Potential candidates for Mets manager after team fired Buck Showalter

NEW YORK — David Stearns has a tough task ahead of him in replacing a well-liked, well-respected manager.

Owner Steve Cohen and general manager Billy Eppler cleared the way for Stearns to make his first mark on the Mets by firing manager Buck Showalter on Sunday, one day before Stearns was installed as the club’s president of baseball operations. Cohen took credit for how it was orchestrated and emphasized that Stearns, who wasn’t allowed to converse with Showalter while still under contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, deserved the autonomy to hire his own manager.

Stearns said he plans to cast a “wide net” and doesn’t have anyone in mind for the position already. Typically, it’s helpful to look at an executive’s hiring history when a vacancy comes up like this. But Stearns has never hired a big league manager, having inherited Craig Counsell when he took over in Milwaukee following the 2015 season. He kept Counsell in the dugout, which proved a smart decision as the skipper has guided the Brewers to five postseason appearances since 2018.

Stearns and Cohen both talked about being “aligned philosophically” when he was introduced at a press conference Monday at Citi Field and wants a manager who is on the same page as well.

“I view the managerial position as one a true partnership,” Stearns said. “Someone who is working side by side with me and the rest of our baseball ops group. The manager has so many responsibilities these days. It’s a big job. But first and foremost, is the ability to manage people, manage personalities and create and facilitate an organizational culture where people enjoy coming to work, and work hard. That’s at the top of my list.”

That criteria is broad, but it’s still possible to identify some potential candidates. Here are a few.

CRAIG COUNSELL

The Mets have to get this hire right. They’ve had too much turnover at the managerial position to get this one wrong. Showalter was the fifth manager since 2017 and homegrown players like Brandon Nimmo, Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil haven’t had a lot of consistent messaging. Counsell is an obvious one given his experience and history with Stearns. His contract is up following the postseason and he has declined to sign an extension with the Brewers. However, several sources have indicated that Counsell may decide to step away from managing for a year or two in order to be able to watch his two sons play college baseball at Minnesota and Michigan. Still, it’s a name to keep an eye on this month.

GABE KAPLER

A Los Angeles area native with parents from Brooklyn, Kapler started his managerial career in the NL East with the Philadelphia Phillies. He didn’t last long, but he received a second chance in San Francisco, where he managed the rebuilding Giants to a league-best 107 wins in 2021. He was praised for open lines of communication and a diverse staff. Kapler was fired last weekend with a year left on his contract. Prior to his time as a manager, he worked in player development for the Dodgers, experience that could be important to the Mets.

PAT MURPHY

A 64-year-old Syracuse native, Murphy is currently Counsell’s bench coach in Milwaukee. He doesn’t have much managerial experience, other than an interim stint in San Diego, but he was a longtime college head coach at Arizona State and Notre Dame. Stearns’ goal of “sustainability” starts with talent development, so someone who has worked in the college ranks and the minor leagues might be an attractive candidate.

MARK DEROSA

A New Jersey native, DeRosa managed Team USA in the World Baseball Classic earlier this year. The 16-year major league vet led Alonso and McNeil to a runner-up finish. He’s not exactly a veteran manager, but Stearns said he would be open to a first-timer.

CARLOS BELTRAN

Let’s address the elephant in the room. Beltran’s name has been floated out there already and maybe there’s nothing to it, but he was hired to manage the Mets once already and he still possesses the same qualities that once made him an attractive candidate — his leadership, knowledge and ability to work with young Spanish-speaking players. Beltran returned to the Mets last season as a special assistant to Eppler, three years after he was fired before ever having managed a game. He was fired after being named in the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing investigation, and because it’s the Mets, things got a little weird. Could a sympathetic Cohen be willing to give a beloved former Met another chance?

JOE ESPADA

The Astros bench coach has drawn high praise from Spanish-speaking players in the game and previously interviewed for managerial openings. However, he’s been passed over each time. Maybe the Mets will give the Puerto Rican native his first chance.

ERIC CHAVEZ

The former third baseman has made it known that he would like manage someday, and he started his managerial education last season as Showalter’s bench coach. There are questions about whether or not he has enough coaching experience, but he has a familiarity with the current Mets roster, and a familiarity with New York market from his time playing for the Yankees.