Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Jun 26

Mets Hunt 5th Full-Time Manager Since 2017 After 34-47 Start Cost Carlos Mendoza Job

Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Jun 26

Mets Hunt 5th Full-Time Manager Since 2017 After 34-47 Start Cost Carlos Mendoza Job

Q: Fired over a scandal before his first game, could Carlos Beltrán now be the unlikely savior the Mets are searching for?

Yes. Carlos Beltrán is a plausible — if unconventional — answer for the Mets because the main barrier that once disqualified him has largely faded, while his standing inside the organization has risen. Beltrán was hired to manage the Mets after the 2019 season but never reached Opening Day because of his role in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal. Since then, he has been brought back into the Mets’ orbit as a special assistant and adviser, giving him regular access to players and front-office decision-makers. His rehabilitation is evident: he was elected to the Hall of Fame this year, and the Mets plan to retire his number and induct him into their team Hall of Fame. That does not make him a safe choice. Beltrán still has no managerial experience at any professional level, and the Mets are in a volatile moment after firing Carlos Mendoza following a 34-47 start, a six-game skid, and mounting frustration over a roster that has badly underperformed despite one of baseball’s highest payrolls. In that setting, David Stearns may prefer a steadier, more tested option such as David Ross, Alex Cora, Brandon Hyde, Rocco Baldelli or Dave Martinez. But Beltrán’s case is stronger than it once was. He knows New York, carries stature in the clubhouse, and is widely regarded as having elite baseball instincts. For a franchise searching for authority, credibility and a jolt of energy, he is no longer just a symbolic candidate. He is a legitimate one.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 26

Carlos Beltrán, Albert Pujols and David Ross are among the early names tied to the Mets’ opening after Friday’s firing of Carlos Mendoza.
A 34-47 start pushed New York into a search it had little appetite to begin midseason, with president of baseball operations David Stearns saying interim manager Andy Green will return to the front office after the season.
Alex Cora and Brandon Hyde headline the more established options, while Omar López and Rocco Baldelli also fit varying mixes of Stearns ties, player-development credentials and prior managerial success.
Internal or less experienced possibilities include Kai Correa, Jake McKinley, Walker McKinven and Gilbert Gomez, though the Mets appear more likely to prioritize experience for their fifth full-time manager since Terry Collins retired after 2017.