CARLSBAD, Calif. — The lack of competition for managerial candidates has Mets president Sandy Alderson content to wait until after he hires a general manager before turning attention to the field staff.
“We do have one coach,” Alderson joked at the general managers’ meetings Tuesday, referring to pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, whose 2022 option was picked up last month.
Luis Rojas was informed on Oct. 4 that he wouldn’t be returning for a third season as manager. Most of the Mets’ attention since then has focused on finding their next baseball operations leader.
Alderson hinted he had interest in hiring Bob Melvin, who late last month was allowed to leave the Athletics for the Padres with one year remaining on his contract.
“We don’t really want to do this in reverse order and hire from the bottom up,” Alderson said. “There was a possibility of doing that earlier in the winter, but in order to do that you really have to have someone who is universally respected and would be recognized by virtually any executive as an outstanding choice. I don’t see that happening any time soon.”
Oakland has a managerial vacancy following Melvin’s departure, but Alderson said the expectation is that organization will fill it from within.
“In that sense we are not competing with three or four other clubs, which is not always the case in early November,” Alderson said. “We’re not complacent about it, but I think the circumstances are somewhat favorable just because of the lack of competition.”
Zack Scott, who spent most of this past season as the Mets’ acting GM, was fired last week, after having been placed on administrative leave in September, following his DWI arrest. Scott is awaiting a Dec. 8 trial in White Plains on those charges.
Alderson said Scott’s performance in his job was “excellent,” but a change was necessary.
“Just the general uncertainty around the situation that he faced and not knowing how that uncertainty would be resolved in December,” Alderson said. “I think we felt it was best for us and potentially for him as well that we made that decision.”
Alderson said he wasn’t surprised Michael Conforto plans to decline the Mets’ qualifying offer worth $18.4 million for next season. Will the Mets attempt to re-sign him?
“We’ll engage with most agents and most players and see where that takes us,” Alderson said.