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Latest on Mets’ Front Office Search

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October 13: The Mets’ wide-ranging search for a new PBO apparently won’t reach as far as the NFL.  Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports there had been some speculation that Paul DePodesta, currently the chief strategy officer for the Cleveland Browns, was being considered as a possible candidate, but DePodesta tells Sherman he’s not interested in leaving his current position. Prior to making the jump to football in 2016, DePodesta had a long run working in various MLB front-office jobs with Cleveland, Oakland, the Dodgers, San Diego and the Mets.

On the other side of the ledger, you can add Dodgers’ assistant GM Brandon Gomes to the list of names the Mets may want to interview, writes Andy Martino of SNY.  However, Martino suggests the Dodgers could consider promoting Gomes themselves if the Mets express serious interest in poaching him.

October 12: The Mets have discussed Josh Byrnes as a possibility in their ongoing search for a new president of baseball operations, reports Buster Olney of ESPN (Twitter link). Byrnes has spent the past eight seasons as the Dodgers’ senior vice president of baseball operations.

Jon Heyman of the MLB Network suggested last month that Byrnes might pop onto the Mets’ radar, and it indeed seems he’s caught the attention of owner Steve Cohen and team president Sandy Alderson. It’s rather easy to see Byrnes’ appeal. The Dodgers have been among the game’s most successful franchises over the past few years, and executives like Alex Anthopoulos (Braves) and Farhan Zaidi (Giants) have done quite well after taking over baseball operations elsewhere following stints in the L.A. front office. Byrnes interviewed for the Phillies’ leadership position that eventually went to Dave Dombrowski last winter but ultimately decided to remain in Los Angeles.

Byrnes also has plenty of experience running day-to-day baseball ops. Before joining Los Angeles, the 51-year-old had stints as the general manger of the Diamondbacks and Padres. In a somewhat ironic twist, Byrnes reportedly came close to landing the Mets’ GM job that went to Alderson back in 2010. Now, Alderson finds himself with a key role in settling on New York’s next baseball operations leader. While he assumed control over day-to-day operations for the final few weeks of this season, Alderson is planning to move back into a broader team president role for 2022.

Byrnes becomes the latest big name tied to the Mets, who are planning to request permission to interview A’s executive VP Billy Beane and Brewers’ president of baseball operations David Stearns. Unlike Beane and Stearns, Byrnes isn’t currently in charge of baseball ops elsewhere, which could make the initial hurdle of getting permission from his current club for an interview — should the Mets decide to take that step — easier than it is with the other candidates. The Mets already interviewed Theo Epstein, but the former Red Sox and Cubs leader will not be taking over in Queens.

Managerial Rumors: Boone, Espada, Showalter

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The latest managerial buzz from around baseball…

  • Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner is “leaning toward” retaining manager Aaron Boone at the moment, ESPN’s Buster Olney reports. A Wild Card exit and a regular season that likely didn’t live up to lofty fan expectations (despite 92 wins) has made Boone an increasingly large target for ire among the fanbase, but Olney suggests Steinbrenner does not place the blame at Boone’s feet. Of course, his return (or departure) is a two-way street due to the fact that Boone’s contract expires at season’s end. The Mets and Padres will both be looking for new skippers, and it’s at least possible another opening could yet emerge. Someone with Boone’s experience could also draw interest from clubs in a variety of front-office roles, if he wished to go that route. Boone said last week that he “loves” being the Yankees’ skipper and “going to work with this group of players.”
  • If Boone did happen to leave the Yankees, Olney hears from rival executives that Astros bench coach Joe Espada could be one of the candidates to become New York’s next manager. Espada is a known commodity in the Bronx, having worked from 2014-2017 as a special assistant to GM Brian Cashman and then as the team’s third base coach. Espada was considered by the Cubs, Angels, and Giants for their recent managerial openings, and he was one of the finalists (and reportedly the favorite at one point late in the hiring process) for the San Francisco job that eventually went to Gabe Kapler.
  • Buck Showalter’s name has come up in speculative fashion as the Mets and the Padres begin their searches for a new skipper, and the 64-year-old definitively tells Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic that he does not consider himself retired from managing. Showalter says it’s “an honor” just to be mentioned as a candidate in ongoing managerial searches but adds that he has yet to be contacted by either club. The former Yankees, D-backs, Orioles and Rangers skipper says he would “never dictate a situation” by refusing to manage a rebuilding club, interestingly adding that he’d have happily taken a pay cut to stay on as the Orioles’ skipper throughout the rebuild but was never asked. Showalter fans will want to check out the Q&A in its entirety for his thoughts on working live TV broadcasts, his time with the O’s and the recent trend toward more experienced managers.

