Jon Heyman has a lot to say

[Benjamin Grimm]

Lotsa stuff here. I think this is the first time (that I've seen, anyway) that anyone's reported that Omar is likely to be replaced. (My take was that the conventional wisdom was that Jerry would be gone, but Omar would keep his GM job.)

Jon Heyman wrote: Busy offseason of job changes likely, especially in Queens The Mets are all but certain to replace Omar Minaya as general manager and Jerry Manuel as manager, and although both officially have until the end of the year to prove themselves and keep their jobs, it has become clear neither man will retain his current position. That only adds considerably to what is expected to be an unusual amount of attention paid to high-profile, non-playing baseball jobs openings this winter. A few GM jobs and no fewer than 10 managerial jobs are either open or in question, including also the prestigious managing positions with the Cubs (open) and Dodgers (in question). Mets people have high regard for assistant GM John Ricco and consider him a future GM, but the team apparently will instead look to someone with more experience for their top front office position. They are is said to be ready to consider ex-Padres GM Kevin Towers, ex-Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes and White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn, among others, to replace Minaya for that role. Byrnes and Hahn, assuming they are interested, are both extremely highly regarded. Byrnes helped bring the D-backs to the NLCS championship series in 2007 while Hahn was part of the 2005 World Series championship team with the White Sox. As for the new Mets manager, that will likely wait for the front office situation to be settled, as the new GM officially will have a say-so in that job. But while the new GM has yet to be decided, the Mets are already said by those in the know to be on the lookout for a manager who's "high energy'' for the managerial position, which could seem to suggest that feisty Brooklyn Cyclones manager Wally Backman and workaholic ex-Mets manager Bobby Valentine will at least be considered. Many baseball insiders question the idea of promoting Backman from the Mets' Single-A New York-Penn League affiliate to one of the toughest jobs in the majors. Experience is viewed as a question for Backman, too, by many baseball insiders, including some with the Mets. "The New York-Penn League to the majors is quite a jump,'' one National League executive opined. But Backman seems to have forged a couple key alliances and is credited by some with the Mets for taking such a low position a few years after being offered the Diamondbacks' managing position, which he lost within a few days when some personal transgressions became public. Backman appeared to make a major misstep recently by being quoted in the New York Post suggesting he could do better than Manuel -- though some with the team accepted his explanation that he was actually saying he could do better at his own job, and club executives are generally impressed with his managing performance this year. Valentine should be the most obvious choice for Mets manager and is eminently qualified as someone who already succeeded in that very job, taking a seemingly a good but unimposing team to the Subway World Series in 2000. However, office politics could get in the way. What's been described as a bad ending with a higher-up or two when Valentine was fired at the the end of the 2002 season is apparently a hurdle that will need to be cleared first. People within the Mets organization see ticket sales as a key issue and some opine that Valentine could be the man to re-energize the organization in that regard. However, some others also wonder whether the bad ending with ownership and expected higher salary demands could be impediments. In any case, New York is only a small part of the story this winter. Some estimate there could be as many as 12-15 managerial openings, with suspense all over the map. One rare place where the likely hire is believed to be known is Atlanta, where ex-Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez is seen by sources close to the situation as a fait accompli to replace retiring legend Bobby Cox (though Braves hitting coach Terry Pendleton is also well-liked in the organization and will at least get an interview). Managers will also be hired by the Mariners, Cubs, Marlins, Blue Jays and quite possibly Brewers, Pirates, Dodgers, Diamondbacks and maybe even Cardinals (though some suggest they could see the legendary Tony La Russa staying one more year) and Yankees (though Joe Girardi, whose contract is also up, isn't believed by most likely to leave the Yankees, even for his hometown Cubs). The Reds, who employ ex-Cardinals GM and La Russa ally Walt Jocketty in their GM job, have been seen as a potential landing spot for La Russa, but most baseball people seem to believe Dusty Baker is likely to remain in Cincinnati. Baker has yet to agree to a new deal, but he's been offered one for close to $4 million, the same salary he makes now. Insiders say they'd still be surprised if future Hall of Fame manager Joe Torre stayed in Los Angeles, where a soap opera is developing with the Dodgers at the ownership level, with owner Frank McCourt and his wife, Jamie, battling for the team in their high-profile divorce court case. Torre's current Dodgers deal is for slightly more than $4 million a year, though his offer for 2011 is not known and the Dodgers' payroll is expected to decrease after already going from $120 million to $83 million in recent years, leading most baseball people to believe Torre will leave. Hitting coach Don Mattingly earlier was thought to be the favorite to replace Torre, but people familiar with the situation say the job is more likely to go to Triple-A manager Tim Wallach. Dodgers icon and consultant Tommy Lasorda continues to stump for Valentine, but the Dodgers have self-imposed financial constraints that may make that a long shot. Baker is another ex-Dodger who could be out of their price range. Ex-Rockies and Cubs manager Don Baylor, currently the batting coach with the Rockies, could be a possibility to replace the retiring Cito Gaston in Toronto, as Gaston is said by some to be pushing for him. Blue Jays third base coach Brian Butterfield and Yankees third base coach Rob Thomson are also expected to receive consideration there. Yankees coach and former Royals manager Tony Pena was said by one person to be a possibility for the Marlins, where organization man Edwin Rodriguez is the interim manager. One interim manager that appears to have a very good chance to retain his job is Kirk Gibson in Arizona, though with the GM situation not yet settled even that's not a certainty. Former Pirates GM and catching great Ted Simmons and White Sox coach and former Mariners infielder Joey Cora are thought to be high on Seattle's long list of managerial candidates. Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik, whose own status is suggested by some to be slightly more tenuous after a rough season in Seattle following a great debut year for him, said he'd prefer major-league managing experience for that job but isn't about to "box'' himself in by eliminating those who do not. The Cubs' managing job is already creating a lot of interest. Gonzalez declined an interview for that prestigious post, adding to the very strong speculation he already has Atlanta basically locked up (Gonzalez was unavailable for comment the last couple days), but it's a desirable job for many because of the history, high payroll and other factors. Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg, who is managing their Triple-A team, looks like a strong candidate to many after four seasons apprenticing as a minor-league manager in that organization. Interim manager Mike Quade is said to be another candidate while Mets scout Bob Melvin and Nationals coach Pat Listach are reportedly getting interviews. Ex-Diamondbacks manager and current Cubs announcer Bob Brenly also has been seen as a potential candidate. That job may appeal to the available big names such as Torre, Valentine and even La Russa (though it's hard to imagine the Cubs hiring a hated longtime Cardinal for that job), but people in the know say they aren't necessarily seeking a "celebrity'' manager after employing Baker and Lou Piniella most recently. Girardi, an ex-Cubs catcher, Northwestern product and Illinois native who was passed over for Piniella the last time the job came open after the 2006 season, is once again a possible candidate with the Cubs. Some have suggested he would seriously consider that particular job if he were to make the leap from the team with baseball's highest payroll. But while Girardi's three-year, $7.5-million contract Yankees contract expires after the season, Yankees people are confident Girardi won't want to leave baseball's most storied franchise (and that $200-million-plus payroll) even though the team has has no intention in raising Girardi's salary into the stratosphere of Torre's last Yankees deal, which was between $6-7 million annually. Managers salaries are generally held to around $4 million, or a bit above that now. Bob Melvin has been given permission by his current employer, the Mets, where he does not appear to be a leading candidate for the managerial job, for at least two managing interviews. He could have a shot in Milwaukee, where Ken Macha seems likely to go. Pirates manager John Russell is another one on the hot seat, especially after team president Frank Coonelly told USA Today, "I have been extremely disappointed in the team's performance'' when asked about Russell and GM Neal Huntington. Huntington is very new to the hot seat and seems more likely to survive than Russell, whose weak teams have floundered even more than they expected and have the worst record in baseball this season at 48-97. In Seattle, the speculation over Zduriencik's situation picked up after his good friend and pro scouting director Carmen Fusco was fired earlier this week after a mound of bad publicity regarding the team's acquisition of pitching prospect Matt Lueke, a talent with a criminal conviction for false imprisonment, from Texas in the Cliff Lee deal. Zduriencik, who took over a 100-loss team after the 2008 season, declined comment on the Fusco firing. Zduriencik did say, "I've got a job to do every day. We have a plan in place. And I'm staying with the plan ... My goal is to build the organization for the long haul. That's the only thing I can be concerned about.'' Two GM jobs that have yet to be decided are the ones with the Diamondbacks and Mets. Arizona's list of candidates is a strong one with interim Jerry Di Poto, Towers, Dodgers executives Logan White and De Jon Watson and Angels exec Eddie Bane. They also sought to interview Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer but the Yankees turned down Arizona's request for Oppenheimer, who's under contract with the Yankees through 2011. Baseball insiders see the experienced Towers and Di Poto -- who is said by one D-backs person to have done a "terrific'' job -- as the favorites in an impressive field. Towers, a possible candidate with the Mets, too, sounds like he wants back in as GM after a year recharging as a Yankees consultant this season following 14 years as GM in San Diego, where he earned a rep as an excellent trader who knew pitching and did well despite lower payrolls. "I'm motivated by building a team, building a front office and competing on a daily basis,'' Towers said. There have been suggestions that Arizona, hampered by a weak local economy, might not want to pay enough to lure Towers. However, speaking generally about a GM position, Towers said, "I don't think I'm in position to be picky. There are only (30) of these jobs out there.'' He's from the Northwest, lived in the West his whole life (he's still in San Diego while working this year for the Yankees), but while he concedes word that he might prefer the West is probably true, he added, "I don't rule out the Midwest or East if the opportunity presents itself.'' One friend of his said he believes Towers actually would love the challenge of the Mets, where in a sense he'd match up with good buddy Brian Cashman of the Yankees. "Geographically, I can't settle on one spot. I'm not Pat Gillick,'' Towers said, referring to the legendary baseball executive.

