Report: Mets Narrow Managerial Search To 4 Candidates
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The next manager of the Mets will have at most 22 games of MLB managerial experience.
According to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman, New York has narrowed its list of candidates down to four -- Tim Bogar, Eduardo Perez, Derek Shelton and Carlos Beltran.
The choices are curious considering the Mets just fired another first-time MLB manager, Mickey Callaway, after just two seasons. New York went 86-76 this season and was the last team eliminated in the race for an NL wild card, but that wasn't enough to save Callaway, who took a lot of heat for a bullpen that blew countless games during the first half of the season.
Of the finalists to replace Callaway, only Bogar, a former utility player for the Mets back in the 1990s, has big league skipper experience, having served as the Texas Rangers interim manager back in 2014, going 14-8 in relief of Ron Washington, who resigned. Previously, Bogar, 53, served as a coach for a handful of teams, including the Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners and Washington Nationals.
Bogar has had success managing in the minors, as he was named Manager of the Year in three different leagues and has a career record of 362-266 in five seasons (2004-07, 2013).
Perez, 50, played for six teams during his 13-year career and later managed the Puerto Rican and Colombian national teams before latching on with ESPN and Sirius XM's MLB Network Radio.
Both Bogar and Perez have reportedly made an impression on Mets ownership and general manager Brodie Van Wagenen, with USA Today and SNY, among others, reporting they had distanced themselves somewhat from the rest of the field.
Once a player and manager in minors for the Yankees, Shelton served as the bench coach for the the Minnesota Twins the last two seasons. Previously, the 49-year-old served as hitting coach with the Cleveland Indians and Tampa Bay Rays, as well as the quality control coach for the Toronto Blue Jays.
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Perhaps the most intriguing of the finalists is Beltran, who could find himself in Cooperstown some day following a sterling 19-year playing career that featured a .279 average, 2,725 hits, 435 home runs and 1,587 RBIs. The nine-time All-Star, who played seven season with the Mets, was also one of the better postseason performers in recent memory, slashing .307/.412/.609 with 16 homers and 42 RBIs in 65 games and was a member of the Houston Astros' world championship team in 2017.
Beltran, 42, has often been touted for his leadership and knowledge of the game. He was a candidate for the Yankees' open managerial position in 2017, a job that ultimately went to Aaron Boone, and was hired as a special adviser to general manager Brian Cashman in 2018.
Despite overtures from two other teams, Beltran is only considering the Mets manager position, telling the New York Post two weeks ago, "I just feel like living in New York is the right thing for me."
Beltran admitted he might not have been ready to manager when he interviewed with the Yankees, but told the newspaper he's ready now.
"It's a lot of commitment," Beltran said. "I don't think the first time around I interviewed I was as prepared. I didn't think about spring training. I didn't talk about [road] trips. I didn't talk about dealing with [the media] every day. I think I'm ready. If it happens, I'm ready. If it doesn't happen, I will continue to stay relevant in the game and work and when another opportunity comes, I will analyze it."
