Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, Tampa Bay Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro made a great impression with the Mets during his second interview on Tuesday. Astros bench coach Joe Espada’s second interview will be conducted tonight, while Buck Showalter‘s will be on Friday.
Heyman also noted that while Showalter still seems like the best bet the be the next manager of the Mets, the search is more “divided” than fans and even the media are expecting it to be. One executive has even said that they see Bob Melvin in Quatraro.
Quatraro is a former baseball player, and minor league manager, who played college baseball for Old Dominion University from 1993 through 1996, where he was named an All-American. Quatraro played in the minors from 1996 through 2003, without reaching the majors. He began coaching in 2004, and was the assistant hitting coach for Cleveland Indians from 2014 through 2017, and served as the Rays’ third base coach in 2018 before being named Kevin Cash‘s bench coach.
A majority of the fan base seems to want Showalter as the next manager, but Espada is a very strong candidate, and even Quatraro. Especially after hearing how he impressed Steve Cohen and Billy Eppler as much as he did, maybe it’ll be enough to make him a finalist along with Showalter after the second round of interviews conclude?
