The Mets’ front office search has become a rather prominent storyline in baseball at the moment, as several notable executives have either removed their names from consideration or been denied permission by their current clubs to interview. Despite those struggles in pursuing rival GMs and presidents, SNY’s Andy Martino reports that the Mets are not considering some of the rumored former baseball ops leaders who are no longer running a department. Former Giants president Brian Sabean, former Marlins president Michael Hill and former Astros president Jeff Luhnow are not currently being considered, per Martino. Rather, current Mets president Sandy Alderson is still actively seeking permission to interview the No. 2 and No. 3 executives with various clubs as the Mets seek a new baseball ops leader.
Some more front office notes from around the game…
- The Angels have hired Tim McIlvaine away from the Brewers to fill as their new scouting director, Kiley McDaniel and Alden Gonzalez of ESPN report (Twitter thread). McIlvaine, who was previously the Brewers’ assistant director of scouting, worked extensively with current Angels vice president of amateur scouting Ray Montgomery when both were in Milwaukee. Montgomery was one of the first hires by under new Angels GM Perry Minasian last offseason. The Angels removed former scouting director Matt Swanson from his post last week but offered him a position elsewhere in the organization. Swanson was hired by former general manager Billy Eppler and has overseen the Halos’ past five drafts.
- Josh Bonifay is returning to the Rangers organization as their new farm director, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. Bonifay had been the Phillies’ farm director for the past three seasons but was removed from that role and offered a spot on the team’s pro scouting staff for next season back in August. The son of former Pirates general manager Cam Bonifay, Josh has spent more than a decade in baseball operations, mostly in the Astros organization, but was also the Rangers’ field coordinator and a member of the Major League coaching staff with then-manager Jeff Banister in 2017. Bonifay has also spent time as a minor league coach and manager, a minor league field coordinator and was the Astros’ hitting coordinator in 2018 before being hired by Philadelphia.
BAD MOVE
They should of never brought in Urias in the 8th.
Why are the old school ignorant fans ok with losing a game with the starter going too long but not ok with losing with a bullpen arm? Oh that’s right they think (they don’t actually know they pretend) they know when a pitcher is done but their eye test.
Managing a game completely blind and just using prior analytical stats will win you far more games than anyone using their gut or the eye test. Things like never letting the starter go through the order a 3rd time has won more games than some old Geezers gut ever could. Don’t like it, stop watching because it’s the present and the future.
For 162 sure. But when you comepletly throw away the eye test when a guy like Blake snell is mowing the Dodgers down and you pull him because the numbers from April and may tell you to, that’s bad baseball. Analytics are good, but so is using your brain. I’m not a “geezer” btw, so this isn’t an age issue. Many young people disagree with analytics too. You need a balance of both.
Stats have always been used (how else would the use of a LOOGI been developed?) but so has common sense which includes using your eyes. Computers have been used for generations as teams look for an age. it’s just that a game is won or lost on the field where there are many variables that a computer can’t adjust at a specific moment for.
A little salty.
I can only speak for one ignorant old geezer, but I typically wait until after a play goes poorly to suggest what would have been a better move. I firmly believe that the benefit of hindsight makes my suggestion better than any statistics based decision made in the moment. But that’s just me.
Kind of.
ON AVERAGE following the stats will win you more games. That’s why they’re the stats. If they weren’t true more often than not, something else would be the stat instead.
But that doesn’t tell you anything about the situation in front of you. That’s what managers are supposed to be for.
He said “more”, and he’s right. You will win more.
There is a balance that many fans do not understand. A spreadsheet will help you win games, but you also need to have a clue when to use a spreadsheet and when not to.
Colin Cowherd puts it the best. “There’s analytics, then there’s MANalytics.” Most of the time, the numbers won’t lie and it’s better to lean towards the analytics. But other times, you need to have players that can MAN up and perform in the spotlight, and this happens to be the playoffs. That is why analytics don’t go as far in the playoffs. Because they cannot take into account how adrenaline, fear of failure, and everything else that occurs between your ears can affect the outcome of the game. The mental game that you play with yourself on game 45 of the regular season is much different than game 7 of the ALCS. Analytics count for far less in the biggest situations.
Nothing can really take accurate account of adrenaline and fear, not consciously at least; (unless a player is literally shaking in the dugout or something), that’s why it’s useless to try to predict such things and going with analytics is better. However there does have to be some room for going with a manager’s “gut”. If “gut” involves a certain degree of ability to effortlessly tap into one’s unconscious knowledge of players, situations and such, which is something I do believe good managers can do. The unconscious mind is much more capable of analyzing complex systems and outcomes than conscious thought. You have to really trust the manager though. Still, analytics don’t matter less in big situations than they do in any other. “Clutch” is basically a myth and it certainly can’t be predicted.
