10:30am: Newsday’s Marc Carig reports that the move was not well-received within the organization’s front office (all Twitter links). Owner Fred Wilpon’s fingerprints are “all over” Minaya’s return, per Carig, adding that many in the Mets front office had some “serious reservations” about the decision.
9:15am: The Mets announced Friday that they’ve named Omar Minaya a special assistant to general manager Sandy Alderson. Minaya, of course, served as the Mets’ GM himself from 2004-10 before being replaced in that role by Alderson.
“Omar has a long history with the Mets,” said Alderson in a statement announcing the move. “He has served the club well in many different areas. Omar will be a resource on scouting and player development, will consult on player acquisitions and will serve as a community ambassador. We are very happy to have him back in the organization.”
After departing the Mets, Minaya spent four years as the Padres’ vice president of baseball operations before taking a job with the Major League Baseball Players Association, where he served as a senior advisor to executive director Tony Clark. He’ll now rejoin the organization and help evaluate young talent as the Mets look to build up a minor league system that has grown increasingly thin in recent years.
“I’m excited to return to an organization that I love,” Minaya said in his own statement. “I’m thrilled I can return to scouting and developing young talent. I look forward to working for Sandy and his staff.”
mrmet17
Really?!
Yankeepatriot
I feel worse for you guys as your front office just got worse
matteste187
I don’t we got worse. I think this is a good move. Great evaluator of talent. Still doesn’t overshadow the Mets need to bring in new players. This move helps for the next signing period and the draft.
mikeyank55
“Omar has a long history with the Mets. He was the last competent front office manager who recruited and developed all of the pitchers who TC overused and abused.
He will report directly to Sandy who is so far over his head that his belly button has worn out.
We are excited to provide another distraction so long standing fans can latch onto a ridiculous hope and prayer. There is zero chance that we are much
more than a .500 team, however are putting a spin on things to satisfy Jeff, who is unhappy with the Ny press being so brutally honest.l
gadawg
How did this get worse? You either lived in a cave in the early to mid 2000’s, or you don’t know anything about this organization.
MaverickDodger
Is it safe to say the Wilpons have a “type”?
Yankeepatriot
Why does this clown have a job ??? Lmaoooo. Then again the guy he is assisting is incompetent so it fits. Omar was absolutely terrible
The Mets front office just got worse, major L on this one
driftcat28 2
Maybe they’ll cancel each other out and become competent
Tommet
How so? Omar was amazing with amateur player development. Not seeing where this is a “major L”.
gadawg
How?
xabial
It’s like I’m reading something out of The Onion.
realgone2
He’s baaaaaaaaaaack!
itslonelyatthetrop
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has named Barack Obama as his new Secretary of State.
driftcat28 2
I Lol’d at this
chri
lol, back in our early nation’s history, the loser of the presidential election would become the VP.
Could you imagine Hillary being Trumps VP? lol.,
P.S. – Please do not delete this comment MLBTR
nymetsking
well since you told them not to, they are obligated to comply
9lives
Let’s get Bernazard back too!
Yankeepatriot
HA !!!
chri
Than that long-awaited fight between him and the Binghamton Mets can occur
morebreakdowns
How did the Wilpons know this is the move us Mets fans have been waiting for all offseason? As you know every Mets fan has been wishing we can go back to 07 and 08.
bobbyvwannabe
Omar’s roster was in the 2015 World Series… idiots lol
baseballpun
They had the same roster five years after he left?
padam
Most of the players he drafted/traded/signed…yes.
Senioreditor
The Mets having a fluke good year does not make a good GM.
nats3256
Daniel Murphy put them in the WS.
alphakira 2
Who was drafted by… Omar.
lapmando
This is a joke? Right?
lapmando
Los Mets part 2
driftcat28 2
Let’s get Steve Phillips back too
Yankeepatriot
Imagine him manya bernizard and Alderson forming the legion of doom
metsfan31
Well as bad as we are, we just got worse, be set be be dead last with barley any american players on the team
miked340
Mmmm… Barley
dynamite drop in monty
Pass the oats, please.
Tommet
Great addition. Omar was amazing with player development and the area he was hired for. Whoever is making jokes/complaining about this move does not know baseball.
HiHeat45
I agree… he wasn’t a great GM per say but his background in scouting and PD is impressive. If he sticks to that role he will be an asset
ralph 3
*per se
Jrankin1246
If he’s so awesome how come hes been fired by the Mets twice, as well as a couple other teams?
Tommet
Because he was a bad GM.
alphakira 2
As a GM. As a scout? Can you ignore the quality guys he drafted?
Cidron
And… we go forward by hiring those from our past.
Chris Sale Amateur Tailor
Fans of every other team in the NL East rejoice!
Cidron
Two negatives equal a positive, right??
Jrankin1246
In mathematic equation maybe
Caseys Partner
“Minaya spent four years as the Padres’ vice president of baseball operations before taking a job with the Major League Baseball Players Association, where he served as a senior advisor to executive director Tony Clark. ”
So the players CBA was negotiated on their behalf by a member of the 30 MLB Crime Families.
Now we know why everything Marvin Miller achieved has been flushed down the toilet.
Bill
League minimum is $1.5m. I’m not crying too many tears for the players.
lord vincent
Agreed!!
redsfan48
League minimum is about $550k.
SundownDevil
Still not shedding any tears when the median wage for US workers in 2016 Q4 was $44,148, which equals working for 12.5 years to equal the current MLB minimum salary for one year.
