Buck Showalter, who won his fourth Manager of the Year award in 2022, isn’t to blame, as unforeseen underperformance killed the Mets, most notably involving Edwin Diaz and Starling Marte.
Still, the new baseball president will have a big say, if not the final say.
If the new leader is indeed David Stearns, the more obvious questions is this: Won’t it surely be managing savant Craig Counsell?
While it’s certainly curious that the Brewers’ universally respected skipper also rebuffed the Brewers’ extension overtures and also will be a free agent, some say Counsell’s concern is family and he may simply prefer a year away.
Counsell has two daughters in high school in Whitefish Bay, Wis., two sons playing college baseball in the Big Ten and two elderly parents. (Attanasio has said Counsell is welcome to return after taking a year or years off.)
Stearns brings many positives, but he never hired a manager (Counsell was tabbed by predecessor Doug Melvin). At the least, that certainly makes the guessing game difficult.
Other names (not enough is known to call them possibilities):
1. Bob Melvin. Melvin is a terrific manager, but things aren’t working out in San Diego. The Mets tried two years ago but he preferred the Padres for geographic reasons. Melvin is very close to Counsell incidentally.
2. Eric Chavez. The Mets’ bench coach has a big supporter in GM Billy Eppler, who seems sure to stay even to assist Stearns (though their relationship to date is said to be casual).
a game against the Boston Red Sox. Getty Images
3. Joe Espada. The well-respected Astros coach seems destined to get a job next season.
4. Pat Murphy. The Brewers’ bench coach and Counsell’s right-hand man was once a finalist for the Mets’ job.
5. Carlos Beltran. Mets fans might like it (they moved past the strikeout looking).
6. A.J. Hinch. Stearns knows him from Houston.