Mets To Overhaul Coaching Staff

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The Mets are planning to part ways with the majority of their coaches, SNY’s Andy Martino reports.  The club has told six members of the staff (bench coach Dave Jauss, first base coach Tony Tarasco, third base coach Gary DiSarcina, bullpen coach Ricky Bones, Major League field coordinator/catching coach Brian Schneider, and assistant pitching coach Jeremy Accardo) that they are free to look for jobs elsewhere.

Pitching coach Jeremy Hefner will also remain but perhaps not in his current position, as Hefner “and the Mets are discussing his future role.”  Hitting coach Hugh Quattlebaum and assistant hitting coach Kevin Howard will be staying in the organization but will be reassigned to the minor leagues, as Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News reports that Howard will return to his former job as the director of player development.

Considering the Mets have already moved on from Luis Rojas as manager, it isn’t surprising that the club would also look for a clean slate with its coaching corps, thus giving the new manager some opportunity to hand-pick his own staff.  As Martino notes, the Mets coaches were something of “a patchwork group that represented remnants of previous regimes,” which perhaps isn’t surprising given how many managerial and front office changes the Mets have made just in the last few years.

No Traction Between Mets, Theo Epstein On Front Office Position

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As expected, Mets owner Steve Cohen was in contract with Theo Epstein about the team’s president of baseball operations opening, but Epstein won’t be taking over the Mets’ front office.  According to SNY’s Andy Martino (Twitter link), Cohen and Epstein “had a good conversation and both agreed that this was not the right opportunity.”

Epstein has been linked to the Mets on the rumor mill essentially since the moment he stepped down as the Cubs president of baseball ops last November, though Epstein said that he intended to take some time off before getting back into team management.  He instead took a consultant job with the Commissioner’s Office, and it appears as though Epstein will remain in that role for the foreseeable future.  Barring a surprise move in the coming days, the Mets look to be the only team in search of a new front office boss this offseason.

While it made natural sense for Cohen to look into Epstein’s availability, reports suggested that Epstein was seen as something of a longshot of a hire.  Beyond just running a front office, there have been suggestions that Epstein has his eyes on being at least a minority owner of his next team, if his next baseball job is even with a team at all — there have even been rumors that Epstein might look to succeed Rob Manfred as the next commissioner.

With Epstein out of the running, speculation will continue about two other major names reportedly on the Mets’ list, as Cohen is expected to request permission to speak with Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns and A’s executive VP Billy Beane.  Of the two, the “Mets still may have a legit shot at Beane,” MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets, though Beane himself downplayed the speculation.

“I wouldn’t even know that, honestly,” Beane told Shayna Rubin of The San Jose Mercury News and other reporters about the Mets’ plans to request an interview.  “Normally the process is they would call the owner which has happened in the past.  But to worry about this is to lend credibility to it.  It’s all just press reports.”  Of note, Beane also owns a small ownership stake in the Athletics, so that could be another hurdle to a hiring if Beane did have interest in leaving Oakland or if A’s ownership was willing to part ways.

Mets Decline Option On Manager Luis Rojas

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The Mets have declined their option on manager Luis Rojas, per a team announcement. Decisions on the remainder of the coaching staff are still pending and expected in the coming days, according to the team. Rojas managed the Mets from 2020-21 under a two-year contract that contained a pair of club options for the 2022-23 seasons. He’s been offered a different position within the organization in a “yet to be determined capacity,” the Mets added.

“The entire Mets organization is grateful for the dedication and devotion that Luis has exhibited over the last two seasons as manager,” team president Sandy Alderson said in today’s press release. “He has shown a great commitment to the Mets over many years in multiple capacities. These decisions are never easy, but we feel a change is needed at this time.”