My friend, a good manager knows when his starter is done, try to tell what you are saying to Jacob deGrom.. not arguing with you , both ways can be good.
I disagree that analytics are the same regardless of situation. Before any math professors jump down my throat, I understand that just because one situation is the regular season and the other a playoff situation doesn’t change the metrics involved in the analytic. But the players are the ones that create the analytics, and the players are not the same people when they are in the playoffs. Some players are worse, some players are better. Every single postseason there is an Eddie Rosario, or a Steve Pearce, or a David Freese. Every single postseason you see a guy making 250 million hit .072. That volatility can not be directly related to small sample sizes. It has as much to do with the human mind as anything else. I’m not saying that’s necessarily a great reference to use when making decisions as a manager, but it definitely has to be taken into account.
Tomas7, As a fan, I try not to second-guess when watching a game at home or in the stands. I trust the manager’s judgment. Since the manager is around those players and I’m not, it stands to reason that the manager knows a player’s tendencies and readiness better than me or any other fan. Also, analytics count the same in the post-season. The difference is that there aren’t enough incidents for them to even out as they would in the regular season. A strategic move not working doesn’t mean it was the wrong move. Sometimes the right move doesn’t work out. I also feel the pressure is overrated by fans. Players have been in these situations and have otherwise practiced them all their lives. Generally speaking, they don’t feel the pressure like fans might. They just play the game as they were trained to do.
Tomas: Oh yea, you’re definitely right about that. When a starter is done or not is an area for the manager. I don’t really think analytics can determine that, as it’s a start to start thing that cannot be predicted before hand. I’m an analytics guy, but even I completely disagree with its overly formulaic approach at times, and when to pull the starter is one of those times.
Cisco: I agree with your post. I was speaking in sweeping generalizations. I just don’t believe in things like clutch, but of course everything has to be taken situation by situation. The worst thing to do is set things in stone and never bend or think outside of the general plan.
“Colin Cowherd puts it best…”
Nope. Most likely not true if that blowhard said it.
I think analytics also has a role to play in minimising the anxiety and fear for the player. They know more. Better prepared. Better plans. Less guessing. Greater consistency.
The Mets have requested an interview with former New York Giants general manager George Young as a dust free he has not rejected the offer and they still have not heard back from them but they’re waiting
LETS GO!!! HUGE NEWS!!
Steve Cohen is opening a casino next to Citi field. The powerful get more powerful….
There’s no way you’re not just trolling us…
He is only going to gain more money now. Not right away but we’ll be a powerhouse starting next year
At giving out horrible contracts and still being under 500?
“He’s only going to get more money.” – MetsFan22
Yes, however he’s keeping that money, not spending it. He may issue a big contract this year, but it will not change the Mets at all, ie: Baez, who was already there last year.
He’s not going to spend proportional to income. He will do just as he did this year. How do I know? Because he already had enough money as a billionaire, but he got to be a billionaire by not spending it.
Sign Correa, Semien, Story, Ray, Gausman, Marte, and Taylor and you’re good to go
Metsfan22: What difference does is make if he has more money? Do you actually expect a 400 million dollar payroll? Your equating of Cohen’s perverse wealth with winning is beyond bizarre. Mets are a big market team; if they wanna act like that fine. (I personally don’t think more money spent on contracts is what this team needs, but whatever). Billionaires are billionaires, extra millions or billions for him means nothing to us. But keep singing your song, all it does is antagonize everyone here and drum up a lot of anti-Met sentiment. Kind of messes things up for the rest of us more rational Met fans around here, but what do you care, I guess?
He is a huge Mets fan… Mets will always be top 1-3 in spending unless they need to go down the 3rd or 4th year( I’m not sure) like most teams do that spend way north of 250 mil
So what? They already have a high payroll and they’re not very good. A billionaire with a checkbook could just mean a lot of bad contracts, an expensive, yet mediocre team, which is what they are now.
Arte 2.0?
That’s what I’m afraid of. An even more expensive version of that.
MetsFan22; You’re madness has no end.
“They already have a high payroll and got injured” fixed it for you…
I don’t judge the team according to your delusions, Metsfan22. Injuries happen to every team every season.
If they don’t get injured.
Ok keep telling yourself
I actually wouldn’t doubt it. Why not. Now that sports teams everywhere are marketing for diamond kings and fan duel don’t you notice how many extra points are missed and how in football they pass by field goals at the drop of a dime. Something doesn’t sit well with me there. But I digress and say I bet he will be selling a ton of baseball cards in the stadium or maybe out of his trunk in the parking lot since he purchased the #1 collectible card grading company in the world. These guys are now getting over $100 bucks to grade a single card because the demand is so great.
Please don’t open a casino by Citifield. It will fill the stadium with degenerate gamblers. Citifield is a pretty nice place right now. Don’t ruin it.
