Change is afoot in Flushing.
On Friday, the Mets fired manager Carlos Mendoza after 2 1/2 seasons with the team. He had the Mets sitting at the bottom of the NL East with a 34-47 record despite a $320-plus million roster at his disposal.
The Met’s have appointed Andy Green as the interim manager.
The 48-year-old held the role of senior vice president, baseball development, for the Mets in the minors after being considered for the managerial job in 2023, prior to Mendoza’s hiring.
Green, a former player for the Mets, will be a candidate to take the job full-time again in this search.
His only prior job as a manager in the MLB was for the Padres from 2016 to 2019, finishing with a 274-366 record and no playoff appearances.
Another former Met, Carlos Beltrán, is also a name to keep an eye on during the coaching search.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame member has no prior managerial experience, but he was hired by the Mets in 2019. They mutually agreed to part ways before he ever managed a game, though, after he was implicated by name in the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal.
As was fellow Puerto Rican and former Met Alex Cora, another name of interest, as he looks for a new job after being fired from the Red Sox managerial role in April. Boston was 10-17 to start the season.
Cora was purportedly the mastermind of the Astros’ trash can-banging scheme used to relay incoming pitches to batters.
AJ Hinch, who also previously worked for the Astros with the Mets’ president of baseball operations, David Stearns, could become available as well if the Tigers continue to struggle this season.
He has a 428-463 all-time record over six years as the manager in Detroit.
If not Hinch, Tigers bench coach George Lombard is also a possibility.
He has been moving up the coaching ranks since 2010, most notably making three World Series appearances as the Dodgers’ first-base coach.
Walker also has a relationship with Stearns, this time from his time with the Brewers, and has worked his way up the White Sox coaching system to bench coach.
Another recently fired manager to note is Rob Thomson, previously of the Phillies. He was fired in April after starting 9-19 with a $300-plus million payroll, despite being their best manager since 1900 in winning percentage (.568).
He has been in baseball for over 40 years, working his way up the Yankees’ system from third base coach for the team’s Class A affiliate in 1990 to bench coach in 2015.
The Mets could call up Syracuse Mets manager Dick Scott. He has worked multiple roles for the team, including field coordinator of instruction, bench coach, and director of player development.
