The New York Mets brought several quality players in the early part of the offseason: Starling Marte, Mark Canha, Eduardo Escobar, and Max Scherzer are some of them. They also hired a general manager in Billy Eppler.
The only thing missing for them to try and take on the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Miami Marlins, and Washington Nationals on the NL East is a manager. Luis Rojas, a longtime worker of the Mets, was the skipper for the last two seasons, but didn’t work out and was not offered an extension. His contract expired and he joined the Yankees as a third base coach.
Since there is a lockout in place and MLB teams aren’t able to make transactions, trades, or free agent signings, the Mets’ only focus at the time is bringing a quality manager that helps them take the leap.
Buck Showalter, Joe Espada, Brad Ausmus, and a couple of other names are currently in the mix for the position. The Mets also asked permission to talk to other teams’ coaches, such as the Tampa Bay Rays’ Matt Quatraro.
A Mets’ star didn’t hide his preference for Showalter
However, one of the candidates has the blessing of new Mets’ star pitcher, Scherzer: Buck Showalter. According to multiple reports, Showalter is “seen as the favorite” for the Mets’ job and will have his interview with the club on Wednesday, December 8.
Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated reported on Tuesday that Scherzer, who signed a three-year, $130 million deal with the Mets a few days ago, prefers Buck Showalter to be the next manager.
Showalter has a career 1,551–1,517 record, with a .506 winning percentage as a skipper. He has managed the Yankees, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Texas Rangers, and the Baltimore Orioles. The last time he led an MLB team was 2018.
The experienced Showalter is a three-time Manager of the Year award winner, in 1994, 2004, and 2014.