(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
By Tim Ryder
With Joe Girardi, Carlos Beltran, and Arizona Diamondbacks farm director Mike Bell already confirmed for in-person interviews with the New York Mets, a new veteran name has been mentioned as a potential candidate.
According to Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News, a league executive believes longtime MLB manager Dusty Baker could be an ideal fit with the Mets.
“Dusty garners a lot of respect. I think that would help in the equation. And just his ability to relate […] He’s a very cultured and worldly guy. He finds common ground with everybody.”
“[Baker] went into what I would view as a difficult clubhouse [in Washington] and he won them over fast. That transition here in New York would, I think, be pretty seamless and easy for him.”
Baker, 70, played 19 seasons in the major leagues (1968 to 1986), putting together a .278/.347/.432 slash line, 242 home runs, 1,013 RBIs, and 926 strikeouts over 2,039 career games (8,022 plate appearances).
His managerial career began with a bang in 1993, guiding the San Francisco Giants to a 103-59 record and earning his first of three National League Manager of the Year awards (1997 and 2000, also with the Giants).
After spending a decade in the Bay Area (840-715; two NL West titles, 1997 and 2000), Baker began a four-year stretch with the Chicago Cubs in 2003, going 322-326 before moving on to Cincinnati (2008 to 2013; 509-463) and then Washington in 2016 and 2017 (192-132, two NL East titles).
On Wednesday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported “[Baker] is fishing in Montana and is yet to hear from any team about managerial openings”.
We’ll keep you posted with any new information.
