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Mets Begin In-Person Managerial Interviews

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The Mets have launched their first round of managerial interviews. Carlos Beltran appears to have been the first candidate to sit down with the front office, with Andy Martino of SNY.tv reporting (Twitter links) that the sides met yesterday.

It’s a mite surprising to see Beltran jump to the front of the interview list, though it stands to reason that the Mets had to fit him in wherever they could with Beltran actively engaged with the Yankees’ postseason efforts. The future Hall-of-Famer doesn’t have any prior coaching or managerial experience but certainly knows his way around a big-league dugout. Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweeted earlier today that Beltran is seen as a “very serious” candidate for the job.

Other candidates will obviously follow Beltran into the offices in Queens. Derek Shelton, Joe Girardi, and Mike Bell are already known to be lined up for interviews. All three are said to be scheduled for next week.

It’s too soon to declare this a four-man race. Mets quality control coach Luis Rojas will get an interview, per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). The son of long-time former skipper Felipe Alou, Rojas joined the New York organization’s MLB staff last season under just-canned manager Mickey Callaway.

There could be yet more candidates to come. GM Brodie Van Wagenen is also chatting with other persons of interest via phone, Martino adds. The soon-to-be-sophomore exec is working through a “big list” of names. Martino tweets that John Gibbons, Dusty Baker, and Buck Showalter have all been “discussed internally” but “not contacted” to this point.

Mets, Minor League Field Coordinator Kevin Morgan Part Ways

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  • The Mets and minor league field coordinator Kevin Morgan are parting ways, Matt Ehalt of Yahoo Sports tweets. New York offered to reassign Morgan, but he made the decision to exit, according to Ehalt. It was a long run with the Mets for Morgan, a minor league infielder with the organization from 1994-97 who began working in front office and coaching roles for the club in ’98.

MLBTR Poll: Most Desirable Managerial Opening?

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The Phillies fired Gabe Kapler on Thursday, leaving them as one of eight major league teams searching for a manager at the moment. Fellow National League clubs in the Padres, Mets, Pirates, Giants and Cubs are in the same position, while the Royals and Angels are seeking new skippers in the AL. The question is: Which team has the most desirable job?

For starters, we can probably rule out the Pirates and Royals. Both teams have been hamstrung by low payrolls, with notoriously penny-pinching ownership holding back Pittsburgh and Kansas City (a team whose ownership is in transition) coming off its second 100-loss season in a row. Neither team looks as if it’ll contend in the immediate future, and the same may apply to the Giants, though they are a club with big-spending capabilities and promising president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi at the helm. On the other hand, the rest of the league’s manager-needy organizations look to have decent odds of pushing for relevance sooner than later.

The Phillies just wrapped up their eighth consecutive non-playoff season, but with 81 wins, they weren’t exactly a basement dweller. Kapler’s successor will be taking over a team with big-time talent on hand (Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto and Aaron Nola, to name a few) and the spending power to amply address its most obvious weaknesses this offseason.

Like the Phillies, the Padres have been suffering for too long. They’re fresh off their 13th straight year without a playoff berth, but they’re another team with front-line talent (Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Chris Paddack). Moreover, the Padres remain loaded on the farm, and owner Ron Fowler has made it clear it’s time to start winning in 2020.

The Mets also have no shortage of top-line players, including ace Jacob deGrom and NL Rookie of the Year favorite Pete Alonso. However, their managerial position is probably the most pressure-packed of all the openings. Previous skipper Mickey Callaway oversaw an 86-win team in 2019, but he dealt with scrutiny from the media, fans and general manager Brodie Van Wagenen from start to finish.

There’s also high expectations in Chicago, where even an exemplary record over five years wasn’t enough to keep Joe Maddon employed. The Cubs and president of baseball ops Theo Epstein gave Maddon the boot even though he helped them break a 108-year World Series drought in 2016 and led them to an overall 471-339 regular-season record with four playoff berths during his reign. But the Cubs, another financially well-off club with enviable high-end talent (Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Hendricks, for example), saw enough of Maddon after a late-season collapse and a non-playoff showing in 2019. Maddon’s replacement will be inheriting an 84-win team that will have playoff expectations for next year.

The Angels, who seem like the favorites to land Maddon next, are another franchise with a sense of urgency to win in 2020. Despite the presence of the game’s best player, center fielder Mike Trout, they haven’t gone to the playoffs since 2014. The Halos haven’t even won a playoff game since October 2009, just a few months after drafting Trout.  With fourth-year general manager Billy Eppler set to enter the last season of his contract in 2020, it’s imperative for him to get this hire right (his previous selection of Brad Ausmus didn’t work out). Otherwise, he and the Angels’ next manager could be out a year from now.

That’s a basic overview of where the sport’s manager-less teams stand heading into the offseason. There are more factors you could consider, of course. Which job looks the most appealing to you?

