While speaking on the latest episode of the Big Time Baseball Podcast with Tony Gwynn Jr, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman took some time to discuss the latest he’s hearing on the New York Mets’ search for a new President of Baseball Operations.
As he tweeted out this weekend, Heyman said he has heard that the Mets are keeping the list very short, and the three names he mentioned in particular are Billy Beane, Theo Epstein, and David Stearns.
The feeling that Heyman says he is currently getting is that Beane, who is currently the Oakland Athletics Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations, may be sitting at the top of that short list.
“It’s a short list. Billy Beane, I think he may be at the top of that list. I kind of feel like if Billy Beane is willing to do it, the job might be his. I haven’t said that before, but that’s the feeling that I am getting,” Heyman said.
As was stated in the article last week by Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic, Heyman mentions Beane’s relationship with Team President Sandy Alderson and owner Steve Cohen as potential factors that could benefit the Mets.
Alderson gave Beane his first opportunity as a scout and served as his mentor before he eventually became one of the more successful executives in the game. As Rosenthal noted, he’d almost certainly want to reunite with him.
Beane is also said to have a good rapport with Cohen after he held a talk at his firm, Point72, a few years ago. To two reportedly have a very good relationship, as they hit it off and know each other very well.
It is still not known if Beane would be willing to leave the west coast for a new and more hands-on job in the Big Apple. However, it certainly seems if Beane is up to the challenge the job very well could be his.
While Beane seems to be sitting at the top of that shortlist, Heyman didn’t entirely rule out either Stearns or Epstein. However, as is the case with Beane, both have their own set of roadblocks in the way as well.
Stearns is currently the Milwaukee Brewers President of Baseball Operations, and it is not yet known if he has one year left on his current deal or not. If that’s the case, it would certainly be difficult to pry him away from owner Mark Attanasio.
The Mets already tried to do so last offseason, but Attanasio denied their request to interview him. Stearns grew up a Mets fan in New York City and worked for the team as a Baseball Operations intern in 2008.
Epstein, on the other hand, is currently working two different jobs; a private equity group and MLB; both of which he is said to be happy with. Heyman also mentions the fact that his legacy is already built after securing three World Series titles so it is not known if he would take another POBO job.
This front-office opening is certainly going to be one of the bigger and more interesting storylines in baseball to watch over the offseason.
