Updated Post – Nov. 2, 11:40
Andy Martino of SNY reports that Oakland Athletic’s manager, Mark Kotsay, is in the mix for the New York Mets managerial opening. Martino says it’s unclear if Kotsay will get an in-person interview like Carlos Mendoza and Craig Counsell are.
Kotsay has managed the A’s the last two seasons after serving as a coach on the major league staff for six years.
Original Post – Nov. 1, 14:11
The New York Mets have been looking for a new manager since the end of the 2023 season. It was a season that was once envisioned of them playing in the World Series but resulted in watching the Fall Classic from the sidelines again. The Mets parted ways with Buck Showalter after two seasons, which included a 101-win campaign in 2022. New York finished in fourth place and won 75 games in 2023, which caused the change at manager.
The Mets reportedly have their eyes set on Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell, whom they have had talks with, and he worked under new Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns in Milwaukee. The Mets have now interviewed two candidates for manager: Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza and Cubs bench coach Andy Green.
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Per Joel Sherman of The New York Post, the Mets did interview Mendoza for the position recently. SNY’s Andy Martino also reports that this is Mendoza’s second interview with the Mets. He interviewed for the job last week and is meeting with the Mets today.
Martino has previously reported that the Mets got permission to interview Counsell and that they would both look at other options, even with mutual interest. Counsell was interviewed for the Cleveland Guardians job on Monday after Terry Francona retired. A job that Mendoza has also interviewed for.
Mendoza’s time with the Yankees organization has spanned 15 years, and he just wrapped up his fourth season as the team’s bench coach. Mendoza played minor league baseball for 13 years after signing on with the San Francisco Giants system as an undrafted free agent.
From 2018-2019, Mendoza was the first Yankees Major League quality control and infield coach. He coached the Yankees Single-A Staten Island team in 2009, and in 2010, he became a coach for their Single-A Charleston affiliate before managing their GCL team in 2011. That season, Mendoza led the team to their fourth GCL championship. He eventually became the manager of their Single-A Charleston team in 2012. He was the Yankees lower-level field coordinator in 2017 and was their infield coordinator from 2013-2017 before becoming a bench coach for the 2020 season.
Mendoza also has experience managing in the Arizona Fall League (twice) and in the Venezuelan Winter League.
Green, 46, finished his big league playing career with four games with the Mets in 2009. Green does have major league managerial experience with a 274-366 record in four seasons with the Padres from 2016 through 2019. Green has been the Cubs bench coach for the last four seasons.
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