The New York Mets are in the process of interviewing the three finalists for the manager position for a second time this week, with a decision expected by the weekend. Having a good skipper leading the team is extremely important, and the organization knows that, which is why they are taking their time.
As of now, the three finalists are Buck Showalter, Joe Espada, and Matt Quatraro. The first one has been managing big league teams since 1992, while the latter are part of the “new wave†of managerial prospects and haven’t had their first opportunity in the majors yet.
Former Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira played under Showalter’s leadership with the Texas Rangers, and he knows Espada from when he was a coach with the Bombers. According to the New York Post, he had nothing but good things to say about both.
“I think Buck Showalter is the smartest man in baseball, and that is not hyperbole,” Teixeira told Mike Puma, who covers the Mets for The Post. “When you sit down and talk to Buck about the game, he is just so sharp looking at it from all different angles and his record speaks for itself and there is not a more prepared manager as well.
“You take his intelligence and his preparation and I think he’s a great manager. Just look at what he’s done with so many franchises, building them up from the bottom.”
The Mets want to hire a manager open to dialogue and analytics
Teixeira said Showalter is very open to dialogue with his players and the front office, and also conceded he should have no problems embracing an analytics-heavy approach with the Mets.
When talking about Espada, he said he is universally loved by his players.
“We always had a veteran team with the Yankees and we all loved [Espada],†Teixeira told The Post. “It’s because he is willing to put the time in with the young guys, but he’s also smart enough to understand when you have to back off the veterans. When a veteran says, ‘Hey, this is kind of the way I want to do this,’ and Joe says he trusts you. He’s good enough to be able to handle both.
“He is one of those guys, the new school — if you want to call it that. He is the right way to go about managing or being a coach of the new school: Aaron Boone or Alex Cora or A.J. Hinch, these types of guys. I see Joe Espada, once he gets a job — because he will get a job soon, whether it’s with the Mets or somebody else — I see him having that type of success.”