The New York Mets have been on the hunt for a new manager ever since they parted ways with Carlos Beltran last week. MLB mentioned him in the sign-stealing report that resulted from the investigation of the 2017 Houston Astros. Between the skipper and the Queens squad, they decided it was best to move on in different directions even though Beltran wasn’t suspended or disciplined.
After that happened, a myriad of candidates have been mentioned as possibilities to take over. Dusty Baker, Buck Showalter, Eduardo Perez, Terry Collins, Joe McEwing, Hensley Meulens, Luis Rojas, Tony DeFrancesco, and other names have been reportedly discussed.
Yet, according to Andy Martino of SNY, the Mets’ managerial search is down to the last three names: Meulens, Rojas, and DeFrancesco.
Any of the three would be a first-time manager if appointed, so the team is clearly not priorizing experience. If that were the case, Collins or Baker would be finalists, for example.
Three compelling cases to lead the Mets
The three present compelling cases. DeFrancesco managed the Syracuse Mets last season and is slated to be the first base coach in 2020.
Rojas (the team’s quality control coach) and the New York Mets have been together since 2007. He managed teams in five different levels, and players respect him. He comes from a baseball-crazy family and is a young, fresh face that would lead a talented roster.
Meulens, hired this season to be the bench coach, is another baseball man. He already managed at a high level (the Netherlands team in the World Baseball Classic) and was the hitting coach of three Giants championship teams. “Bam Bam†can speak five languages and player communication is a strength.
The media reported that a decision would come very soon, possibly even this week. The Mets, who were already planning Spring Training when the report came out, don’t want to miss more time. Naming a manager soon would give him sufficient time to prepare for a crucial season in which the team is expected to contend.