Rojas, who turned 40 last month, unexpectedly was elevated from quality control coach to manager after the team abruptly parted ways with Carlos Beltran in the wake of the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal. Beltran, who played with the Astros during that 2017 season and was named in the commissioner’s report at the conclusion of an investigation into the matter, had only been hired as skipper just months prior and did not manage a game with the Mets. Rojas had previously coached and managed in the Mets’ minor league system in addition to time spent as a manager in the Dominican Winter League.

The son of three-time All-Star and 1994 NL Manager of the Year Felipe Alou, and the half-brother of six-time All-Star Moises Alou, Rojas is a baseball lifer who’ll no doubt have ample opportunity to continue his career in the game whether he takes another role with the Mets or looks outside the organization.

“I want to share such heartfelt gratitude to so many in the Mets organization for not only the last two seasons as manager, but for the last 16 years in a variety of roles,” Rojas said in a prepared statement of his own. “In each and every position I held, striving for excellence was our daily mission. I will always hold the relationships and friendships, developed over the years, dear to my heart, and am forever grateful to have been able to wear the Mets uniform for so long. We live in a results oriented business, and am deeply disappointed for our staff and fans that we didn’t reach our goals this season.”

The Mets went 103-119 under Rojas, missing the postseason despite significant playoff aspirations in each of his two seasons as skipper. Injuries played a notable role in the failures of his club, and like any manager, he was oft-criticized for bullpen decisions. Rojas surely didn’t do himself any favors with his handling (and apparent lack of knowledge) of the Javier Baez “thumbs down” debacle, however, and as talk of sweeping changes throughout the organization continued to mount over the final weeks of the season, Rojas appeared to be on an increasingly hot seat.

With Rojas’ ousting now official, the Mets will remarkably begin their search for a fourth manager in five years. Terry Collins enjoyed one of the longest tenures of any manager in recent MLB history, but since the Mets moved on from him after the 2017 season, they’ve cycled through Mickey Callaway (fired and later reported to have committed repeated acts of sexual harassment during his tenure), Beltran (fired before he managed a game) and Rojas (out after two seasons). The Mets will also be in the market for a new baseball operations leader — their fourth since Alderson initially stepped away for health-related purposes in July 2018.

NL East Notes: Harper, Phillies, Davis, Mets, Nationals

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For players eager to win now, they usually want their teams to add veteran players to help put the club over the top.  Bryce Harper may be an exception, as when speaking to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb and other reporters following the Phillies’ season-ending loss to the Marlins, Harper stressed that “we can’t just keep going out and buying and buying and buying.  We need homegrown talent. When you look at teams that have homegrown talent, those are the teams that have success….We need guys to come up from the minor leagues and have success and be successful.  Not have to go up and down.”

Aaron Nola and Rhys Hoskins stand out as recent success stories from Philadelphia’s player pipeline, but apart from that duo, the Phillies have struggled to find consistent contributions from within the organizations.  Highly-touted youngsters like Alec Bohm, Scott Kingery, Mickey Moniak, and Adam Haseley have yet to make much of an impact at the big league level, and Gelb notes that the Phils have been lacking a streamlined approach throughout the organization — there appears to be “a disconnect between what was taught below and preached in the majors.”  The Phillies are already making changes in the player development department and are on the lookout for a new hitting coach, though it remains to be seen if the team can figure out this “disconnect” while still addressing their 2022 needs and being competitive next season.

