The New York Mets are reportedly close to finding their next manager. According to ESPN, former Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter and Houston Astros bench coach Joe Espada are current favorites for the vacancy, being recently invited for the second round of interviews. Matt Quatraro, the bench coach for the Tampa Bay Rays, is also getting another look.
The Mets have been searching for a new manager since parting ways with Luis Rojas at the end of the 2021 MLB season. Rojas spent two seasons on the job with the New York team finishing below .500 and missing the postseason in both years.
Showalter has the strongest resume out of all potential candidates, having served as a manager for the New York Yankees, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Texas Rangers, and the Orioles throughout his career. He led his teams to five playoff appearances, including AL Championship Series with Baltimore in 2014, and has won the AL Manager of the Year three times. His managerial record stands at 1,551-1,517.
Espada has been in conversation for managerial jobs in MLB for several years now. The former minor league player coached in the majors since 2010 when he was hired as Miami Marlins hitting coach. He also worked as an infield coach and third base coach with the Yankees before taking his current position with the Astros in 2017.
Quatraro spent a decade working as a coach and manager in the minors before becoming an assistant hitting coach for the Cleveland Guardians in 2014. He joined the Rays in 2017 as a third base coach and was promoted to bench coach role a year after.
