Potential candidates for Mets GM after Billy Eppler’s departure

David Stearns has a chance to shape the Mets’ baseball operations department in the way that he wants with the hiring of a new general manager. Much like with the managerial hire, he has to get this one right.

When Stearns was introduced a week ago, the president of baseball operations said sustainability starts in 2024. He expects to the Mets to be competitive and reach the postseason next year. On the surface, everything seemed fine.

But then general manager Bill Eppler abruptly resigned last Thursday. The league has launched an investigation into alleged improper use of the injured list. Every time the Mets attempt to stabilize the entire operation, something seems to go wrong.

Stearns and owner Steve Cohen mentioned several times that their values and philosophies align. Neither one elaborated too much on these values, but given that they emphasized the need for that alignment with a manager, one can reasonably assume they’ll want the same in a general manager.

But considering the Mets’ hiring history, it’s crucial that the next manager and general manager are reputable and thoroughly vetted. Former GM Sandy Alderson said Eppler’s hiring process was extensive, though the Mets did seem to gloss over a few incidents from his time with the Los Angeles Angels due in part to high praise from Yankees GM Brian Cashman. Praise is one thing, but a track record is another. The Mets should prioritize results over reputation this time around.

There is no immediate need to hire a GM since Stearns can make operations moves on his own, but there are a few potential candidates that are easy to identify right away.

JAMES CLICK

This is the obvious name on the list. Click led the Astros to two straight World Series appearances, winning it all a year ago. However, his contract expired after the World Series last year and he rejected a one-year deal. The team moved on without him and hired Dana Brown from the Atlanta Braves. Stearns and Click didn’t overlap in Houston, but Stearns has maintained good relationships in Houston and Click may embody those values he and Cohen desire. He’s currently working with the Toronto Blue Jays as the vice president of baseball strategy. Some in Houston wondered if he could handle the New York media, but with Stearns acting as the face, Click wouldn’t have to face the reporters quite as much.

MATT KLENTAK

After Jerry Dipoto quit in the middle of the 2015 season, Klentak, then an assistant general manager with the Los Angeles Angels, was interviewed to replace him. Instead, the Angels hired Eppler. Klentak eventually went on to become the Philadelphia Phillies general manager and most notably signed Bryce Harper and Zack Wheeler as free agents. He worked with Stearns for two years in Milwaukee after the Dartmouth grad joined the Brewers as a special assistant. For what it’s worth (and it might not be much), Alderson, still a valued voice for Cohen, also went to Dartmouth.

BILL FIRKUS

Firkus was let go by the Astros on Monday morning. One of the longest-tenured executives in the Houston front office, Firkus was promoted to AGM after Click left the organization last winter and served as the front-facing employee during the short time span before the club hired Brown. He oversaw several aspects of the front office in Houston, including player personnel, research and development, sports medicine and performance science. He was the senior director of baseball operations before his promotion. The Astros also let farm director Sara Goodrum go with Firkus. Stearns hired Goodrum in Milwaukee and the Mets farm director position is vacant, so Firkus and Goodrum are names to watch even if they aren’t the mix for GM.

SIG MEJDAL

An AGM with the Baltimore Orioles, Mejdal isn’t exactly a prototypical baseball executive. He didn’t go to an Ivy League institution, instead studying mechanical engineering and aeronautical engineering at UC Davis outside of Sacramento, then receiving master’s degrees in operations research and cognitive psychology from San Jose State. He worked as a blackjack dealer in Lake Tahoe, worked for Lockheed Martin and even NASA before finally getting into baseball in 2005 with the St. Louis Cardinals and then later the Astros, where he worked with Stearns. Mejdal’s analytics have been controversial at times, but his abilities to identify talent through the draft have always been lauded. The Orioles won the AL East this year with a group of young, emerging players, while the Mets continue to struggle with developing high-end talent at a high rate.

CHAIM BLOOM

Bloom once recommended Click for an internship with the Tampa Bay Rays. Having led his own baseball ops department, the recently fired Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer may not want to work underneath someone, but the Mets wanted a 1-2 punch at the top of the front office and Bloom would help them achieve that. The Mets previously interviewed him for the GM job in 2018, but it went to Brodie Van Wagenen instead.

JOSH BYRNES

The Mets have shown interest in the Los Angeles Dodgers senior vice president of baseball operations in the past. Cohen’s desire to turn the Mets into the East Coast Dodgers could be bolstered by a candidate who has had a hand in the Dodgers’ recent success. The former San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks GM currently oversees scouting and player development in Los Angeles and with the Mets’ quest to find sustainable success, he would be a huge hire.