Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported today that the managerial “search” is more of a formality:
I guess Hale, in particular, has a chance to throw a Hail Mary and get the job. But this is as close to a rigged event as possible with Collins as the favorite and Melvin as a very in-the-competition second choice.
If this is in fact the situation, then why is it taking so long to declare a manager and then assess the roster from that point forward?
The Mets and their public relations team have made a valiant effort to keep the fanbase informed on every move, but I think in some cases what the fanbase really wants is to know the new manager of the New York Mets and restore some hope and faith in the culture of the clubhouse. The two managerial hopefuls are both well-liked by the Three Headed Front Office, and it would really be difficult to see Hale or Backman fly ahead of these two guys. Both Melvin and Collins have MLB experience with varying degrees of success, and maybe the outside chance candidates are being groomed to be bench coaches for the Mets.
How this affects the overall offseason plan is fairly obvious. Sandy Alderson wants to run the team and have the manager to do just that – manage his players. But knowing which manager is in place makes a major difference because the whole coaching staff could change at a manager’s preference.
The decision should be made hopefully within the next three days, since second interviews are wrapping up soon. The front office overhaul has already begun the change. Now bringing in a manager who will instill the beliefs of the organization and hard work is the primary concern from this point forward.
Let’s just hope they hire the right guy, because all the cards have been falling into place for a franchise reboot without the rebuilding period.
