In confirming that GM Omar Minaya and manager Jerry Manuel won’t return to the New York Mets next season, WFAN speculated that the team will go outside the organization for replacements.
The Mets are planning to go outside the organization for the GM position and are thought to be considering several people, including former Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes, White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn and former A’s GM Sandy Alderson. Rangers GM Jon Daniels, a Bayside, Queens product, could be an intriguing option as he has an “out’’ in his Texas contract, but the new Rangers ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg has made it clear they wants to retain him. Respected assistant GM John Ricco is expected to stay in his current role, but is said by people to fully understand the intention to go outside the organization for the GM position following a second straight losing season. The Mets will improve from their 70-92 mark a year ago, but not enough to satisfy the club-owning Wilpons. They have missed the playoffs four straight seasons.
Wally Backman has been mentioned prominently as a possible in-house managerial candidate, but there will be others. Some both inside and outside the organization believe it’s a leap to think someone should be promoted from the Class-A Brooklyn Cyclones to manage the Mets, but he is liked by some with power in the organization, is credited for a very good job in Brooklyn and fits the profile of a “high energy’’ manager they will seek. Bobby Valentine is expected to be discussed, and while he succeeded in his first stint it isn’t yet known whether either party desires to go for a second go-round. Valentine could also be a candidate elsewhere, including Seattle.
No stunner there. If the Mets had an in-house candidate to take over for Minaya, that would likely have happened already. Also, I’m not sold on Backman. If the team hires a GM from outside I would think his shot at the manager’s job decreases.