Despite reiterating that Billy Eppler (and Buck Showalter) are safe for at least the remainder of the season, he also said during Wednesday’s press conference that the team still planned on hiring a President of Baseball Operations at some point.
Steve Cohen said he still hopes to hire a president of baseball operations, and that Billy Eppler knows that.
“At some point, we will fill that position,” he said.
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) June 28, 2023
Cohen emphasized that he was willing to be patient to find the right person for the job, but indicated that Eppler was aware of the plan to hire someone who would outrank him in the front office.
“If you want great talent, they don’t just show up” Cohen said during his press conference. “I’ve been patient because I do not want to make a mistake, so I can’t tell you if it’s gonna be this year. I don’t know. Is it gonna be next year? I don’t know. But at some point, that’s gonna happen.”
Cohen’s comments will naturally fuel even more speculation that the Mets are targeting former Brewers POBO David Stearns (who still holds an advisory role with the organization). Cohen made a comment about “following the rules” when hiring people, which will lead to even more speculation about Stearns being the ultimate target. There have been reports that Cohen will hire Stearns in the offseason.
David Stearns.
In addition, Cohen said he also still hopes to hire a new CEO/President to replace Sandy Alderson, which would be a separate position from the President of Baseball Ops.
The Mets under Cohen have made numerous attempts in the past to hire a President of Baseball Operations but have not been successful, instead relying on several GMs to make organizational decisions including Eppler, Alderson, Jared Porter, and Zack Scott.
If the Mets are unable to turn their season around, the need for a shakeup in the front office will be even more pressing. Cohen said during his press conference that he wanted to avoid making “impulsive” decisions which could lead to good people not wanting to join the organization in the future, which is partially why Showalter’s and Eppler’s jobs are safe. Although Cohen has preached patience, it seems more and more likely that the top front office role will finally be filled before the end of the calendar year. After that, we’ll see who that persons decides to keep around.
