According to Andy Martino, the feeling is that the New York Mets want to choose a new manager soon. In fact, he talks about doing it within the next few days.
While the media has thrown around several names of external candidates – Dusty Baker, Joe McEwing and others come to mind – the team is just as likely to choose between several internal options.
Here, we talked about the possibility of Hensley Meulens. Terry Collins remains a good possibility to take over for a season. Tony DeFrancesco, who managed the Syracuse Mets last season, is another option. How about Luis Rojas, though? The team’s quality control coach is very well-regarded within the New York Mets organization.
Working with the Mets since 2007
Working with the team since 2007, he knows the organization from top to bottom. The players respect him.
And while the Houston Astros may be focusing on Buck Showalter, Dusty Baker and John Gibbons, the Mets may be leaning towards going the internal route. Per Martino, they seem to be mulling whether Rojas is ready to take the team. He is getting a “long look.â€
He has experience working with a big league team, he knows the Mets, and is young, at 38 years old. Rojas comes from a baseball family, being the brother of former Met Moises Alou and the son of Felipe Rojas Alou.
Rojas is no stranger to being a manager: he led five different minor league teams. The question is whether the Mets think he can handle it at the highest of levels. They are giving him a long look because they think he has what it takes, but want to make sure he can cope with media, pressure, and high expectations, not to mention that they would prefer a fast start.
He may not be the flashiest name out there, but Rojas is quietly gaining ground among the candidates to manage the New York Mets in 2020.