PHILADELPHIA — The Mets’ expected search for a new manager likely will take several weeks and is “wide open,” but two potential candidates for the job stand out as early front runners, according to a person with knowledge of the front office’s thinking.
Robin Ventura and Kevin Long, both of whom are respected by Mets officials and have a backer in team COO Jeff Wilpon, should be considered the early favorites, according to the source. The Mets are expected to notify manager Terry Collins within the next few days his contract will not be renewed for 2018, kicking off the managerial hunt.
Though Mets co-owner Fred Wilpon and Jeff Wilpon will be involved in the process, sources said the ultimate decision will fall to general manager Sandy Alderson, whose return on a new contract is expected to be announced this week.
Ventura, who played for the Mets from 1999-2001, managed the White Sox for five seasons — only once did his team finish above fourth in that stretch — and maintains a strong relationship with the Wilpons that should benefit his candidacy.
Long, the Mets’ hitting coach, never has managed above Single-A, but is well respected for his communication skills and understanding of analytics. The fact Long has an expiring contract and team officials may not want to risk losing him to another organization works in his favor.
The source said both Alderson and Jeff Wilpon are intrigued by the idea of promoting Long to manager, but Fred Wilpon may have to be sold on the idea.
But plenty can happen over the next several weeks, as the Mets also are expected to consider Joe McEwing, Alex Cora, Bob Geren and Chip Hale, among others. The fact Cora (Astros) and Geren (Dodgers) serve as coaches for teams that could advance deep into the postseason makes it unlikely the Mets would reach a decision before the conclusion of the World Series.
In the Mets’ last managerial search, following the 2010 season, the newly hired Alderson interviewed 10 candidates for the job, and four — Collins, Hale, Bob Melvin and Wally Backman — returned for a second round of interviews.Jeff Wilpon is expected to sit in with Alderson and assistant general manager John Ricco, among others, for the majority of the interviews, with Fred Wilpon likely to become engaged in the process when a second round of interviews is conducted. Alderson will make the final recommendation on the hire, according to sources, but Fred Wilpon has veto power. And Alderson is unlikely to recommend a candidate about whom Wilpon might have reservations.
Collins, the longest-tenured manager in franchise history, was protected from getting fired in each of the past two seasons by Fred Wilpon, according to sources. But with the Mets about to finish a disastrous season in which the gulf between the front office and manager became wider than ever, Collins, who has insisted he will not retire, is expected to be told his services are no longer needed.
A source indicated Collins had a solid working relationship with the front office in his first two seasons, but the situation began to deteriorate in 2013 and worsened in each season since. But the Mets’ NL pennant run in 2015 coupled with Wilpon’s latter intervention kept Collins in the dugout.