Brodie Van Wagenen

The Mets are Stoked About Their New Coaching Staff

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The New York Mets won 86 games in 2019 and hope their new coaching staff, which was finalized over the weekend, will take them to new heights and hopefully, the postseason.

The retooled staff will be brining back hitting coach Chili Davis and his assistant, Tom Slater, third base coach Gary DiSarcina, bullpen coach Ricky Bones and quality control coach Luis Rojas. Jeremy Accardo has been promoted to assistant pitching coach.

The new additions are bench coach Hensley Meulens, pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and first base coach Tony DeFrancesco.

“We are excited to complete our coaching staff following a very thoughtful and extensive process,” Mets Executive Vice President & General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen said in press release on Sunday. “Carlos drove this search and prioritized talented coaches who share his player’s first vision and complement his skill sets.”

“I am looking forward to working with this talented, knowledgeable and experienced group,” Mets Manager Carlos Beltrán said. “Each member of the staff brings a unique perspective and expertise that will give myself and all of our players the tools they need to succeed.”

The Mets will benefit from Beltran’s well-respected reputation, especially among the Latin American players. Davis did a fine job as the team’s hitting coach in 2019. The Mets ranked second in the National League wRC+ (104), fifth in home runs (242) and sixth in OBP (.328) as well as slugging percentage (.442).

Hefner was drafted by the Mets as a pitcher twice, in 2004 and 2005, and pitched for two seasons from 2012-13. He most recently served as an assistant pitching coach for the Minnesota Twins. Hefner has the daunting task of straightening out the Mets’ shoddy bullpen starting with closer Edwin Diaz.

The key cog in this year’s staff will be Muelens, who spent the last 10 seasons with the San Francisco Giants – eight as a hitting coach and two as Bruce Bochy’s bench coach. He earned three World Series rings with the Giants.

Van Wagenen being coy about Mets’ bullpen plans

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The MLB General Manager meetings are being held in Scottsdale, Arizona this week and one very popular GM is the New York Mets’ Brodie Van Wagenen.

BVW, as he is known to some, is coming off a season where his team won 86 games. Not enough to shake things up (even though manager Mickey Callaway was fired after the season) but also not good enough to qualify for the postseason.

One area Van Wagenen knows he has a bullpen issue and is hoping to solve it by adding some new names this offseason. But he’s still confident his signings from last winter are going to play off.

“I think the combination of Edwin Diaz and Jeurys Familia and Seth Lugo and Justin Wilson, we’ve got four guys that have closed games on the major league level,” Van Wagenen told Mike Puma of the NY Post.

Last week, BVW suggested that Lugo could end up in the starting rotation, a concession that he has no intention on bidding for Zach Wheeler in free agency next month.

With a rotation that is headed by Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman and Steven Matz, it doesn’t appear that the Mets are shopping for a starter at the moment. That means they could be looking to snare a big name for the bullpen.

The Mets’ bullpen, particularly Diaz, was downright awful from most of the season with a save percentage of 58% and 27 blown saves that hurt the team’s bottom line. Many of those games were key losses.

The Mets missed the playoffs by three games.

New York Mets: Potential Bench Coach Jerry Narron

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New York Mets pitching coach candidate.

With Carlos Beltran officially becoming the New York Mets manager, the next step for him will be to complete his coaching staff. By accident, Brodie Van Wagenen, may have given us a preview of who the organization wants as Beltran’s bench coach.

Van Wagenen was originally tweeting out a photo Beltran signing his contract, but forgot to fully clear of the desk before taking the photo. Zooming in on the image revealed Jerry Narron’s resume, which prompted Van Wagenen to delete the tweet, then put it up with a cropped photo. The report was later confirmed by Tim Healey of Newsday.

We Knew Before Narron Did

Narron knew nothing about the Mets interest to interview him, let alone hire him. He spent the last eight seasons as a bench coach for the Milwaukee Brewers (five seasons) and Arizona Diamondbacks (3 seasons), before he stepped down from his position after the season concluded.

Narron has managing experience in his past. He spent three seasons managing the Reds and another two with the Rangers. Throughout his career he has held various front office positions and even spent time as a scout for Omar Minaya.

Beltran’s Say in All of This

Beltran’s top candidate for bench coach was, Terry Collins, who he deemed the best manager he played for. Van Wagenen said that Beltran will have plenty of say over his coaching staff.

None of Mickey Callaway’s coaches had contracts past 2019, which leaves Beltran to start from scratch. Adding Collins would definitely create a very close and strong clubhouse atmosphere, we just have to see if the organization is ready to get back together with another one of their ex’s.

Mets News: Van Wagenen on Girardi, Cespedes and the starting rotation

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Simeon Woods-Richardson

New York Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen was proud to introduce Carlos Beltran as the team’s new manager on Monday, but he knew there’d be more than just questions about Beltran.

