Luis Rojas

NL East Notes: Acuna, Marlins, Betances, Strasburg

By Mark Polishuk | June 13, 2021 at 6:19pm CDT

Ronald Acuna Jr. left today’s game in the bottom of the fifth due to right pectoral tightness, but Braves manager Brian Snitker doesn’t believe the injury is too serious. Snitker told reporters (including The Athletic’s David O’Brien) that the current belief is that Acuna won’t miss any games at all, as the star outfielder will get a chance to rest and recuperate during Atlanta’s off-day on Monday.

Acuna exited games twice earlier in the season with what turned out to be minor injuries — a bruised pinkie after a hit-by-pitch, and a mild abdominal strain suffered while on the basepaths. A few missed games haven’t slowed down what is shaping up as an MVP-caliber season from the Atlanta superstar, as Acuna is hitting .282/.390/.597 with 18 home runs through 259 plate appearances.

Alderson On Mets’ Front Office, Rojas, Cano, Conforto

By Connor Byrne | November 23, 2020 at 4:21pm CDT

Newly named Mets president Sandy Alderson shed some light Monday on how the club will configure its front office and its coaching staff in 2021, as Anthony DiComo of MLB.com and Tim Britton of The Athletic were among those to report. The Mets will not hire a president of baseball operations, according to Alderson, who also revealed that Luis Rojas will stay on as their manager.

There have been questions about who will run the Mets’ baseball ops since they parted ways with general manager Brodie Van Wagenen. They will name a GM to replace him, and they have already interviewed roughly a half-dozen candidates, according to Alderson (via Britton). It’s unclear which individuals are in the running to fill that role, but former Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and current Mets senior vice president John Ricco are not among them. It’s also unknown how long the Mets plan on taking to hire a successor to Van Wagenen.

As for Rojas, he became the Mets’ manager under their prior regime, but he’s a longtime employee of the club who is familiar with Alderson from the latter’s previous run in the team’s front office. The 39-year-old managed the Mets to an underwhelming 26-34 record in 2020, but he’ll get an opportunity to right the ship next season.

Second baseman Robinson Cano was one of Rojas’ most productive players in 2020, but he won’t play next year after receiving a 162-game suspension without pay last week for performance-enhancing drugs. The Mets are not considering releasing Cano, who’s due $48MM from 2022-23, “at this point,” per Alderson (via DiComo). However, Alderson admitted that could change “down the road.”

Like Cano, outfielder Michael Conforto is facing an uncertain future with the Mets. Conforto, 27, only has one season of arbitration control left, though Alderson stated (per DiComo) that the club will approach his camp about a contract extension sometime in the coming months.

“Yes, at some point, I’m sure we will broach that topic and take their temperature, and see where those things stand,” Alderson said.

Conforto is coming off a career year in which he slashed .322/.412/.515 (157 wRC+) with nine home runs across 233 plate appearances. Barring an extension, Conforto should make anywhere from $9MM to $13.6MM in arbitration.

Alderson: Luis Rojas “Very Likely” To Manage Mets In 2021

By Mark Polishuk | November 10, 2020 at 12:22pm CDT

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.

Steve Cohen Could Bring Sandy Alderson Back To Mets

By Steve Adams | September 21, 2020 at 12:58pm CDT

Twenty-three votes from MLB owners are all that stand between billionaire Steve Cohen and a 95 percent stake in the Mets franchise. So long as he’s approved by the league’s other owners, he’ll step in and assume control of the club from the Wilpon family for a reported sale price of $2.475 billion. But while the Wilpons may be on their way out the door, another familiar name could return to the fold. SNY’s Andy Martino reports that Cohen is likely to bring former GM Sandy Alderson back to the organization — though not as general manager. Joel Sherman of the New York Post adds that Cohen is mulling an advisory position for the 72-year-old Alderson.

Alderson was the Mets’ general manager from 2010-18 and only stepped away from the position when a cancer recurrence prompted him to take a medical leave in July 2018. Alderson would not return to the role, candidly acknowledging even while stepping away that, “on the merits, I’m not sure coming back is warranted.” The Mets went through an exhaustive search and ultimately went way outside the box when they hired high-profile agent Brodie Van Wagenen, who represented Jacob deGrom (among other Mets players), as their new GM. Months later, Alderson was hired by the Athletics as a senior advisor. Alderson was Oakland’s general manager from 1983-97.