(Poll link for app users)

Mets Will Interview Twins Bench Coach Derek Shelton

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Oct. 10: Shelton’s interview will be an in-person sitdown next week, Sherman tweets.

Oct. 9: Twins bench coach Derek Shelton has emerged as a name to watch in the Mets’ search for a manager. The club has received permission to speak with Shelton, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, though he notes it’s unclear whether the two sides will meet for a face-to-face interview. New York is reportedly doing some due diligence on candidates and won’t bring everyone to town for an in-person interview.

Shelton’s the fourth potential candidate to come to the fore today for the Mets, who will discuss the job with former major league manager Joe Girardi, ex-outfielder Carlos Beltran and current Diamondbacks vice president of player development Mike Bell as they seek a replacement for Mickey Callaway. Like Beltran and Bell, Shelton has no managerial experience at the big league level. However, the former minor league catcher did manage in the Yankees’ farm system several years back, and he has established himself as a well-regarded MLB assistant in more recent seasons.

The 49-year-old Shelton held important roles with the Indians, Rays and Blue Jays before joining the Twins prior to 2018. He worked under Paul Molitor that year before serving as rookie manager Rocco Baldelli’s right-hand man during an AL Central-winning campaign this season. Shelton interviewed for the job before the Twins selected Baldelli, and it seems he’s lining up as a popular candidate for teams that are currently searching for a manager. Shelton has also been connected to the Pirates, with “possibly others” in the mix for his services, per Sherman.

Mets Managerial Notes: Rojas, Alfonzo

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  • The manager-needy Mets may have a couple in-house candidates for the job in quality control/outfield coach Miguel Rojas and Single-A manager Edgardo Alfonzo, per Mike Puma of the New York Post. The 38-year-old Rojas, who’s the son of longtime MLB outfielder/first baseman/manager Felipe Alou and the brother of former outfielder Moises Alou, has been a member of the Mets organization for 14 seasons (including eight as a minor league skipper). Now 45, Alfonzo’s best known for a highly productive run as a second/third baseman for the Mets from 1995-2002. Having coached in the organization since 2014, Alfonzo’s hoping New York considers him to replace the fired Mickey Callaway, Puma reports.

Mets, Carlos Beltran Reportedly Have Mutual Interest In Exploring Managerial Fit

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The Mets recently embarked upon a fascinating search for a new manager, with a wide variety of possibilities for GM Brodie Van Wagenen to comb through. Van Wagenen himself was quite the unexpected hire, so perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that the organization is looking into some unexpected names.

Former star Carlos Beltran may not always have had the smoothest relationship with the Mets during his playing days, but Andy Martino of SNY.tv reports that he and the organization are showing some mutual interest. There’s still no indication that the match is particularly likely to come to fruition, but it now seems there’s a path at least to serious talks.

To this point, the Mets have not requested permission to speak with Beltran, who is still actively engaged with the Yankees’ postseason efforts. But the club is performing “background work” on the 42-year-old, who wrapped up his playing career in 2017. Beltran played in New York in half of his twenty exceptional MLB campaigns, including parts of seven seasons with the Mets and parts of three with the Yankees.

Manager Notes: Angels, Maddon, Beltran

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Former Cubs manager Joe Maddon is set to interview for the Angels’ job in the coming days, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Maddon has long been rumored as a leading candidate to succeed Brad Ausmus, and Rosenthal now reports that the feeling is mutual, naming the Halos as Maddon’s top choice. Of course, that two-way interest is at least partially motivated by the extensive history between organization and manager: Maddon spent time as an interim manager with the Angels in 1996 and 1999, and while he didn’t keep that position long-term, Maddon would spend more than thirty years with the Halos organization before departing for Tampa Bay. Maddon should have plenty of interest from other clubs with managerial vacancies, so if the Angels are indeed his ideal destination, he could have his pick of the available jobs. Surely, the Angels would be remiss if they didn’t interview other candidates, so it’s by no means a foregone conclusion, but Maddon to Los Angeles feels like a match made in heaven. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale cites the Padres as another club that has caught Maddon’s attention, and expects the two sides to arrange a meeting in the near future.

  • Former All-Star Carlos Beltran has not been shy about his desire to manage for a big-league club, but he’s waiting on the right situation to present itself, writes Nathalie Alonso of MLB.com. Beltran, who was a candidate to manage the Yankees before Aaron Boone came out ahead, joined the Bombers’ front office as a special adviser prior to the 2018 season. Beltran was recently reported to have declined an interview for the open Padres’ manager position, though there hasn’t been any explanation given. The Mets, who recently fired Mickey Callaway, have also been rumored as a potential fit for Beltran. While there’s been chatter that an allegedly frosty relationship between the ex-Met and team COO Jeff Wilpon would impede such a hire, Beltran said that he would “have to listen” if the Mets came calling. While that doesn’t indicate that he’s clamoring for the job, Beltran seems reluctant to rule out a potential reunion with his former team. As Beltran says, his focus is of course on the contending Yankees for the time being, which means that more clarity might not come to his situation until the end of October. That said, he’s certainly a name to watch as teams seek out their next skipper.

