Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports
Updated Post, Decmber 12, 2021, 4:42 PM EST
After Buck Showalter was basically a shoe-in for the Mets’ second round of manager interviews, the NY Post confirmed that Joe Espada made it to the second round of interviews, too.
There’s no word of if those two are the only names or if another name will surface over the next day or two from the initial crop.
We posted earlier about Buck Showalter being the “inevitable” choice for the Mets manager jobs. You can read that report below.
Original Post, Decmber 12, 2021, 2:13 PM EST
As the Mets second round of manager interviews are expected to begin this week, SNY‘s Andy Martino reports that it’s “almost inevitable” that the Mets will hire Buck Showalter as their next manager.
It hasn’t been revealed who exactly will make it to the next group of interviews, but the Mets talked to six candidates last week about filling their top dugout job. That list includes the likes of Showalter, Astros bench coach Joe Espada, former Tigers and Angels manager Brad Ausmus and Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro.
Martino said that industry sources “are convinced Showalter is getting the job unless something goes horribly wrong in final stages.” The final stage of the interview will involve owner Steve Cohen after general manager Billy Eppler conducted the first round of interviews without his involvement. That “horribly wrong”–whatever it means–could be flubbing the interview with Cohen or contractual gaps.
While there’s no timetable as to when the Mets want to hire a manager, it feels reasonable that they will have one locked down before the holidays.
Over a 20-year career managing, Showalter is 1551-1517 (.506) with the Yankees, Diamondbacks, Rangers and Orioles. He last spent nine seasons in Baltimore, during which he went 669-684 () with three postseason appearances. Former Orioles great Adam Jones endorsed Showalter as a manager choice when his name first surfaced as a candidate.