Sherman adds that Cohen could make a push to bring former vice president of player development Paul DePodesta back to the organization. DePodesta departed in 2016, two years before Alderson, when he made the bold move to jump not only to another club but to another sport entirely. He’s spent the past four years serving as the chief strategy officer for the NFL’s Cleveland Browns. As with Alderson, a potential role for DePodesta is unclear, but Cohen is plenty familiar with both veteran executives, having long served as a minority stakeholder.

Questions abound with any ownership change, and that is particularly true in this instance. Beyond the potential returns of some high-profile names, the most immediate question is: what would this mean for Van Wagenen? He was hired due in part to a strong existing relationship with Fred Wilpon, and it’s common for new owners to install their own appointees in the baseball operations department. The Mets, meanwhile, missed the postseason in Van Wagenen’s first year on the job and are all but certain to miss in 2020 as well.

Van Wagenen can’t be saddled with the blame for Noah Syndergaard’s Tommy John surgery or Marcus Stroman’s decision to opt out of the season. He can, however, be held accountable for the regrettable trade that sent Jarred Kelenic and Justin Dunn to the Mariners in exchange for Edwin Diaz and half of Robinson Cano’s remaining contract. The Jed Lowrie signing has been a circus. Wilson Ramos and Jeurys Familia haven’t been as impactful as hoped.

As with virtually any GM, there are highlights, too. The Kelenic/Cano/Diaz swap often overshadows the team’s trade for J.D. Davis, but Davis was acquired for a relative pittance and has emerged as a quality bat. DeGrom would be in position to make far more than $130MM in free agency this winter had the two sides not worked out an extension during Van Wagenen’s first spring on the job. We don’t know the exact financial limitations placed on Van Wagenen & Co., but we know that despite playing in New York, the Wilpons have spent more like the Cardinals than the Yankees or Dodgers.

Van Wagenen is under control for another two years beyond the current season, but there’s no guarantee he’d get the opportunity to see that play out under Cohen. The fate of manager Luis Rojas is similarly uncertain. It’s tough to evaluate Rojas based on this of all seasons — particularly when he spent much of the offseason expecting to open the year as the quality control coach under manager-that-never-was Carlos Beltran. As with Van Wagenen, there are low points and high points in Rojas’ brief time on the job, and it’s possible that Cohen would prefer more input on who is running the day-to-day in the clubhouse.

Sherman raises the possibility of former MLB agent Arn Tellem, now the vice chairman of the NBA’s Detroit Pistons, also having a role with the Mets, but Martino tweets such a move is unlikely. If nothing else, the fact that it’s been considered or speculated upon only further underscores the organizational turnover that’s likely to come to the Mets in the event that Cohen is approved by his potential ownership peers.

Mets Notes: Nimmo, Coaching Changes

By TC Zencka | February 8, 2020 at 11:05pm CDT

The Mets never entertained the idea of trading centerfielder Brandon Nimmo this winter, despite the rumors, and they’re excited about what he can do under new manager Luis Rojas, per Kevin Kernan of the New York Post (who notes that Nimmo played under Rojas thrice before on his way to the major leagues). An injury limited Nimmo’s effectiveness last season, sapping him of power and limiting him to just 43 games in the first half. Nimmo hit just .200/.344/.323 before the break while playing through injuries. The Mets look forward to a healthy season from Nimmo, especially after his return produced a .261/.430/.565 bounceback in September. Centerfield is a difficult position to fill league-wide, and Nimmo’s infectious personality and exceptional eye at the plate make him a valuable performer for the Mets and a key to their 2020 season. Let’s check in on some coaching changes within the Mets’ organization…

Former big league catcher Brian Schneider will join the Mets’ staff as a quality control coach, per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. Schneider joined the organization this winter as the new manager of the Triple-A Syracuse Mets, though he’ll never actually take over in that role. Schneider assumes the role vacated by new manager Luis Rojas, presumably completing Rojas’ staff.
The ripple effects of Carlos Beltran stepping down from his post as manager of the Mets continue throughout the organization as Chad Kreuter takes over Schneider’s post as the manager in Triple-A, per Tim Healey of Newsday. Kreuter, like Schneider, is a former big league catcher. He spent the past three seasons managing the Mets’ High-A affiliate in St. Lucie. His replacement has not yet been named. 2020 will be Kreuter’s fourth season with the Mets’ organization.

