There has been quite a bit of speculation as to who the next Mets skipper will be. With the playoffs in the thick of things and the Amazin’s missing them for the first time in three years, the managerial search has been the main discussion so far this offseason.

Many names have been tied to the Mets, including Alex Cora, Joe McEwing, Chip Hale, Bob Geren, Sandy Alomar Jr. and Kevin Long.

New York has said they want the next manager to be analytically savvy. Terry Collins, who stepped down following the conclusion of the season, was baseball’s oldest manager at 68-years-old. Presumably, the Mets are looking for someone younger.

Cora is set to interview for the position Tuesday, while McEwing will be interviewed Wednesday according to Mike Puma of the New York Post.

Kevin Long reportedly interviewed last week as well to kick off the search and cross a name off of general manager Sandy Alderson’s short list.

With the job still up for grabs, the team here at MMO decided to do a little round table discussion on who we think the next Mets manager will be.

John Sheridan: Reading the tea leaves, I believe the Mets want Cora, but ultimately will not get him. The Red Sox ties and pockets are too deep. Despite Sandy’s predilection for managers with previous experience, Geren doesn’t seem to want to move out East. In the end, that leaves Kevin Long. It may be an unpopular choice, but with praise coming from Curtis Granderson and Alex Rodriguez, it just might be the right choice.

Mathew Brownstein: Perhaps it’s more wishful thinking, but I believe the Mets will pull the trigger and sign Alex Cora to be their next manager. Even though Ken Rosenthal reported on Sunday that Cora was the Red Sox top managerial candidate, I still think GM Dave Dombrowski hires someone with managerial experience for Boston, thus, setting up the potential for the Mets to make the move. His familiarity with New York – having played for the Mets in 2009-10 – along with being bilingual, well-respected in the game, and verse in the new analytics makes him the attractive choice for the Mets. It also helps that Cora has worn a number of hats throughout his baseball career: player, GM and manager for a winter-ball team in Puerto Rico, GM of Team Puerto Rico in the WBC, ESPN analyst, and bench coach for the Houston Astros.

Josh Finkelstein: I would say Alex Cora will be the next manager of the Mets. I feel like he is a Sandy Alderson type of guy and would really fit well with this group of young players. I always remember Gary Cohen saying Alex Cora would make a great manager one day, and that should start with the Mets next year. He has the experience in a high standards environment in Houston this year and he is ready to handle the pressure that comes with managing in New York.

Dilip Sridhar: Alex Cora is my choice for manager. Cora is well versed in sabermetrics while also being a strong clubhouse voice and is bilingual which is huge in today’s game. Cora is highly sought after and will be a manager somewhere but I really hope he comes to the Mets. Kevin Long is my second choice to lead the Mets. He knows the clubhouse, he’s a very good coach, and he is analytically minded. Both would be ideal and I think both could be good managers down the road. I would ideally like to see Cora be the manager, Long be his bench coach, and let Brian Bannister be the pitching coach.

John Jackson: While many Mets fans would like to have a guy like Alex Cora managing the team in 2018, Bob Geren fits Sandy Anderson’s style. Alderson has praised Geren in the past for being tuned into analytics. For some, Geren was viewed at as the Mets’ future manager while he was still the bench coach for the team; a position he held from 2012-15. Geren’s experience as a manager (while not spectacular) is also a plus for an organization that likes to play it safe.

Rob Piersall: Like my team members above, I think the best road for the Mets to take would be to hire Alex Cora. While it will be hard, I think the Mets brass need to do everything in their power to bring him to New York. The Red Sox will be tough competition, especially with their winning culture and storied franchise, but maybe things will break in the Mets favor and the Sox will go in a different direction. Being a realist, however, I think the Mets will go with Kevin Long. Whatever the ultimate solution is, it would be a big mistake for the team to sign someone like Bob Geren. If you want the fans to be invested in the team, Geren is the wrong guy and is too much like Collins.