Mets president Sandy Alderson revealed earlier this week that his team would not hire a president of baseball operations and would instead focus its front office search on hiring a general manager. It’s already known that Alderson and new owner Steve Cohen have spoken to former Marlins president of baseball ops Michael Hill, and Mike Puma of the New York Post now tweets that former big league pitcher Chris Young has also interviewed for the position. Alderson said earlier this week that six candidates have interviewed.
The 41-year-old Young would be mark a second straight outside-the-box hire were he to eventually be the choice, following the Wilpon family’s surprise hire of agent Brodie Van Wagenen two years ago. That said, Young hasn’t been simply sitting back and reminiscing on a solid, 13-year playing career since retiring after the 2017 season. Rather, he’s been working for the league itself. Major League Baseball announced in May 2018 that Young had been named the league’s vice president of on-field operations, initiatives and strategy — a role in which he focused on “the application of playing rules and regulations, on-field standards and discipline, pace of play and other special projects.”
Young reported directly to MLB’s chief baseball officer, Joe Torre, for the first two years he was in that position. Back in February, Torre moved into an advisory role, serving as a special assistant to commissioner Rob Manfred. Young, in turn, took on a greater role within the league’s hierarchy and was promoted to senior vice president of on-field operations, initiatives and strategy.
While Young would be an unorthodox hire, his candidacy isn’t a total shock, either. SNY’s Andy Martino noted more than a month ago that Young and Alderson maintain a strong relationship after getting to know one another during their time with the Padres’ organization, and Martino has since reported that the veteran pitcher and Princeton grad is a candidate for some type of role in the Mets’ new front office.
Hiring Young as the GM, however, would somewhat fly in the face of Cohen’s previous comments about his club’s search for a baseball ops executive. At his introductory press conference earlier this month, Cohen suggested he preferred an experienced candidate, telling reporters (link via Newsday’s Tim Healey): “I’m not crazy about people learning on my dime.” Young’s work in the league office gives him more relevant experience than most recently retired players, but he’d still be a rookie in a team’s baseball ops department. Even with guidance from an experienced vet like Alderson, he’d be “learning on Cohen’s dime,” though perhaps that’s more palatable for Cohen if Alderson heads up baseball ops himself for the early portion of an incoming GM’s tenure.
Turning to other potential candidates, Martino reported this morning that Rays special assistant Bobby Heck, who’d previously been under consideration, is no longer seen as a candidate for the job. He’s expected to remain with the Rays.
Interesting name. Seems like it’ll just be a matter of time until he has one of these jobs somewhere.
Maybe have as Vo of baseball ops & Assistant GM. That way he learns for 2 years then takes over for Sandy as he moves to a straight president of baseball ops role.
At 6’10” would he be the tallest GM ever in MLB???
This would be less outside the box than Brodie, in part because he was a player on the Mets so Sandy already knows exactly how smart he is or isn’t.
Young is a smart guy. he would make sense in a FO position
Because going from player to GM is an easy transition. Lol
He’s not exactly going straight from player to GM.
“In May 2018, Young became an MLB executive when he was promoted to serve as vice president of on-field operations, initiatives and strategy.[1] In February 2020, Young was promoted to Senior Vice President to replace Joe Torre as the MLB’s enforcer of discipline action, such as deciding fines and suspensions.[1] He also oversees the On-Field Operations and Umpiring Departments.”
None of that experience is relevant to becoming a GM. He oversaw on field umpiring operations? Who cares. He was involved in deciding fines and suspensions for players. Again who cares. That does not a GM make.
No he wouldn’t.
Why not?
Rather they look at the other Chris young
I’d like for them to hire both to cause additional confusion.
I concur
They had two Bobby Joneses on the pitching staff at one point. So nothing surprising.
Lol
Wilpons are still in charge?
Bobby is no longer a candidate? What the Heck?
Crickets
Dude has a massive head where they had to specially make his fitted hats during his playing days. Mets love guys with big heads and massive egos. Welcome to Queens.
Are you confused with the Bronx? I could show you directions.
As confused as you are about your offense. BvW looks like he gives good hugs and really listens.
Used to be a lot of GMs were former MLB players. Today, I think DiPoto is the only one.
Billy Beane
Yes, Billy Beane and Kenny Williams are EVPs now.
With his height, Chris Young would definitely help the Mets to rebound.
great comment. laughed a lil
Well done, brilliant.
No please no someone with experience not to knock young, but we don’t need a brodie 2.0
This is a joke, right? Let me guess – they’ll interview Dave Stewart next and then some former relief pitchers? I’m sure the other 4 teams in the NL East would love a rookie GM with no experience….
Reminder: Cohen wanted LaRussa as the GM/President if he won the bid for the Dodgers in 2012. He might talk a good game but it remains to be seen if he’ll do what he says
Smart guy but needs more experience first
Chris Young played baseball and basketball at Princeton so I’m sure he’s a smart guy. More and more front offices are going the Ivy League route.
If he played basketball and baseball, it was because he was unbelievably good at both. My high school sent our best basketball player to Princeton who was also the number two in the state tennis player (the number one was eventually top 200 in the world) and Pete Carril wouldn’t let him play both sports.
He was unbelievably good at both sports.
As a freshman, Ivy League ROY in both sports, as well as 2nd Team All Ivy League in basketball and Ivy League Player of the Year in baseball.
Andy, a Cornell guy, missed his calling at that Scranton paper company. Would have loved to have seen a reunion episode of Jim/”Tuna”, the now-sports agent, trying to hammer out a deal with the Phillies ace GM, Andy Bernard – roo doo doo doo!
Maybe offer a contract to Ryan Howard.
Yeah, he guest-starred in an episode in the last season as himself, pitching a weird book, as a client for Jim’s upstart agency.
Would be fun seeing Andy seriously spending Middleton’s “stupid money” as hilarious hi-jinks ensue courtesy of a wayward Phillie Phanatic and overbearing but charismatic Bryce Harper.
It would be fabulous if Ryan Howard extends his legacy of bad contracts.
Alderson is clearly casting a wide net, interviewing a range of candidates with varying backgrounds. That doesn’t mean he’s the lead candidate, but it might indicate Young is generating industry buzz as an up-and-comer in his current role, so Alderson wants to interview him to potentially hire him in some senior front office role, but not necessarily GM.
If Chris Young gets hired and Luis Rojas isn’t fired the Mets will be in last place again. They’re both not winners
Chris Young won a World Series…. against the Mets.
If he is hired will the Mets finally go after free agents?
Ownership will dictate what free agents can be sought.
Well that’s dumb
Why?
See if he can still pitch too… even though
he killed the mets pitching for them, and against them
I’m not exactly sure why the complete 180 on hiring a pbo, at first I thought it was sandy then they were looking for one but now apparently it’s sandy again and now just hiring a gm? No clue what cohens plans are but why say we want someone with experience but interview and candidate granted with fo experience but not gm duties. Not a great start to the ownership so far. Actions speaker louder than words
Mets need to trade mcneil,gimenez and ginn for arrenado and then sign lemahieu
Real front office experience, please. Assistant to GM or Special Projects yes but as GM, not enough experience here
Yes! Another jewish executive!
What is wrong with interviewing a bunch of people, picking their brains about what they would do, and then making a decision. NONE of these commenters have said they were inthe riom wirh Chris
So how do any of you know how much Chris Young knows or doesn’t know about baseball? I think if my memory is correct that Chris Young acted as his own agent for most of his career. Takes smarts and balls to do that, and last 13 years. He knows more about front office work than 99 percent of you posters combined.
Just end this and hire Mike Hill!