Mets Hire Luis Rojas As Manager

By Jeff Todd | January 23, 2020 at 3:43pm CDT

TODAY: The Mets have officially announced the hiring. Rojas will be introduced at a press conference on Friday.

JANUARY 22, 1:46pm: Rojas will receive a two year deal in addition to multiple club options, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.

11:53am: The Mets have moved swiftly in the wake of the departure of manager Carlos Beltran. Their 2020 club will be helmed by Luis Rojas, according to multiple reporters including Mike Puma of the New York Post (via Twitter) and Tim Britton of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Rojas and the Mets are said to be finalizing a multi-year contract. The 38-year-old had interviewed for the open managerial position before it went to Beltran, leaving Rojas to reprise his role as quality control coach. But when Beltran stepped out the door due to his role in the Astros cheating scandal, the Mets turned back to Rojas.

Indications are that Rojas will oversee the same coaching staff that had expected to serve under Beltran. Obviously there’ll be at least one new hire as well, to account for the promotion.

It’s a bit opportunity for Rojas, who’ll take over for former manager Mickey Callaway after just one year on an MLB staff. Rojas came up through the Mets farm system as a coach and manager but had only overseen big leaguers during his time managing Dominican Winter League outfits.

Beyond his own experience, Rojas comes from a royal lineage. He’s the son of legendary skipper Felipe Alou and half-brother of MLB stalwart Moises Alou. MLB.com’s Nathalie Alonso detailed Rojas’s rise and managerial future in an article last summer.

This is obviously not how anyone envisioned Rojas moving into the manager’s seat, but he’ll need to hit the ground running. Camp opens in just three weeks and Rojas inherits a roster that carries win-now expectations after two-straight disappointing campaigns. The stakes are lofty for all involved, including GM Brodie Van Wagenen and his front office, with an ownership change on the horizon.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Mets Reportedly Down To 3 Managerial Candidates

By Connor Byrne | January 21, 2020 at 11:24pm CDT

It continues to look likely that the Mets’ next manager will come from within the organization. They’re deciding among a trio of in-house candidates – quality control coach Luis Rojas, bench coach Hensley Meulens and first base coach Tony DeFrancesco – for the position, Andy Martino of SNY tweets.

Rojas and DeFrancesco were also candidates for the Mets during their previous search for a manager this offseason. That concluded with the hiring of first-timer Carlos Beltran in November, but his reign came to an abrupt end when he stepped down last week over his role in the Astros’ 2017 sign-stealing scandal.

Like Beltran, neither Rojas nor Meulens has managed in the majors. The 38-year-old Rojas is the son of longtime skipper Felipe Alou, though, and has managed for the Mets at the High-A and Double-A levels. He’s coming off his first season on the team’s major league staff.

Meulens and DeFrancesco are new to their current positions in New York, though the former has a boatload of recent MLB experience as an assistant. The 53-year-old Meulens spent the previous decade as a key member of San Francisco’s staff under Bruce Bochy, coaching first base for eight years and serving as a bench coach for two.

DeFrancesco, 56, has been a Triple-A manager with multiple franchises, including the Mets from 2018-19. He was also the interim manager for the Astros in 2012.

Latest On Mets’ Managerial Search

By Connor Byrne | January 20, 2020 at 10:21pm CDT

Longtime major league managers Buck Showalter, Dusty Baker and John Gibbons have been mentioned as speculative fits for the Mets since Carlos Beltran stepped down last week. However, as of now, none of them are candidates to take over in New York, Jon Heyman of MLB Network suggests. Something would have to “drastically” change for any of the three to emerge as a possibility for the Mets’ job, according to Heyman.

To this point, almost no known Beltran successors have come to the fore since he left the organization Thursday as a result of the Astros’ 2017 sign-stealing fiasco. The lone reported name is Mets quality control coach Luis Rojas, whom they almost hired before making the ill-fated decision to tab Beltran back in the fall.

Now, it seems Mets bigwigs aren’t fully sure how to proceed in the wake of Beltran’s sudden exit. There’s “some level of paralysis” from their front office on where to turn, according to the New York Post’s Mike Puma, who notes an eventual ownership change is part of the issue.

