The New York Mets’ search for a new president of baseball operations is turning out to be a challenging one. According to MLB’s Anthony DiComo, the organization has had little success in attracting candidates so far and has already missed out on its top three choices for the position.
The Mets reportedly approached former Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs executive Theo Epstein, the Oakland Athletics’ executive vice president Billy Beane, and Milwaukee Brewers president David Stearns during the search but ended empty-handed. DiComo reports that Epstein and Beane withdrew their name out of the race while Stearns never got a chance to sit down with the New York team as the Brewers rejected their request for an interview.
This represents a big miss for the Mets, especially since all of the three candidates mentioned above are considered some of the best in their job. Epstein is credited for turning around the Cubs and helping the franchise win their first World Series since 1908, Beane’s efforts to keep the Athletics competitive despite a tight budget are legendary, while Stearns was the key figure in turning small-market Brewers into a playoff contender.
The Mets will now have to turn to other candidates, with DiComo mentioning the San Francisco Giants’ general manager Scott Harris and Cleveland Indians’ GM Mike Chernoff as alternatives the team is considering.
The Mets had an underwhelming 2021 MLB campaign that saw them miss the playoffs for the fifth straight year. The team made a great run early on but fizzled out in the second part of the season and finished with a 77-85 record.
