The New York Mets are still without a manager, but it sounds like they are finally moving toward hiring one. The choice may be a name that will be well-known to baseball fans.
The Mets are expected to have veteran manager Buck Showalter “high on the list” as they begin assembling candidates, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network. Heyman notes, however, that the Mets will opt for a thorough search as they hunt for Luis Rojas’ replacement.
Even though the MLB lockout began on Dec. 1, teams are not restricted from hiring staff, so the Mets’ managerial search can go ahead without any obstruction.
If the Mets are seeking experience, they’d be hard-pressed to do better than Showalter. The 65-year-old has managed 3,068 MLB games in his career, and has made playoff appearances with the New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks and Baltimore Orioles. The knock on Showalter has been his inability to get teams over the hump, as both the Yankees and Diamondbacks won championships the year after dismissing him.
Showalter is not going to be the only name considered, however. There had been some speculation that new general manager Billy Eppler might target a manager with whom he’s familiar from his days with the Los Angeles Angels.
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