Benklasner
And what do the owners make at minimum. This is a stupid conversation. I’m not upset that surgeons make more money than me. But I would be upset if the people running the hospital were holding their job rights hostage.
mikeyank55
Mr. Bill pulled that it of his a—.
He’s nervous because Slugo is about to give his foolishly optimistic identity a rude smack.
hiflew
In other news, the Mets have re-hired Art Howe as manager just to see if they can break their record of 120 losses in a season.
wkkortas
I was hoping for a Pet Sematery Casey-George Weiss combo.
mikeyank55
Actually Fred reversed the hiring of Howe. Instead the new manager will be Davey Johnson who threw his hat in the ring after Darrell Strawberry came clean yesterday.
Johnson, taking the offensive offered all Mets players the opportunity for achieving a “Strawberry bonus” with free wheeling sex available in the managers” office. Davey appointee front office Cracker Jack “TC” to manage the schedule in the office and isure that “Mets’ Quality” happen every night.
Jrankin1246
Why are the same guys constantly getting recycled?
Blake Camden
OH NO
SundownDevil
#YOLO
qbass187
Oh, there you go
sampsonite168
Hopefully he has some money to lend the Wilpons, because it seems they don’t have any.
377194
Another step backwards.
LarsLap
They always return to the scene of the crime… The franchise needs new owners, not old GMs.
TheChanceyColborn
Of course it has a Wilpon’s fingerprints on it. Did you think it’d be any different?
vtadave
Mets are a train wreck.
Sincerely,
The Cleveland Browns organization
justinept
Guess he beat out Adam Rubin for the job…
seaver41
“oh no, we suck again”
greatdaysports
Finish this Mets!!! Hire Jeter to be the face of your mess too.
Blake Camden
I knew Fred’s hand was on it. This is a bad move intended to put heat on Alderson. It’s going to cause a lot of chaos and resentment in the organization.
Blake Camden
Hey, if Sandy is going to delimit Flores, Nimmo, Conforto, etc turn about is fair play I guess.
lapmando
Once again, my friends are all laughing at me and my joke of a team.
lapmando
My son wants a Dodgers Justin Turner jersey for Christmas.
Say Hey Now Kid
Can Omar pry open the Wilpon’s checkbook?
outinleftfield
Just got off the phone with a buddy that works in scouting for the Mets and he is excited that Minaya is returning. Said that no one has a better eye for talent. He also said the only guy in the FO that he has heard doesn’t like this move is JP.
gammaraysmlbtraderumors
Then how come he made so many horrible trades with Montreal giving up real talent and so many bad free agent signings with the Mets? He only had a job because they had to sign a minority. He is horrible.
chris5
He is really good at evaluating and bringing in talent. He is also really bad at running at an entire organization and negotiating with other teams.
vpolite
That would be an improvement. The rest of the world wouldn’t be laughing at us, or shaking their head.
Codeeg
So many reactionary comments. Think of the good things Omar can do…like scouting and having him focus on those things. He isn’t the GM, his word isn’t going to be the final word. Your brilliant Alderson still gets final say for most things unless Wilson takes that away too.
Codeeg
But let’s not forget the great Minaya trade. He traded Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore, Brandon Phillips, for half a season of Bartolo.
He should not be trading at all.
redsox18
He’s also responsible for degrom,Harvey,Matz,Duda,Murphy,Dickey = Syndergaard etc.
So the core of the 2015 team was all Minaya.
mikeyank55
No worries codeeg. The Mets have
Zero talent this time
Around.
alphakira 2
Don’t you dare besmirch the name of Bartolo.
Stev84
Sandy Alderson not only got an extension from the Mets but also got himself a side job as comic relief.
bobbyvwannabe
Welcome back, Omar.
All – he’s a scout and a player development guy.
I can’t imagine Sandy would be against this. He’s secure in his new 3-year contract
citizen
News flash: mets name Willie Randolph manager and are still paying Bobby bonillas salary.
JKB7394
At first glance this seems awful, but just remember, he is behind the mets great farm system that eventually helped us get to the WS
JKB7394
As long as he isn’t Sandy’s eventual replacement, and he’s here just to help with amateur talent evaluation, it’s a good move.
peterd
Say what u want but Omar did draft Harvey, Murphy, Justin Turner and many more. Sandy hasn’t exactly been stellar with his draft picks. Plus they have no presence in Latin America for scouting
mikeyank55
He doesn’t like Latin America
padam
For the role he’s in, it’s perfect for him. It’s his strength. Sandy makes good deals. Between the two of them, one spends too much (Omar) and the other doesn’t spend enough (Sandy). Perhaps a happy compromise can be found. Before this announcement, nothing was happening and the Mets didn’t even walk away with one of the relievers they had targeted.
mikeyank55
Hey padam..this is your wake up call. Sandy doesn’t make deals. He just smiles and makes cute jokes.
neworleanstaints
Pretty odd decision…
Blake Camden
I think they brought him for pitching. Sandy tends to not know pitching as well and also tends to favor offense.
padam
Yup. That’s why he drafted Mulder, Zito, Hudson…
Blake Camden
There should be co-gms anyway. One for pitching one for hitting.
EDGE316
Omar coming back… I guess Fred Wilpon didn’t like the way Steve Phillips polished his knob?
gammaraysmlbtraderumors
He was the worst GM ever for 2 franchises,
Stev84
It’s whatever. At least Omar isn’t being hired as a GM. I’m still waiting for Sandy Alderson to stop making jokes and start being a competent GM.
cevin86
Hooray! Hopefully Omar makes the draft choices instead of sorry ass Alderson.
metsmosloyal23
Woo hoo we got a special advisor $**£ this.