Von – the “degenerate gamblers” you are looking to avoid at citifield won’t leave the casino to watch 4hrs of baseball… you may cross paths with a few of them on the train home but thats about it. Also – some of us are pretty nice and cool to hang with lol
My gambling addiction, my choice. Don’t like it? Then go to a third-world country where gambling is illegal like Canada or Britain!
Canada and Britain-third world…good one.
When did Britain forbid gambling? I think you are mistaken
Apparently now the term third world includes countries with LESS poverty than the US.
If that’s true why are their teeth so messed up? Anyway, your opinion is irrelevant, British “person”
You have the socio-political understanding of a drunk toddler, Fletcher.
When I speak of the haters and losers like Cosmo2, I do so with great love and affection. They cannot help the fact that they were born messed up!
amen, cosmos!
Holy crap, that infantile comment by Fletcher got two thumbs up already?! Doesn’t speak well to the intellect of this community. What a world.
Some people were born without a sarcasm detector. So very sad.
I mean, there’s sarcasm and then there is being a jerk in an over the top, obviously half serious way. I’d put Fletcher’s comments in the latter category. But yea, they’re obviously just trying to get a rise. I’m done taking the bait.
You comment on this site to spew cringe and spread pro-UK propaganda.
I comment on this site because I have hundreds of loving supporters who would walk over hot coals to hear my based viewpoints on the Mets, the UK, and Ronaldinho Soccer 64 for the Nintendo 64.
We are not the same.
PS: You the type of dude to yell “Geronimo” and hold your nose while you do a cannonball into a pool
Ok ok, I get that there is some kind of joke here, although I must confess I don’t quite get what it’s supposed to be.
David Fletcher is awful at baseball, just like you are awful at humor. Grow up and do better.
FletcherFan69 should rebrand to FletcherFan71 to reflect the 2021 OPS+ of his favorite player.
Of course he is! There’s tons of money to be made off Mets fans betting on their team!!!
If you can’t pay your debt at the casino would the punishment be you have to work as the GM of the Mets?
Cohen is probably going to go with a dry analytics guy. But none of those types of guys (Beane, Bloom, Stearns, Klentak) have ever proven themselves and ultimately won anything. Meaning Mets fans are going to be stuck with an owner whose baseball philosophy ultimately doesn’t win titles
Leave it to the Mets to consider every executive expect those actually interested in the job.
THAT is the true lol Mets narrative. It’s not that no one wants the job, it’s how they go about trying to fill it.
But they do finish above .500, so a step in the right direction.
Not sure why Bloom is included in there. He rebuilt his farm AND the Sox made the ALCS in his 2nd year. Mets fans would be thrilled to have a guy like him. Beane is a fraud though
nonesense. Matt Klentak is great and I suggest the Mets hire him asap.
Oh no, please don’t poach from our most venerated farm system staff either…noooooo..please
I’m looking up in the sky to make sure it is not falling.
The end must be near considering the Angels are actually making investments in their scouting department.
Now go find guys to beef up the arm farm!! (Cows are rejoicing everywhere).
Sure would be nice to have some decent players to watch in San Bernardino.
While I don’t know if the new farm system hires are great or not, I do like the fact Arte is finally investing in the farm. There are more people in place than in the past and I’d hope a guy with 16 years experience in scouting is able to recruit some talented scouts.
Minnassian was at the top of the food chain evaluating talent for the Braves– it’s what he does best. He’s assembled an entire team of respected baseball minds, and this is a very good hire. He is taking the organization in a different direction.
I still think the Mets should think outside the box and go with Vince McMahon. He’s experienced in business, entertainment and dealing with athletes. Tow added bonuses – he’s crazy rich so will probably get along with Mets owner and he most likely have “a guy” to help Cano get back to his old self. Fill all the BS type jobs with wrestlers and they will pack the stadium every night.
Certainly has access to all the roids Cano needs!
Yeah ,the Mets can sure use all the Roids they can get there hands in. Might bring them a division title, after they collapsed again in the second half.
San Diego hiring Melvin, the Mets better get on the stick or will be left with nothing but bottom-enders; Do they know what they are doing? Trying to be optimistic, may be something going on we don’t know about…Keep the seat belts fastened :).
“Do they know what they are doing?”
I’m half hoping that’s a rhetorical question. So far the answer is an overwhelming “no”.
Re. McMahon: BVW was the last time the Mets thought outside of the box. No thanks on WWE retreads.
But think of the cross marketing..Make the Miz the firstbase coach , mark henry the strength coach, replace ron darling in the booth with Jesse Ventura. Make every players walkup music or entrance music old WWF wrestler entrance music. How awesome would a bench clearing brawl be with a HHH or a Kurt Angle coming flying out of the dugout.
riffraff, I was skeptical about the whole WWF angle, but I’m on board now. You got me with Jesse Ventura in the booth. And I can picture The Miz doing a Viennese Waltz in the 1B coaches box…
Mets should look at Scioscia. I don’t know if he’d be willing to go to the east coast, but he would stabilize things for the Mets.