More from around the NL East…

  • J.D. Davis will undergo surgery Tuesday to fix a torn ligament in his left hand.  The Mets infielder played in only 73 games this season due to four separate trips to the injured list related to his hand injury, and Davis told The New York Daily News’ Deesha Thosar and other reporters that he expects to have a normal offseason after his surgery, so he should be ready for Spring Training.  As to whether or not he’ll be at the Mets’ camp is another question, as after a year of trade rumors, Davis said his “gut feeling” is that he “could be out of here” and headed to another team.  “It’s kind of 50/50, kind of a flip of the coin,” Davis said.  “I know there’s going to be plenty of changes up and down from the front office all the way down to here….But there’s a possibility that I could come back. I love New York.  I love the fans.”
  • As Davis mentioned, the Mets will be undergoing many changes, including a possible overhaul of the coaching staff that could include manager Luis Rojas.  Of all the coaches, The New York Post’s Mike Puma (Twitter link) believes pitching coach Jeremy Hefner is the likeliest to remain in Queens.  2021 is the last guaranteed year of Hefner’s original two-year contract, but the Mets hold a club option on Hefner’s services for next season.
  • The Nationals definitively won’t be making a change at pitching coach, as manager Davey Martinez told reporters (including MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman) on Saturday that Jim Hickey for a second season on Washington’s staff.  Other changes could be forthcoming to the coaching corps, however, and president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo told Zuckerman and company today that the Nationals are “certainly going to make some changes in the player development and scouting ranks.”  The idea is that “ten or 12 years with the same staff shows the cohesion, and then when you make some nice tweaks to get a new set of eyes and some new ideas is never a bad thing,” Rizzo said.

Mets To Contact Theo Epstein; Plan To Ask Permission About Billy Beane, David Stearns

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The Mets’ search for a new president of baseball operations will lead to a chat with Theo Epstein, as MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link) that the Mets are planning to get in touch with Epstein “soon.”  Athletics executive VP Billy Beane and Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns are also on the Mets’ wishlist, as Heyman notes that New York intends to ask the A’s and Brewers for permission to speak with the two executives once Oakland’s season is over, and once Milwaukee’s postseason run is complete.

This isn’t the first time that these three names have been linked to the Mets’ search, and it remains to be seen how serious any of the trio are as candidates — Heyman tweeted just yesterday that Epstein and Stearns were “seen as unlikely gets.”  The pursuits of Beane and Stearns could be ended quickly, of course, if their current teams simply denied the Mets permission for a meeting.  While teams generally allow employees to interview for higher positions with other teams, Beane and Stearns are already atop their respective clubs’ decision-making pyramid.

As of Wednesday, New York hadn’t yet spoken to any candidates, team president Sandy Alderson told The Athletic’s Tim Britton (Twitter thread) and other reporters.  This could make Epstein the first name on the Mets’ list overall, and it would make sense that the team would check in with an unaffiliated potential candidate before tackling the thornier issue of permission from other clubs.

Alderson also noted the interesting detail that the Mets will make a decision on the fate of manager Luis Rojas and the current coaching staff soon after the season is over, even prior to the hiring of a new PoBO.  “I would hope those decisions are made with a new leadership potentially in mind, to make sure they have as much flexibility as possible,” Alderson said, which wouldn’t seem to bode well for Rojas’ chances of being retained.  The wait should be longer in deciding on the future of acting GM Zack Scott, whose next court date related to a DWI charge isn’t until October 7.  Alderson said the Mets will decide on Scott after there has been some resolution in his legal situation.

Mets Activate Robert Gsellman, Designate Brandon Drury

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The Mets have activated right-hander Robert Gsellman from the 60-day injured list.  In corresponding moves, utilityman Brandon Drury has been designated for assignment, while right-hander Tylor Megill has been optioned to Triple-A.

Gsellman will get a couple more chances to get on the mound during what been an another injury-plagued year for the swingman.  A right lat strain sent Gsellman to the IL back on June 21, thus limiting him to only 26 2/3 innings in 2021.  Since injuries also greatly limited Gsellman in 2020, he has pitched a total of 40 2/3 innings over the last two seasons.

All this missed time has had an adverse effect on Gsellman’s earnings, considering that 2020 and 2021 were both arbitration-eligible years.  Gsellman will be arb-eligible for a third and final time this winter, but won’t get much beyond his $1.3MM 2021 salary.  On the plus side, this low price tag could make the Mets inclined to bring him back rather than non-tendering him.

Drury signed a minor league deal with New York last winter and ended up earning $1.55MM in guaranteed salary once the Mets selected his contract.  In 88 plate appearances at the big league level, Drury provide above-average (112 OPS+, 114 wRC+) offense, hitting .274/.307/.476 with four homers.  Much of that production, however, was packed into a seven-game hit streak in late July.  It seems likely that the seven-year MLB veteran will have to settle for another minors contract this offseason in order to catch on with another team.

