NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) – The Mets’ search for a manager is headed to the Dominican Republic.

General manager Sandy Alderson is flying south to meet with Ken Oberkfell, who is managing in the Dominican winter league.

Oberkfell, the Mets Triple-A manager for the past six years, will be interviewed Thursday or Friday.

Hired to replace the fired Omar Minaya, Alderson already has interviewed Clint Hurdle, Don Wakamatsu, DeMarlo Hale, Wally Backman, Terry Collins, Chip Hale, Dave Jauss, and Bob Melvin.

It has been reported that Wally Backman will be called back for a second interview.

Alderson hopes to complete initial interviews this week and hold second interviews next week around the business, general managers and owners meetings in Orlando, Fla.

“We certainly want to have a manager by the winter meetings” in early December, Alderson said Tuesday. “It would probably be helpful for us to have a manager by end of the month. Another sort of logical deadline is Thanksgiving. I’m not sure we’re going to make that.”

Alderson expects the pace of trade talks to increase at the GM meetings.

“Next week is probably the first time that most GMs are going to be talking seriously with other clubs,” he said.

After that, attention will turn to the winter meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., which run from Dec. 6-9.