We’re now a month into the Mets’ offseason, and they still don’t have a primary decision maker in place for the front office (the only team in baseball without one) nor a manager (just one of two teams without one). It’s not like they’re not trying, though, which makes the process even more cumbersome.
Let’s look at what’s gone on this week.
More Denials For the Front Office
This week was a rough week for Steve Cohen, Sandy Alderson and company on the front office search. Just about everyone who the Mets wanted beyond the initial trio of Billy Beane, Theo Epstein and David Stearns either pulled their name out of the running or the Mets were declined an interview. These people include:
- Brewers general manager Matt Arnold
- Giants general manager Scott Harris
- Cardinals vice president Michael Girsch
- Rays front office executive Peter Bendix
- Dodgers assistant GM Brandon Gomes and executive Jeff Kingston
- Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro
A report came out later in the week saying the Mets were interested in other executives from the Rays and Brewers, but they are hesitant to request an interview after getting denied by the teams before this offseason.
Brian Sabean, who seemingly put himself in the POBO running last week, pulled his name out of the search this week when the Mets didn’t express any interest, too.
On top of all this, the Padres hired Bob Melvin away from the A’s to be their manager. Melvin was generally rumored as a candidate for the Mets’ manager position around when Billy Beane was a candidate for the POBO job. This is one of the consequences of the front office search dragging on.
Who’s Left?
With everyone who denied the Mets, the question is: who is left to fill the president of baseball ops role? (Or, if the Mets go this route, the new general manager?)
According to various reports, the Mets still have interest in candidates from outside the organization.
First is Red Sox executive Raquel Ferreira, who’s been with the organization for over two decades. The Mets hired away Zack Scott from the Sox, though, and the two teams apparently have an agreement that the Mets wouldn’t hire anyone else from the organization until the end of this offseason. That can always be dealt with via compensation or the good will of not denying someone like Ferreira the opportunity to run a team like the Mets. (Compensation is always the likely outcome.)
The second is Twins assistant general manager Daniel Adler. He has a background working in football organizations before making his way to the Twins in 2017.
Internally, Mets’ vice president of scouting Tommy Tanous and assistant general manager Ian Levin are seen as candidates to step up duties if they can’t get one of their many choices from outside of the organization.
Roster Spots Freed Up
Friday evening, the Mets announced they reinstated some players from the injured list and optioned them to Triple-A. Those players were José Martinez, Robert Stock and Corey Oswalt. They were all allowed to refuse assignment to the minors and did, so they elected free agency.
José Peraza, who passed five years’ service time this season, also refused assignment to the minors, and he became a free agent as well.
The four players combined were expected to make around $3.2 million in arbitration or pre-arb money.
Hef’s Back
Admist all this, the Mets exercised the 2022 option on pitching coach Jeremy Hefner.
“I’m extremely excited to continue working with this group and build on the systems and practices we’ve implemented,” Hefner said. “I saw a lot of development from the rotation and bullpen and am very optimistic for even more success from the pitching staff moving forward.”
The Mets had one of the better pitching staffs in 2021 under the watchful eye and system of Hefner.