NL Notes: Padres, Cubs, Mets

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Fernando Tatis Jr. made no two ways about it when discussing his future as a shortstop. “(A.J. Preller) signed a shortstop, and he’s gonna have a shortstop,” he said, per Dennis Lin of The Athletic (via Twitter). “That’s the plan so far, and I’m not planning on moving for a very long time from there.” Tatis moved to the outfield this season after being slowed by a repeated shoulder injury. The Padres are flush with infielders under team control for next season, including Jake Cronenworth and Ha-Seong Kim, both of whom are capable of manning short. Regardless, Tatis Jr. sounds dedicated to reclaiming his natural position.

Elsewhere in the National League…

  • Willson Contreras gave an honest assessment of what he thinks the Cubs need heading into next season, while acknowledging that he thought he was going to be traded in this piece from The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma. Despite being the “last man standing” in many respects, Contreras continue to say all the right things about wanting to stay and be a leader on the next generation of Cubs’ contender. They have some money to spend this offseason, but for the first time in awhile, many teams seem to, and there are only so many “foundational” pieces available in that market.
  • The Mets biggest decision this winter will be finding the right man to lead their front office. After a number of missteps, the Mets will look to some high profile names to come in and right the ship. Of the most noteworthy, Oakland’s Billy Beane may be the most realistic target, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter). In the Mets favor is the fact that the Athletics are often looking to save money, and at this point in his storied career, Beane comes at a significant cost. Still, Beane has been the driving force behind a successful couple of decades of A’s baseball, and it’s hard to imagine him walking.

Rich Hill “Definitely” Plans To Play In 2022

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Rich Hill will turn 42 years old next March, but the veteran southpaw told reporters last night that he “definitely” plans to pitch next season (Twitter link via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). “The drive is still there and the ability is still there,” said Hill, who did not rule out a return to the Mets.

It’s hard to argue with the left-hander’s assessment. He’s not only wrapping up a 17th Major League season but is putting the finishing touches on a season that will see him shoulder his largest workload since way back in 2007. Hill has pitched in 32 games (31 starts) this season and racked up 158 2/3 innings of 3.86 ERA ball. He’s fanned 22.3 percent of his opponents against an 8.3 percent walk rate.

Hill isn’t inducing whiffs as often as he did with the Dodgers a few years ago, but he’s still inducing weak contact at rates well north of the league average. His 88.3 mph average exit velocity and 34.8 percent hard-hit rate are both strong marks, and those numbers actually improved following a midseason trade from the Rays to the Mets (87.2 mph exit velo, 32.3 percent hard-hit rate).

Pitching into his age-42 season would add another chapter to Hill’s remarkable comeback journey. The left-hander pitched just 75 2/3 innings in the Majors from 2010-14 and had become something of a journeyman reliever before parlaying a strong stint in indie ball into a dominant four-start run with the Red Sox late in 2015. Those four starts and 29 innings prompted the Athletics to sign Hill to a one-year, $6MM contract, and he continued his sudden dominance with the A’s before being traded to the Dodgers in a deal that netted Oakland right-hander Frankie Montas.

Hill spent the 2017-19 seasons in Los Angeles after signing a three-year, $48MM contract to return — a number that would’ve appeared unfathomable just a couple years prior. Even when he required elbow surgery in the 2019-20 offseason, he still drew plenty of interest and inked an incentive-laden, one-year deal with the Twins. He split the 2021 season between Tampa Bay and Queens, and he’ll now look to come back for an 18th big league campaign.

Since undergoing elbow surgery, Hill has seen his fastball velocity dip but has nevertheless remained effective. He’s pitched 197 1/3 innings dating back to Opening Day 2020 and logged a 3.69 ERA with a 22.2 percent strikeout rate, an 8.8 percent walk rate, a 36.2 percent ground-ball rate and 1.09 home runs per nine innings pitched. A team won’t sign Hill to be the ace of its staff, but he should have little difficulty finding another one-year deal to pitch in the middle of a rotation.

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