Buck Showalter not returning as Mets manager
Following a season where the Mets underperformed expectations by perhaps the widest margin in franchise history, Buck Showalter won't be returning as manager.
The veteran skipper made the announcement before the Mets faced the Phillies on Sunday afternoon, with team brass weighing in soon after.
“We are heading in a new direction, with a new President of Baseball Operations and we let Buck know we’ll be parting ways,” team owner Steve Cohen said in a statement. “We will begin the search for a new manager immediately. Buck is a generational manager, and we value what he has done for our team, including leading us to a 101 win season and postseason berth last year. The commitment and heart that Buck brings to the game will be felt by our organization for years to come. We wish Buck all the best in the next chapter of his career.”
“As we look toward the next chapter for the New York Mets, we felt that making a managerial change was the right course of action,” Billy Eppler added. “We are grateful for Buck’s dedication, professionalism, and leadership, and for his work in guiding the 2022 Mets to a 101-win season, the second-highest total in franchise history. We wish Buck the very best in what comes next for him and his family.”
Showalter, 67, had been set to enter the third and final year of his contract in 2024.
He told reporters Sunday that he was given the option to step aside, saying "the new leadership, they’re going to go in a different direction with the manager next year."
"I talked to some of the players today, trying to hit everybody, talked to the coaching staff just to give them a heads up on what’s coming," Showalter said.
"I think the Mets fans deserve that. You pride yourself in telling the truth and things that are instilled in you. I was honored to get a chance to manage a second New York team. I’m proud of what the Mets did. We won close to 180 games in two years, especially last year was as much fun as I’ve ever had in the game. It reminded me why I always loved this kind of work.
"I wish things could have gone better this season, because the Mets fans deserve that. In my heart, you always wonder what could have happened if this hadn’t happened or that hadn’t happened, but I try not to live in that world.
"Steve and Billy, you’ve got good leadership and ownership here and they’ve got a perfect right to go in a different direction, and I hope [the media] gives the next person in this job the same respect you gave me. It’s not the ending I wanted, but I still love the city and the players."
While Eppler will remain on as GM under new president of baseball operations David Stearns, the change at manager is not surprising.
Showalter was hired in December 2021 and helped guide the Mets to a 101-61 record and playoff appearance during his first season at the helm in 2022. But things went haywire quickly in 2023.
Much of went wrong with the Mets in 2023 had little to nothing to do with Showalter, including an Opening Day roster that was devoid of a legitimate designated hitter, woefully short in the bullpen, and lacking when it came to quality bench players.
The Mets were also derailed by the knee injury suffered by Edwin Diaz, injuries to Justin Verlander and Jose Quintana, a severe regression from Starling Marte (who was playing hurt early in the season before hitting the IL), and the first-half struggles of Jeff McNeil.
Everything that befell the Mets eventually led to the team selling at the trade deadline, including deals that shipped Verlander to the Houston Astros and Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers, leaving Showalter to manage out the string with a roster that wasn't built to compete at the highest level.
Showalter wasn't without fault this season, though.
When the Mets were still in contention, there were a number of occasions where he arguably didn't manage with enough urgency -- especially as it pertained to his late-game bullpen usage.
Under Showalter, the Mets' lineups from game to game also varied wildly when they perhaps could've used a bit more consistency.
Additionally, Showalter at times was also slow to allow the Mets' younger players to get a serious chance, including his reluctance early in Francisco Alvarez's tenure to play the catcher regularly.
Still, throughout the Mets' struggles in 2023, Showalter was a steady presence in the clubhouse who was respected by his players (who sang his praises on the record) and with reporters each day during his daily news conferences.
