and wacha but he did make a lot of questionable decisions especially with bullpen selection and not knowing when to pull pitchers.
I agree that he made a number of poor decisions in that area, but I don’t think they come close to fireable offenses. The bullpen was extremely poor (especially after the horrible decision to move Lugo to the rotation, which I doubt was Rojas’s choice) and overexposed by the starting pitching issues.
The clubhouse/team chemistry seemed to stay solid considering that Callaway was well-liked by the players, and he did his best to make the awful defensive roster work. Point is, I think he wasn’t perfect, but did enough to deserve a chance in a normal (or at least semi-normal) season with a competent front office behind him.
Just hire Beltran back. No one will notice.
Alderson will want his own choice. If they get off to a slow start, the change will be made.
Good
I think he deserves at least a full season. Almost all of the problems with the team weren’t/aren’t on him, and the people responsible are gone from the organization.
They have a deep lineup. Alonso was hitting 6th last year which is a testament to that lineup strength. If there is no DH in the NL they will run into issues.
Those issues being the Mets have starting quality players riding the bench.
Too much depth is not an issue for any team.
The main issue that I am thinking of is having Dom Smith in LF full time. Alonso is the primary 1b but Dom’s bat is obviously that of an everyday caliber player. Cano’s contract has him locked into 2b. McNeil will obviously play everyday at 3b, or LF. Realistically it comes down to Davis vs Smith losing playing time as well as potential defensive limitations.
Well duh. the media has been telling us for a month that there was not a single qualified person to manage the Red Sox or Tigers other than Cora and Hinch so there are obviously no humans on the planet of managing the Mets!!
Ugh, I used the “B” word (as in “‘B’” and moan”) and now my comment is in moderation limbo… basically I’m glad they’ll keep Rojas cuz the players like him and that’s all that really matters.
Agree with Sandy when he said managing a game is the easiest part of managing. They will improve with experience. Managing the roster, their individual personalities, their perceptions of themselves, their playing time with how it affects their contract and the internal issues that can make or break team chemistry. That is why it is almost impossible to evaluate a manager based on in game decisions.