The Mets’ inability to find a president of baseball operations or general manager isn’t about the Mets, Sandy Alderson told reporters at the GM meetings. It’s about the city.
“Admittedly there’s a reluctance to come to New York, but I think it’s mostly about New York,” Alderson said Tuesday. “And not about Steve [Cohen] or the organization or what have you. It’s a big stage and some people would prefer to be elsewhere.”
The Mets entered the GM meetings seemingly no closer to finding people to fill their top positions than they were a few weeks ago; Alderson indicated Tuesday the team is now focusing on hiring a general manager, rather than a president of baseball operations.
Billy Beane, Theo Epstein, Raquel Ferreira, Sig Mejdal and Scott Harris are among the names who have turned them down. The Mets also didn’t get permission to speak with Milwaukee president of baseball ops David Stearns.
Alderson said that the Mets had talked to “probably half the people who are going to be here today.”
“In some cases, we haven’t gotten permission,” Alderson said. “In some cases, I think people are comfortable where they are. Whether it be a family situation or something professional.”
Free agency officially opened on Sunday, though the Collective Bargaining Agreement is expected to expire on Dec. 1, which would put a hold on transactions.