While minority owner Steve Cohen won’t grab the reins from Fred Wilpon and Jeff Wilpon as the Mets’ control person until 2025, his eventual takeover has slowed down the club as it seeks its next skipper. GM Brodie Van Wagenen & Co. fear they’ll “look bad to Cohen” if they hire a manager whom they didn’t consider in their previous search, Puma writes. So, with that in mind, it appears Rojas is the front-runner to land the position after coming up short in his bid for it just a couple months ago.

Managerial Rumors: Baker, Rojas, Collins, Red Sox

By Mark Polishuk | January 16, 2020 at 8:30pm CDT

The Astros’ sign-stealing scandal has sent shockwaves around the baseball world, including the sudden creation of three managerial vacancies in less than four days. With A.J. Hinch, Alex Cora, and now Carlos Beltran out of work, the Astros, Red Sox, and Mets are all looking for new managers less than a month before the start of Spring Training. Here’s the latest on the three openings…

Though Dusty Baker had expressed interest in the Astros job, the longtime skipper tells Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle that he has been yet to be contacted by the organization. Such names as Buck Showalter and John Gibbons have already been interviewed by the team, though Baker isn’t necessarily counting on a future call, saying “I’m thinking that if they really needed or wanted you, there’s a good chance somebody would have stepped up by now.” As for other Astros candidates, Rome lists bench coach Joe Espada as a potential hire, though notes that the team might prefer to bring in an outside manager without any links to the controversy engulfing the franchise.
The Mets are considering quality control coach Luis Rojas, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports (via Twitter). Rojas seems like a logical candidate, as he received two interviews when the team was doing its initial search for a new skipper last fall, though Rojas wasn’t among the reported finalists for the job. Installing a familiar face from the current staff might be preferable to bringing someone in from outside the organization at this late stage of the offseason, though Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen told reporters (including The Athletic’s Tim Britton) that internal and external candidates are under consideration, as the club so recently did background on a number of managerial candidates before Beltran was hired.
One known quantity that doesn’t appear to be on the Mets’ radar for now is former manager Terry Collins, as SNY’s Andy Martino (Twitter link) writes. Collins has worked as a special assistant in New York’s front office since leaving the dugout after the 2017 season.
Cora’s firing leaves the Red Sox with what as Alex Speier of the Boston Globe simply describes as “a devastating mess,” as a managerial vacancy adds yet another layer of complication to what has already been a challenging offseason for newly-hired Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom. If an outside hire is indeed explored, it will take time away from Bloom when he could be focusing on a trade market that could be opening up, as many of the top free agents have now been signed. Promoting from within carries its own set of difficulty, however, since the Red Sox organization that is facing its own league investigation over alleged use of electronic sign-stealing. It already seemed like the Red Sox were somewhat stuck in limbo waiting for the fallout of this investigation, as well as waiting for the trade market to blossom so that some larger salaries could be moved off the payroll (though both Bloom and principal owner John Henry have denied that avoiding the Competitive Balance Tax is a chief offseason priority).

Mets Holding Third Round Of Managerial Interviews

By Jeff Todd | October 28, 2019 at 9:06pm CDT

The Mets are moving ahead with a third round of managerial interviews, as Andy Martino of SNY.tv reported last night. Somewhat surprisingly, the list hasn’t really been pared down much to this point.

In for a third interview are long-known candidates Carlos Beltran, Tim Bogar, and Derek Shelton. (Joel Sherman of the New York Post noted Shelton’s continued inclusion on Twitter.) Also still in the mix is Eduardo Perez, who was said to be a “clear frontrunner” just days ago but remains in a large group of possibilities.

Luis Rojas once seemed to have a solid shot at the gig, but he now appears to be out of the mix. But Brewers bench coach Pat Murphy has taken his place after flying under the radar earlier in the process. Murphy is still in the hunt as well.

Now that Murphy has been unveiled, is there still a mystery candidate lurking? Martino has continually cited that possibility, though MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo tweets that it seems the field has been set.

New York owner Fred Wilpon will meet with the five candidates — and, presumably, any others if they should be inserted into the process. Precisely how the decision will be made remains to be seen, though surely it’ll mostly come down to a discussion between Wilpon, COO Jeff Wilpon, GM Brodie Van Wagenen, and a few top advisors.

The timeline is likewise not yet evident; DiComo suggests that it may take a bit longer due to the fact that Bogar still has one or two games left to coach in the World Series. It doesn’t appear as if any of the Mets’ candidates are in active demand from other organizations, so the New York club can continue to take its time reaching a final decision.

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