The recent surge by the Mets hasn’t changed president of baseball operations David Stearns’ plans to conduct a managerial search after the season.
Stearns said Monday he still expects that interim manager Andy Green will return to the front office next season.
Green was the Mets vice president for player development before replacing fired manager Carlos Mendoza in the dugout in June.
The Mets have won 10 of their past 13 games. Overall, they are 23-22 under Green’s guidance.
“My expectation, Andy’s expectation, is he’s going to rejoin the front office, and I have no reason to believe otherwise right now,” Stearns said before the Mets’ 2-1 win over the Padres at Citi Field.
Are there any qualities Green has displayed that will inform Stearns as he looks to fill the position?
“When we get to that point, I will be able to talk more broadly and holistically about what we would be looking for in the next manager,” Stearns said. “I don’t think right now is the right time to have those conversations.”
Green’s familiarity with the young Mets players has been beneficial, according to Stearns.
“They know him, he knows them,” Stearns said. “He also has some familiarity with our veteran players and that wasn’t completely new to anyone as well. I think any time a manager steps into a new role, having those preexisting relationships is definitely beneficial.”
Jorge Polanco has played only two games on defense after arriving last winter as the primary first baseman. But Stearns said he doesn’t necessarily have to see Polanco, who has been slowed by ankle ailments, play the position this season to form an opinion for next year.
“I think the most important thing for [Polanco] is to get him on a path where he is physically in a much better place in 2027 than he has been this year, and that’s our focus,” Stearns said.
Luis Robert Jr. returned to center field a day after starting his first major league game in left field. Robert didn’t receive any chances in the field Sunday. The next step in the progression for Robert will be receiving consecutive starts in left, according to Green.