For instance, like why he passed on Joe Girardi, the man who seemed to be the most natural fit for the job.

“There were a lot of qualified candidates that brought different things to the table,” Van Wagenen said. “I thought that we considered all of those candidates and their strengths and ultimately it was Carlos’ strengths that won the day. It was less about where other candidates fell short and much more specifically about what Carlos’ leadership brings to our team, what his leadership brings to the organization and we had a great deal of confidence in that.”

The truth is he wanted a first-time manager and not one he inherited, such as Mickey Callaway.  He wanted his own. Beltran has other qualities that won him the job, but still, Met fans are leery. He will have earn their trust.

Cespedes’ Return Still Unknown

Outfielder Yoenis Cespedes is still a Met. Maybe you forgot. No one can blame you for that. Cespedes has not played since July 20, 2018 when it was decided that he needed surgery on both heels. That surgery was successful but his comeback last was then thwarted by an ankle fracture he suffered on his ranch in May. That’s the Mets’ story and their sticking to it.

Van Wagenen was asked on Monday what Cespedes’ status was. He wasn’t sure. I believe him.

Since Cespedes signed a four-year, $110 million extension with the Mets (with a no-trade clause) in November of 2016, he’s played in just 119 games. 2020 will be his last year under contract at a salary of $29.5 million.

Lugo, Gsellman could be starters again

With Zack Wheeler headed for free agency and a longshot to be re-signed by the Mets, the starting rotation will take on a different look in 2020. BVW did mention that the Mets would make a qualifying off to Wheeler, but the general consensus is that Wheeler will opt for free agency.

Jacob deGrom, Markus Stroman, Steven Matz and Noah Syndergaard – providing the team doesn’t trade him – will all be back but extra arms will be needed and Van Wagenen isn’t ruling out two players already on the staff that have started in the past in Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman.

Is this a subtle hint that BVW will be looking to futz with the bullpen again this offseason? You can almost bet on that he will. He is likely in the market for a closer and a setup man from each side of the mound. In short, he’s back to where he started from.

Hopeful Mets introduce Carlos Beltran as manager

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New York Mets to interview Carlos Beltran.

The guy behind one of the New York Mets’ most deflating and disappointing moments is now being counted on to lead them to their next championship.

Carlos Beltran, the five-tool player who donned the orange and blue (and black, yuck) from 2005-2011, was introduced as the 22nd manager of the Mets on Monday morning at a press conference at CitiField.

Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen who reminded the throng of reporters on hand that the club went through an extensive hiring process, went into his best sales pitch before introducing Beltran saying he has a high “baseball IQ” and rattled off Beltran’s massive resume that includes his postseason successes.

The GM outlined the five things that won them over about Beltran, who had a strained relationship with the club after this playing days. Van Wagenen said Beltran was “poised” and “trustworthy” with a “growth mindset” who is “committed to beating his opponent” and has an “unrivaled understanding and appreciation of players.”

“Carlos will be a player’s manager,” Van Wagenen said. (Where have he heard that before?)

Beltran said all the right things up on the podium speaking in both English and Spanish. His bilingualism will be a huge help to him as will his experience and reputation.

“I can’t wait to rewrite our story” Beltran said, right after stating,”Baseball is a rollercoaster, guys.”

Met fans know that more than any fan base. Mostly the dips.

From the Mets:

The 42 year-old Beltran spent the past year as a special advisor for the New York Yankees. He last played in the majors in 2017, winning the World Series with the Houston Astros. During his 20-year major league career, he was a nine-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove Award winner, two-time Silver Slugger Award winner and was named the 1999 American League Rookie of the Year.

 

Beltrán played with the Mets from 2005-2011. He ranks sixth on the club’s all-time list in the following categories: home runs (149), RBI (559), extra-base hits (374), on-base percentage (.369) and slugging percentage (.500).

Beltran was named to the NL All-Star squad five times as a Met with his best season coming in 226 when he smashed 41 HRs, tying the franchise record with Todd Hundley and Mike Piazza.

That was also the season Beltran became the face of Met frustration when he struck out looking with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth in Game 7 of the NLCS versus the St. Louis Cardinals.

In 2008, Beltran hit the final home run by a Mets player at Shea Stadium. He was traded to the San Francisco Giants on July 28, 2011 in exchange for pitching prospect Zack Wheeler.

Now, Beltran is back and Wheeler is headed for free agency.

New York Mets: Eduardo Perez vs Tim Bogar

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Simeon Woods-Richardson

Reports suggest the New York Mets are leaning towards hiring Eduardo Perez as their next manager. Other reports say the search is not quite complete. Tim Bogar is still high up on the totem pole of potential managers.

Rumors state Perez could have the job within the next couple of days. Half the teams who were searching for new managers have already made their hirings. It has featured an interesting mix of experienced and brand new managers. The biggest issue surrounding the future Mets manager is the unknown amount of power they will receive.