That would be great, although there are a lot of Met fans who hate Scioscia for reasons of playoffs past.
As I posited before, he will end up with a Gambino Family member running the Mets – and now the casino too.
Great job, Cohen, you’re doing swell.
These comments become more moronic by the day.
It’s mostly Deepfake Nebraska talking to his other personalities/accounts.
They have meds for that, don’t they?
Thorazine?
How about a lobotomy?
. …Rather, current Mets president Sandy Alderson is still actively seeking permission to interview the No. 2 and No. 3 executives with various clubs as the Mets seek a new baseball ops leader.”
What does this mean?
It means we still have no idea what the heck Sandy is doing.
@Cosmo- Sandy still has no idea what the heck he is doing, either.
Yea I’m starting to come around to that opinion myself
@Cosmo2, it’s perplexing also become reports say Cohen is leading the search. I guess it’s possible Alderson is identifying the candidates, while Cohen is handling the interviews and will make the final decision.
GMs and Assistant GMs. They are working their way down the list.
But I thought I’d it was a promotion it didn’t require the existing team to grant permission
If it’s a promotion, teams often grant permission, but not always. If someone is under contract, there’s no obligation to allow them to interview elsewhere.
He’s targeting executives for a lateral move which, predictably, isn’t working. In short they’re not interested in candidates who would actually want the job. It only makes sense to Cohen and Alderson.
Stearns is number 2 exec Beane is a number 2 etc,
Great move for the Angels. Minnassian has assembled some really smart talent evaluators in the organization, and Milwaukee knows what they’re doing. I really like this hire.
The Angels won their one WS when they were committed to young players.
A’s are restructuring / rebuilding. Astros are a great team, but about to lose some of their mainstay’s to FA.
The door is open for he Angels and Mariners over the next few years. The Angels start with a few real superstars along with a number of quality players in their core. I like what Artie is allowing Minnassian to do. They have to develop Pitchers from within, and they’re finally taking steps in that direction.
You are exactly right. Detmers and Bachman are a good start, but they drafted a whole bunch of major league talented arms this past draft– they need to do that three more years in a row– and I think they will. They have a commitment from a Dominican kid who is a 16 year-old catcher who they say is a stud. Invest in Latin America– it’s a joke Vlad Jr. wasn’t signed by us. I have no problem with signing high priced free agents as long as they are either front loaded or preferably short term. Scherzer for two years– great. But you can’t buy everything you need,
Mets should just get it over with and hire David Samson lol.
Calcetines, that is seriously funny. I wonder how many got it. The only thing Samson was good at is movie trivia. He even sucked on Survivor. As a baseball exec, couldn’t be worse.
OK as a long time Mets fan if the Mets are NOT going to consider Brian Sabean, Michael Hill, and Jeff Luhnow then I guess I have to consider not rooting for the Mets my boyhood team! You suck Cohen you have brought nothing but ruin to an already bad organization by bringing Sandy back who doesn’t want anyone around him any smarter than he is which is just about everyone. Mets fans have suffered under the Coupons and now your promise of hope is a circus of despair. I root for the Angels as it does not conflict living out here and I guess that’s all I got. Thank you Cohen for ruining 52 years of baseball loyalty; you sir SUCK!
I feel a lot like you do, I may be jumping back on the Padre bandwagon; I’m waiting to see what moves the Mets make, it doesn’t look promising so far, they’re moving too slow, good people will be gone, I hope I’m wrong.
I imagine you may feel dissolution over the promise the Mets had for this year. I would encourage you to reconsider or maybe just reserve it for a little longer. This was Cohen’s first season. We probably all should have expected some amount of learning curve.
As for Sandy, I’m pretty sure he is actually looking for his replacement. That’s at least what I remember from before. He was only going to stay on for the season to help the new POBO get his feet under him. I might be wrong though so if someone can confirm or deny what I just said, please feel free.
George Costanza is probably available
He’s also probably not interested. Lol
“He is only going to gain more money now. Not right away but we’ll be a powerhouse starting next year” -MetsFan22
I..I..how do you not learn, MetsFan22? How I ask?!?! You JUST saw how unexpected a season can go. Between injuries AAAAND several underperformers, the Mets season imploded. The postseason hasn’t even ended and already you are making aggressive statements like the above.
I know you don’t reply to my comments anymore and that’s fine. I just have a talent for trying to reason with the unreasonable. I mean, the Mets will be a powerhouse but not right away? Starting next year? Next year is the soonest possible time the Mets COULD be a powerhouse, so what does “not right away” mean?