The Mets are expected to soon begin a search for a president of baseball operations to guide a front office currently led by team president Sandy Alderson.
Where will they turn, following a tumultuous year on and off the field? A look at some of the possibilities:
Any list has to begin with the free-agent Epstein, who left the Cubs after last season to take a step back from the daily grind. Epstein has spent this season working for MLB, but hasn’t provided any clues about his interest in returning to front-office life. Epstein, who will turn 48 in December, has presided over three World Series winners, two with the Red Sox and one with the Cubs, and might want an ownership stake to work for the Mets.
Billy Beane
The 59-year-old former Mets outfielder could come full circle and return to the organization that selected him in the first round of the 1980 draft. But Beane is also heavily entrenched in Oakland, with an ownership stake in the Athletics, and has delegated much of his authority in recent years. Would he want to assume the responsibility and stress of running a front office in New York? Beane has a tight relationship with Mets president Sandy Alderson from their time together in Oakland in the 1990s. Alderson worked as a consultant for the Athletics in 2019 and ’20, after leaving the Mets.
David Stearns
The Brewers’ president of baseball operations was on the Mets’ wish list last winter, but Alderson never received permission to speak with him. Stearns, a 36-year-old New York native, is under contract with Milwaukee through only next season, perhaps increasing his leverage this time around with the Brewers if the Mets try to pursue him. Under Stearns, the Brewers have become perennial NL Central contenders.
Josh Byrnes
The Dodgers senior vice president of baseball operations was a finalist to lead the Mets’ front office following the 2010 season, when Alderson got the job. He was on Alderson’s radar last offseason, but didn’t want to be considered for the position because of a family matter. Byrnes, 51, who previously served as a general manager with the Diamondbacks and Padres, has helped build the Dodgers into MLB’s premier franchise.
Jeff Luhnow
The former Astros president of baseball operations, who will turn 55 in December, was suspended for the 2020 season, after he was fired from his position in the fallout from the team’s illegal sign-stealing scheme. A.J. Hinch and Alex Cora, two managers fired after the scope of the transgressions was revealed, have since returned to baseball. Could the Mets give Luhnow a shot at redemption?