[ashie62]

Nothing outlandish here. He opines the Mets might head towards Towers for GM and either Backman for manager or a bigger decision to mend fences with Bobby V and get some asses in the stands.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Conspicuous by his absence is Wayne Krivsky.

[ashie62]

hmmmm...when it gets quiet...

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I don't see Ben Baumer's name on the GM shortlist either.

[metirish]

With as many openings as Heyman suggests I hope the Mets move fast to fill the GM job and the the managers seat, a lot of competition out there.

[Guest Edgy DC]

My feeling is that there's plenty of GM talent in the world. If you're smart enough to know who to get, there's probably more than one of them.

I also think that (1) the Mets have probably already decided what they're going to do, and (2) they don't have to go through a farcical search-and-interview process to replace the GM.

[Benjamin Grimm]

That's probably true if the hires are going to come from within the organization.

If I were to bet on this, my money would be on Krivsky and Backman.

[metirish]

Edgy DC wrote: I also think that (1) the Mets have probably already decided what they're going to do, and (2) they don't have to go through a farcical search-and-interview process to replace the GM.

Not sure I think that at all.....what inspires such thoughts about the Mets young lad?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Which one? One or two?

I think (1) because of the conspicous silence from the owners and GM suggests that the end of Omar's tenure is a fait accompli.

Remember, Omar himself replaced Jim Duquette on October 1st, before the 2004 season had grown cold.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

... although both officially have until the end of the year to prove themselves and keep their jobs.

Cue: a "working" montage set to inspirational popular song... followed by a teary, tense confrontation buildup involving O's doe-eyed children... concluding with the eleventh-hour parade of letter carriers dumping fabricated "I believe in Omar" letters and cards on Jeff Wilpon's desk, followed by an unlikely triumph/freeze-frame and the credits, accompanied by a ballad sung by a recent "American Idol" winner.

Really, though... what could they prove? If this is true... it's irksome, and entirely par for the course.

[ashie62]

How about this sung by a recent American Idoler

[metsmarathon]

short of trading castillo and ollie for pujols and wainwright, like, tomorrow, how exactly can omar prove his case?

i mean, what more can the gm do in late september that could have a meaningful bearing on any decision to retain or replace him? what could possibly happen in teh next two weeks that could reflect so mightily on a past decision that it would affect the perception of his tenure?

and, really, the same goes for jerry, but to a lesser extent. anything the team does these next two weeks cannot possible outweigh the bulk of the evidence over the prior season-plus. hell, even if the mets were to win out the rest of their games, i would have a hard time bringing jerry back, for failing to keep the team sufficiently motivated and properly executed over the long haul.

[Guest Edgy DC]

If the Mets were to win out the remainder of their games, you'd have a hard time not firing Jerry anyhow, but you'd have a hard time keeping it out of the discussion too. As for Minaya, maybe getting out of the Rodriguez deal would be a winner.

Really, I'm sure Heyman was just being formal --- nothing has been announced, so let's theoretically let on like nothing's been decided and act as if it's close enough that minds can still be changed --- his statement that they "officially have until the end of the year to prove themselves and keep their jobs" seems to say plently between the lines about his attitude toward the liklihood of that happening. That's the "official" line, but here's the way I see it...

