N.Y. Post
Mets President Sandy Alderson will "return to his front office roots, overseeing the club’s baseball operations" for '21 after "failing to land a top outside candidate for the position," according to Mike Puma of the N.Y. POST. Alderson "plans to hire a general manager who will collaborate with him on baseball operations decisions." Sources said that Brewers President of Baseball Operations David Stearns, Indians President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti and Rays VP/Baseball Operations & GM Erik Neander "were on Alderson’s radar," but receiving permission to interview them "proved problematic." Alderson said that he "didn’t reach out" to Theo Epstein. A rival exec noted that Alderson was "probably the best available candidate to head the Mets’ front office." Alderson said that "about six candidates have interviewed already for the GM vacancy." Meanwhile, Alderson has "officially informed Luis Rojas he will return as manager," but the new GM will have "other positions to fill, including assistants and hiring a director of player development, along with analytics personnel" (N.Y. POST, 11/24). Alderson initially said that he "planned to have a seat at the table but not at the head." He then added, "Maybe it will be a round table and I’ll be the only one with a chair with arms" (AP, 11/24).
FOUNDATION FOR SUCCESS: On Long Island, Colin Stephenson writes Owner Steve Cohen’s financial might "may make things easier on the Mets as they try to shape their roster" for '21. Still, Alderson noted there is "much work to do to be a contender next season." Alderson: "Do we have a good foundation? Yes, I think we have an excellent foundation. But I think that our needs are multiple at this point and that we’re more than a player away." He added that the search for a GM will "not hold up anything on the player acquisition front." On what it has been like to work with Cohen, Alderson said, "What stands out the most is how he’s embraced his ownership and his relationship with the fans" (NEWSDAY, 11/24). MLB Network's Chris Russo said Cohen is "going to make some moves" in free agency. Russo: "New kid on the block. He’s a huge Mets fan. He’s worth $14 billion. … They will spend some money” (“High Heat,” MLB Network, 11/23).
REDEMPTION SHOT: In N.Y., Mike Vaccaro writes Alderson has a "genuine opportunity that few executives in any sport are ever afforded: the chance to tweak a legacy, the opportunity to rewrite a recent chapter in what has been, on the whole, a distinguished baseball life." It "didn’t end well for Alderson with the Mets" last time. On the day he stepped away in June '18, Alderson said, “If I were to look at it on the merits, I’m not sure coming back is warranted." Vaccaro: "Now he gets a chance to leave behind one final parting gift before handing over the reins to the Mets’ future architect, whoever that may be" (N.Y. POST, 11/24). MLB.com's Richard Justice said of Alderson's role: "This is not a bad thing for the Mets. Is it a long-term thing? Probably not, but in a lot of ways Sandy Alderson is the godfather of the modern major league general manager, and he is really good" (“MLB Tonight,” MLB Network, 11/23).
MR. MET: In N.Y., David Waldstein notes Cohen in Twitter has "engaged with dozens of fans in the last week or so," addressing "many of the topics that Mets fans have argued about for years." These exchanges are a "dramatic departure from the previous ownership group" led by Fred and Jeff Wilpon and Saul Katz, each of whom "shied away from engaging with fans in any public venues, probably to avoid being bombarded with laundry lists of grievances over perceived mismanagement of the team." Cohen, on the other hand, is "seen as a knight in shining armor, galloping in to save the franchise from oblivion with an arsenal of cash, a reputation as a savvy business manager, and now as a likable new figurehead." In an era of "social media managers, it is fair to wonder if it is actually Cohen behind the keyboard." But the responses "feel genuine and are littered with just enough typos to lend credence to the idea that they were hammered out by a person between meetings" (N.Y. TIMES, 11/24).
MOVING ON: Mets Exec VP & Chief Revenue Officer Lou DePaoli will be departing the team, effective Dec. 31. He will remain with the organization during the current ownership transition phase through the end of the year, but then will be off to seek other opportunities (THE DAILY).