Mickey Callaway Finds a Job

Former Mets manager Mickey Callaway has moved on to the Angels as their new pitching coach under new manager Joe Maddon. Callaway came into the Mets organization as a “pitching guru” but it never quite showed through his two years in Queens. Callaway played two seasons in LA when Maddon was their bench coach and should be able to help out a weak Angels pitching staff.

The new Mets manager will have an interesting relationship with Brodie Van Wagenen and Jeff Wilpon, much like Callaway. Since Terry Collins was replaced, we have seen their increased involvement in every aspect of the team. This led to Callaway garnering criticism he may not have deserved.

The one thing Van Wagenen and Wilpon will not have any input in is the clubhouse atmosphere. Perez is known for his great character throughout baseball. He has a very extensive background in the game and is one of the best baseball personalities the Mets could interview.

The on field decisions is a different discussion. Perez certainly has the knowledge to manage, but will the front office trust him enough to leave him alone?

 

New York Mets: The “Bombshell Candidate”

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Drama and the New York Mets go together like peanut butter and jelly. As the Mets narrowed down their managerial search down to four, a source connected to the organization said a “bombshell candidate” could be in play should the Mets feel none of the final four are worth hiring.

This leaves a realm of possibilities for who this mystery candidate is. The first name that comes to mind is Jessica Mendoza. She spent the 2019 season working in the organization and it would be no surprise to see Brodie Van Wagenen make a move like this. Mendoza would also have the least control out of all the candidates and cause a real stir around the baseball world.

Terry Collins Busy?

Terry Collins is another person who spend the last year working with the Mets. Two years removed from managing the Mets, he was the last manager to bring the Mets to the World Series. With the Mets moving towards an analytic driven decision maker, it will push Collins away from managing again.

A-Rod in Mets Pinstripes?

This might be the biggest longshot out everyone. Though he grew up a Mets fan, he would be forced to give up his luxurious life to spend long hours managing. He knows the game inside and out, but he will come at a very expensive price. Plus, Rodriguez would be nearly impossible to control.

The last person on my list of mystery candidates is the general manager himself. Van Wagenen seemed to control a majority of Mickey Callaway’s moves, so why not step into the dugout himself. He would have to face the fire instead of using some else as a human shield for his boneheaded decisions.

Purely Speculation

All of these names are hypotheticals. These are the best guesses I could make based on the extremely limited information we all have. It would be in the best interests of the Mets to hire one of the four candidates they brought in. Preferably, Joe Girardi.

New York Mets: Mickey Callaway Has Been Fired

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New York Mets, Mets

Our long national nightmare is over! The Mets have fired manager Mickey Callaway after two seasons as manager. Callaway was 163-161 with the Mets and was known for his positivity which masked his questionable in game decisions. The last two seasons were marked in disappointment and ignorance which led to the much needed change.

The Mets fired Callaway along with bench coach Jim Riggleman. Callaway still had one year to go on his deal, but it seemed like the walls were caving in on him all season. The first half of the season was a disaster and there were calls for him to be fired in mid-May. The Mets suffered some of the most grueling losses of the season and limped to a 40-50 record at the All-Star break.

Locker Room Commotion

On camera, Callaway was known for his unwavering confidence. After a brutal loss against the Cubs, Callaway uncharacteristically got in the face of reporter Tim Healey after Healey said “see you tomorrow, Mickey.” He told Healey not to be a “smart ass” and then it escalated to a point where Jason Vargas threatened to fight Healey.

That day signified how bad of a tailspin the Mets were in. Callaway seemed lost on handling his bullpen and there were reports of him being controlled like a puppet by Van Wagenen. Despite all of that, his players still fought for him and tried to dig the team out of the deep hole they were in.

Second Half Resurgence

The Mets never felt they were dead and buried. They were 46-26 during the second half and got as close as one game away from a playoff spot. It was too big of a deficit for the Mets to climb out of and they ended up just missing out on the postseason. The renewed confidence had somehow given a new life to the idea of Callaway returning for the 2020 season.

In the end, it seemed like a no brainer to move away from Callaway. He made multiple rookie mistakes over his two seasons at the helm. At times he was over matched and out managed. The best move is to wipe the slate clean, because there is plenty of talent on the roster going into 2020.

What is the next step now? New York is a huge market and the Mets will have high expectations going into 2020. Joe Girardi seems like the easy move, but the Mets are not willing to overpay for a manager. Carlos Beltran and Joe Espada have also emerged on what will likely be a long list of managerial candidates.

Callaway was a hold over from the Sandy Alderson regime. If Van Wagenen picks the wrong guy, it could be the only opportunity he has to hire a manager. For the sake of his future, Brodie should go with the safe option instead of aiming for a home run.