Now that the New York Mets have fired Carlos Beltran after he was mentioned in MLB’s sign-stealing report concerning the Houston Astros in 2017, the search for a new manager begins. Spring Training is only a few weeks away and the team has no skipper.
In fact, Beltran was already preparing for Spring Training. Now that is no longer the case, and the Mets are left in shambles.
Who are the candidates to take over the Mets?
The Mets appointed Beltran back in the winter. Before doing so, they interviewed other candidates. Some of them were Joe Girardi (now the Phillies’ manager), Eduardo Pérez, Tim Bogar, Derek Shelton and Luis Rojas.
Rojas is the Mets’ quality control coach and is, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, under consideration for the club’s managerial vacancy. The organization hasn’t yet confirmed or denied Rojas’ candidacy.
There will be competition
An important factor to take into account is that two big contenders are also looking for a skipper. Yes, the Houston Astros and the Boston Red Sox, the two teams implicated in sign-stealing scandals in 2017 and 2018, respectively, axed their managers (AJ Hinch and Alex Corea) as a result of the fiasco.
Danny Abriano of SNY names Terry Collins as one of the primary candidates to replace Beltran as the Mets’ manager. Collins is currently working as an advisor to general manager Brodie Van Wagenen.
Another logical candidate could be current bench coach Hensley Meulens. The thing is that, per reports, he could also be a candidate to replace Cora in Boston.
It remains to be seen how the New York Mets approach the search of their new manager. However, one thing is certain: Beltran’s dismissal (or mutual decision, as the club informed) left the organization in a very uncomfortable position with Spring Training being so close.