The New York Mets have gone through an extensive list of candidates to fill their manager position. After a couple weeks of intense vetting the final four names left are Tim Bogar, Eduardo Perez, Carlos Beltran and Joe Girardi.
Tim Bogar is currently the Nationals first base coach and is a name that has flown under the radar. His experience is no joke though, which has given him to opportunity to make the final four. Bogar is a former Met who spent nine years in the big leagues and has won manager of the year in three different minor leagues.
He spent time coaching in multiple roles during his MLB coaching career. Bogar has coached under Joe Maddon, Terry Francona, Bobby Valentine and Ron Washington. His only managing experience came in 2014 when he replaced Washington and led the Rangers to a 14-8 record to end the season.
From the Booth to the Bench?
Eduardo Perez has a very interesting background compared to the rest of the candidates. He has experience coaching in the bigs, tv experience and comes from a baseball family. Perez is the son of hall of famer Tony Perez and Eduardo was a 13-year veteran who bounced around from team to team.
He has managed in winter ball leagues in Puerto Rico and has experience as a bench and hitting coach for the Astros and Marlins, respectively. Perez is a very likable figure throughout baseball which helped him earn another interview.
Will a Beltran Hire Be Another Strikeout?
Carlos Beltran had a very successful career which included seven good years with the Mets. He was known for his ability to be a strong clubhouse leader, but did have front office conflicts with the Wilpons. Originally, Beltran wanted nothing to do with job but quickly had a change of heart which is paying off for him.
Beltran lacks the managerial experience at any level, unlike the other three candidates. What makes Beltran’s story interesting is he only wants the Mets job. He can definitely add the hitters and base stealing perspective the team lacked with Mickey Callaway as manager.
Will the Wilpons Accept Girardi?
Joe Girardi is hands down the best candidate of the four, which is why the Phillies see him as their top candidate. He is a World Series champion, former manager of the year and has 988 wins over 11 years of managing experience. Girardi also owns the best challenge record in baseball history.
The one red flag, for only Fred/Jeff Wilpon, and Brodie Van Wagenen, is that Girardi would expect to have full control of the day-to-day and game decisions. This had a lot to do with why Brian Cashman decided to move on to Aaron Boone to manage the Yankees. Cashman wanted more control of the team and it has not seemed to work very well.
The Direction of the Franchise
If the Mets bring in Beltran or Perez, expect the same old stuff that happened under Callaway. The one variable here is that Beltran has way too much to lose by become a puppet to the front office. Beltran is a borderline hall of fame and can find a better job somewhere else if he is not happy with what the Mets offer.
Girardi or Bogar should receive full control when they get the job. This situation is very black or white. Unfortunately, the Mets tendencies forces us to assume they will make the mistake by hiring another puppet.
Prediction: Carlos Beltran lands the job
