New York Mets: Who will be the next manager?
New York Mets Managerial Candidates
Luis Rojas
The New York Mets might not have to search too far to find their next manager.
Luis Rojas is a name that has received high levels of praise from within the Mets organization. He has been a coach in the Mets organization since 2007 when he took the job as manager of the Dominican Summer League Mets. Since then, he has steadily worked his way up through the minors. He climbed all the way up to manage the Mets’ double-A affiliate Binghamton Rumble Ponies in 2017 and 2018.
Rojas was described by GM Brodie Van Wagenen “as one of the brightest stars of our player development system,” according to Mike Puma of the New York Post. During his time in the Mets system, he has coached a wealth of homegrown players who have made huge impacts on the major league level, such as Pete Alonso, Michael Conforto, and Brandon Nimmo, to name a few.
In 2019, his work was rewarded with a major league job. He was added to the Mets coaching staff as the “quality control” coach, a position created for him to serve as the middle man between the front office and on-field coaching staff. This allowed himself to immerse himself in the clubhouse with a hands-on role, while also establishing himself behind-the-scenes.
Rojas comes from a well-known baseball family as well. He is the son of former player and manager Felipe Alou, and the younger brother of six-time all-star and former Met Moises Alou. While Luis’ major league career did not pan out the way his father and brothers did, his future on coaching side is very bright.
The praise for Rojas continues to pour in. Players and front office officials alike love this guy, and it seems like they plan on keeping him around for a long time. However, he is only 38 years old, and despite his experience, it is likely that the Mets would favor a candidate with more experience. However, it is not unrealistic to think Rojas will earn a managerial job at some point in his promising career.
New York Mets Managerial Candidate
Mike Bell
Mike Bell is another young, rising star that has landed on the New York Mets radar in their search for a new manager.
In fact, Bell has a remarkably similar resume to Luis Rojas. He comes from a long, rich baseball bloodline. He is the grandson of former Met, Gus Bell, the son of former all-star and manager Buddy Bell, and brother of current Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell.
Much like Rojas, Mike’s career as a player did not pan out as well as the rest of his family. He spent most of his career as a player in the minor leagues, despite reaching the majors with the Reds in 2000. His time in the majors was short-lived, as he spent the remaining years of his career back in the minors.
However, he has become very well respected from within the Diamondbacks organization. He worked his way up from managing the Class-A Yakima Bears to the current Vice President of Player Development for the major league squad. He has been gaining recognition for his work, as he interviewed for both the Orioles and the Rangers’ managerial vacancies last offseason.
He remains a hot commodity, as Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported that he is also a strong candidate for the Pirates’ managerial opening. The Mets interviewed him on Monday.
If Mike Bell were to secure an MLB manager job, he and his brother David would become the first pair of brothers to manage in the MLB at the same time.
If the Mets decide they want to give the keys to their clubhouse to a young, first time manager with strong player development skills, Rojas and Bell appear to be their best candidates. Rojas certainly has a leg up since he has worked directly with the front office, but Mike Bell is an outside-the-box candidate that would present a high-risk, high-reward scenario for the Mets organization.
Mets Managerial Candidates
Carlos Beltran
Now we move to the more intriguing managerial candidates for the New York Mets. And no one is more intriguing than Carlos Beltran.
Since retiring in 2017 after winning the World Series with the Houston Astros, Beltran has remained heavily involved in baseball. He was interviewed for the Yankees managerial vacancy in the following offseason and was eventually hired as a special advisor to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. There, he has learned the ins and outs of running a major league team from one of the best.
Now, he appears to be ready to move on and take on the challenge of becoming the Mets manager. He is widely regarded as a baseball savant who is well-liked around the league. He already interviewed with the Mets, and it appears he is all-in on the opportunity. He said on Sunday that he turned down interviews from both the Cubs and the Padres, and will only manage the Mets.
While Beltran has no experience managing, he spent 20 years in the league as one of the best. He had a career .279 batting average with 2,725 hits, 435 home runs, and 312 stolen bases. He earned nine all-star game nods to go along with the 1999 AL Rookie of the Year, and three Gold Gloves.
Most importantly, Beltran was a superstar during his seven seasons as a New York Met. He was an all-star in all but two of those seasons and was extremely well-liked within the clubhouse.
At this point, Beltran is considered a strong candidate to take over as the Mets’ new skipper. While he had a somewhat rough ending with the club, players, executives, and fans alike would welcome Beltran back with open arms if they decide to hire him in the next coming weeks.
New York Mets Managerial Candidates
Joe Girardi
Joe Girardi is the most obvious candidate to replace Mickey Callaway as the New York Mets manager. Speculation surrounding the former Yankees manager making the move to Queens has been active long before Callaway was fired.
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Girardi’s managerial track record blows every legitimate candidate for the Mets job out of the water. In his first season as a manager, he won NL Manager of the Year with the Florida Marlins in 2006. Then, he won the 2009 World Series in his second year as the Yankees skipper. Overall, he has a 988-794 record in his managerial career.
He is known for his strict, business-like approach to managing a clubhouse. This could be a great fit for the Mets, who are in need of serious restructuring from within.
After taking the last few years off from managing following his 2017 dismissal from the Bronx, Girardi has made it clear that he is ready to return to the dugout in 2020. With so many opportunities piling up, Girardi has become perhaps the hottest candidate on the market. He has interviewed for the Cubs vacancy and is reportedly scheduled to interview with the rival Phillies as well.
However, he has expressed a strong interest in returning to New York to manage the Mets despite taking other interviews. In fact, this could be a bargaining strategy by Girardi to get more money from the Mets. He did the same thing in 2007 when he took an interview with the Dodgers despite calling the Yankees’ position his “dream job.”
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The Mets are serious about Girardi, and he remains the most clear-cut candidate to become their next manager. However, other clubs are calling, and the Mets cannot sit on their heels if they want him. If they do, they might end up playing him 19 times a year in Philadelphia.