[Benjamin Grimm]

Exactly. The Mets haven't been mathematically eliminated from the pennant race yet, so they're still "officially" in it. Which means there's still a chance, however unlikely, that the Mets will go on a crazy winning streak, and the other teams will lose the games we need them to lose, and the Mets will get a playoff berth. To continue this crazy thought, they could then romp through the post season and in late October we'll see Jerry and Omar pouring champagne on each other's heads.

Then how do you fire them?

[metsmarathon]

merrily, and with gusto.

[Frayed Knot]

Bob Melvin has been given permission by his current employer, the Mets, where he does not appear to be a leading candidate for the managerial job, for at least two managing interviews.

But, but, but ... Michael Kay told us that it's already been decided and that Melvin has the job all wrapped up.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

metsmarathon wrote: short of trading castillo and ollie for pujols and wainwright, like, tomorrow, how exactly can omar prove his case? i mean, what more can the gm do in late september that could have a meaningful bearing on any decision to retain or replace him? what could possibly happen in teh next two weeks that could reflect so mightily on a past decision that it would affect the perception of his tenure?

He could fire Manuel and hire Valentine to replace him as quickly as possible.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

So... this is actual news now, right?

The Mets will announce shortly after the season that general manager Omar Minaya and manager Jerry Manuel won't be returning in their roles, sources say. The announcements are likely to be made before the playoffs begin Wednesday. The changes will not come as a surprise, as they have been widely assumed for a few weeks now. It isn't expected that either replacement will be named immediately. There's no evidence the Mets have begun contacting GM candidates. The new GM is expected to have a big say in the hiring of a new manager, so the managerial position will remain vacant for a period, as well. Minaya is believed to have an option to leave the organization once he is removed as GM, but a couple people close to Minaya said he may consider another position within the organization if it suits him, though others suggest he may choose to leave. Minaya's background and greatest strength is in scouting. The team will be responsible to pay the final two years of a contract that pays him at least $1 million annually. Minaya is beloved by his co-workers, and several people hope he stays, but that is no certainty.

[ashie62]

yup.

http://mlb-facts-and-rumors.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22297882/24950225

[metirish]

Read my sig baby , read my sig.......seriously , why is Omar's greatest strength is in scouting, been reading that a lot since he came on the job and especially the last few months.

I know he is associated with Sammy Sosa....who else?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Pedro Martinez, Sammy Sosa, Melvin Mora, Juan Gonzalez, Fernando Tatis, Timo Perez...

[metirish]

Reyes on the speculation

"It's too soon to talk about that because it's the first time I've heard of it," shortstop Jose Reyes said Friday. "They're still with us, but we need to be ready for whatever happens. I don't even know if I'm going to be here next year. Let's see what happens."

[Guest Edgy DC]

Edgy DC wrote: Pedro Martinez, Sammy Sosa, Melvin Mora, Juan Gonzalez, Fernando Tatis, Timo Perez...

I double checked on Pedro, and two other scouts out there are also credited with "discovering" Pedro, and since Martinez was originally signed by the Dodgers (who also signed his older and younger brothers), I think it best I retract his name from the list.

[Ceetar]

Other people are reporting that Omar hasn't been told this yet right? Sure, I doubt he'd admit it. But I find it suspect that only Heyman has it

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Ceetar wrote: Other people are reporting that Omar hasn't been told this yet right? Sure, I doubt he'd admit it. But I find it suspect that only Heyman has it

Omar's not firing himself, you know.

[Ceetar]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Ceetar wrote: Other people are reporting that Omar hasn't been told this yet right? Sure, I doubt he'd admit it. But I find it suspect that only Heyman has it Omar's not firing himself, you know.

yes, but Heyman says they were told and declared it official today. Odd timing with three days left.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Nothing odd about it to me. They got some supposedly inside information about the team's plans, and they ran with it, making it awkward for those whose fates the information involves. It sucks for them, but it happens all the time.

[Ceetar]

Edgy DC wrote: Nothing odd about it to me. They got some supposedly inside information about the team's plans, and they ran with it, making it awkward for those whose fates the information involves. It sucks for them, but it happens all the time.

It's the worse keep secret in baseball right now, but I'm supposed to believe someone actually came out and told Jon Heyman, "Yup, 100%, it's a go" on Friday three days before they'd actually be doing all this officially? After supposedly keeping it under wraps, at least officially, for weeks?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I don't see where Heyman's reporting the guys have been pre-fired.

He has a source who's either right or wrong on what ownership's about to do and he's trusting they are right.