5 reasons why no one wants to work for the New York Mets

Front office jobs do not grow on trees. That is especially the case when it comes to a franchise that not only wants to win, but has an owner that is willing to spend whatever it takes to bring a championship home. Such is the case with the New York Mets and owner Steve Cohen.

But no one wants to work there. The Mets keep attempting to interview candidates, but they keep getting turned down. Right now, the front office is Sandy Alderson, some cardboard boxes, and maybe a tumbleweed or two.

Reasons why no one wants to join the New York Mets

Why is that? The Mets seemingly have everything a general manager wants – an invested owner with deep pockets who wants to spend. They would be able to build the front office to their values, bringing in their own people. But even that is not enough to land the Mets first 40 choices.

Let’s look at some reasons why no one wants to work for the New York Mets.

Sandy Alderson’s presence

Nominally, Sandy Alderson is the team president of the New York Mets. He is also the acting general manager as the Mets do not have another option.

Nominally, this would not be an issue. However, at this point, the Mets are not planning on hiring a president of baseball operations, just a general manager. With Alderson being so close to the role, and with his experience as a GM in the past, there may be some concern about his being so close to Steve Cohen, especially if he does not agree with a move being made.

Chances are, those concerns are much ado about nothing. Alderson has been a respected figure in the game for close to four decades. It is doubtful that he would ruin his reputation out of petty jealousy or because he disagrees with the direction a new general manager is taking the ballclub.

Alderson could also be a strong mentor for a neophyte general manager. He has been in a variety of front office roles over the years and would make a great sounding board. A first time GM could not ask for a better person to learn from.

But for some reason, that may not be considered to be the case. Sandy Alderson’s presence could be part of why the New York Mets cannot get any interest in their front office vacancies.

An issue with culture

There is no question that the New York Mets need to change their culture. It is something that Steve Cohen had talked about when he took over as the principle owner of the franchise.

But culture issues also follow Cohen. He had been sued by his ex-wife for insider trading and racketeering, charges that were dismissed. However, those insider trading charges were taken up by the SEC against his company, with a settlement in a civil case prohibiting Cohen from managing outside money until 2018.

Those were not the only issues to plague Cohen during his time managing his hedge fund business. He was alleged to have created a sexist culture, using vulgar and abusive language towards female employees. That trickled down through the company, as other male employees would ridicule female employees while commenting on their bodies.

That has to be a giant red flag for any prospective member of the front office. As they would be expected to help change the culture of the organization, one has to wonder how much Cohen himself would keep that change from happening.

The New York Mets already have culture issues. Steve Cohen’s past could also be driving away these candidates as his own previous culture issues come to the forefront.

A death sentence of a job

Let’s face facts – the New York Mets are a dysfunctional organization at best.

Their first attempt at hiring a general manager, Jared Ported, lasted for approximately a month. He was fired when it was revealed that he had sent lewd texts to a female reporter in 2016. The league later placed Porter on the ineligible list through at least the end of the 2022 season, at which point he can apply to be reinstated.

That led to Zack Scott being named as the interim general manager. He lasted until August, when he was arrested for DUI. The Mets placed him on administrative leave, with Sandy Alderson temporarily taking over as the third GM of the calendar year. Scott was later dismissed, leaving the team in need of more help in the front office.

Clearly, the Steve Cohen Regime does not have a great track record in hiring a GM. Given that track record, one can understand why anyone they would have an interest in is running far away. As it currently stands, being named the Mets’ GM is a death sentence to one’s baseball career.

The New York Mets have had an astonishing lack of success in finding a general manager in the past year. It is understandable why any potential candidate is not interested.

New York is a Yankees town

Winning a championship with the New York Mets would be impressive. But would anyone actually notice?

Since their inception, the Mets have been second fiddle to the Yankees. Sure, there have been moments when they have stolen the back page, but those have been few and far between. Even when that happens, the Yankees find their way to the forefront of the city’s baseball consciousness in short order.

It makes sense. The Yankees have a far longer track record of success and a history of greatness. The Mets, meanwhile, have a history of disappointment and top prospects that have not panned out.

That is not going to change any time soon. While the Mets are looking to become a major market team, the Yankees already are. The Yankees also plan on spending this offseason, grabbing headlines and attention away from the Mets. Even if the Mets make those major signings they need, would anyone really pay much attention?

Yes, there would be prestige in winning a championship with the New York Mets. But would anyone in New York even remember that title in a week’s time?