Joe Girardi Doing His Due Diligence On Mets

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Joe Girardi does his homework. Whether he’s the right man to lead the New York Mets in the wake of Mickey Callaway’s firing will ultimately be decided by GM Brodie Van Wagenen and COO Jeff Wilpon, but one thing is for certain, Girardi will do his due diligence before officially throwing his hat in the ring.

Girardi began doing his research on the Mets a couple of weeks before Callaway was let go, per Mike Puma of the New York Post. His ability to co-exist with the front office was one of the driving factors of his dismissal as the manager of the New York Yankees, despite having managed them to a title in 2009. If he does return to the bench, whether that be in New York, Chicago, or elsewhere, the foundations of a solid working relationship with upper management will be an important box to check.

The Mets are investigating all of the big names out there on the open market, with Dusty Baker, Joe Maddon, and Buck Showalter surfacing alongside Girardi. Former players like David Cone and Carlos Beltran have also been linked with the position, though we’ve yet to reach the stage of real legitimacy in this search process. Remember, there are no bad ideas in brainstorming.

There are bad hiring decisions, however, and as he enters his second season on the job, this could be Van Wagenen’s one chance to find the right field manager. The Mets have a tall task ahead of them considering the relatively crowded field of contenders in the NL East. The Braves aren’t going anywhere, the Nationals have some free agency questions to answer, but they could very well return as good or better than they were in 2019, and Bryce Harper and the Phillies will enter 2020 with an increased level of urgency after fading in the second half.

Even the Marlins are building towards a future of some significance, though they remain a year or two away. Seeing Girardi helm the Mets for 19 games a season against Derek Jeter’s Marlins would certainly provide interesting opportunities for repartee between former colleagues. Furthering the fun, Miami manager Don Mattingly was under consideration for manager of the Yankees when the role ultimately went to Girardi.

It’s worth wondering whether Girardi’s straight-shooter style is too similar to the recently-departed Callaway, though Girardi’s open communication is perhaps a touch more sophisticated than Callaway, who famously lost his temper with a reporter while the team was in a skid. It’s clear Girardi wants to return to the dugout, and if there’s a spot for him, the Mets or Cubs seem like the most obvious landing spots due to his obvious connections to New York and Chicago, respectively.

Buck Showalter Interested In Managing Mets

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The Mets, currently on the heels of their third straight non-playoff season, are on the hunt for a new manager. In what could be fortunate news for the club, one of the most respected skippers of the past couple decades, Buck Showalter, has interest in the job.

In regards to the position, Showalter told Steve Somers of WFAN: “Yeah, I’d like to be talked about it, but I’m not going to campaign about it, and I’m real uncomfortable even talking about it with you now because there’s a lot of good people out there and they’re going to make a good decision. They’ll have reasons why and why not, and, you know, I respect that.”

The 63-year-old Showalter would give the Mets a proven manager, which is something they didn’t have in the just-fired Mickey Callaway, who came with no experience in the role when they hired him. Showalter has guided the Yankees, Diamondbacks, Rangers and Orioles for a combined 20 years, amassing a 1,551-1,517 regular-season record with five playoff berths and three Manager of the Year awards. He sat out this season after the Orioles, who were in the incipient stages of a full rebuild, ousted him in the wake of a 47-win showing in 2018.

The O’s were blowing it up when they got rid of Showalter, whereas the Mets are trying to ascend as quickly as possible. The team rebounded from a horrendous start this year to finish with 86 wins in 2019, though that wasn’t enough to save Callaway. Now, after turning to the neophyte Callaway in its previous managerial search two years ago, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Mets opt for an experienced hand to steer the ship this time. As of now, though, there’s no word on whether general manager Brodie Van Wagenen & Co. are interested in speaking with Showalter.

David Cone Interested In Managing Mets

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  • Retired right-hander and current YES Network announcer David Cone told Joel Sherman of the New York Post he’s interested in becoming a major league manager or pitching coach, though he’s not “actively campaigning” for a job. Specifically, Cone would like to take over for the fired Mickey Callaway as the manager of the Mets, with whom Cone starred from 1987-1992 and finished his playing career in 2003. “If someone asks you for an interview with the Yankees or Mets, it is simple, you say, ‘yes,’” said Cone, who did have a phone conversation with general manager Brian Cashman in regards to the Yankees’ then-vacant managerial position in 2017. That was not a formal interview, though, and the role ultimately went to Aaron Boone. Cone has since remained in the YES booth, where he regularly incorporates analytics into his work. The 56-year-old’s modern approach to the game could potentially put him on teams’ radars, though his lack of coaching and front office experience may give clubs pause. As of now, there’s no indication any team is considering Cone for one of his desired roles.
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