Just a day after the New York Mets' season ended, the team has already begun to make some major changes.
It was announced today that Jerry Manuel will not have his contract renewed for next season.
Manuel never managed to have much success in New York. Over two-and-a-half years, he had a record of 204-213. This gave him a .489 winning percentage.
As one would imagine, this is not acceptable for a team that consistently has a payroll that is one of the top five in the league year in and year out.
As Manuel will begin looking for a new job, the Mets will begin their search for a new manager. Options range from those inside the organization such as Wally Backman and Ken Oberkfell to managers that have previously had success in New York, such as Joe Torre and fan favorite Bobby Valentine.
It was reported that the Mets had a meeting with Valentine earlier this week. He would be an interesting option for a team that was missing a spark all season. However, some people believe that his differences with the Wilpons will prevent him from landing the job.
Omar Minaya was also told today that he was relieved of his duties as General Manager and Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. Minaya knows that he was not able to get the job done in New York.
While many fans will say that Minaya was not a good GM, he did manage to bring Johan Santana, Carlos Delgado, Pedro Martinez, and Carlos Beltran to the Mets.
Minaya was quoted as saying, "I think we needed a change here... The bottom line is we had three years where we didn’t finish the job, and I’ve been in this town long enough to know that we’re expected to win... as a New Yorker, I want to see this organization win a World Series... To Mets fans...keep the faith, and keep on believing.”
While some believed that Minaya may continue with the Mets in some capacity, this does not appear to be the case. The search for a new GM will begin. In the meantime, Assistant GM John Ricco will work as the interim GM.
It appears that the Mets will look to hire a new GM before they choose a new manager. They will give the GM a chance to give his input on who he wants to manage the team. Potential general manager candidates include John Hart, Josh Byrnes, and Jon Daniels.
The team will see some other big changes this off-season. The Mets will look to move some players such as Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo, as well as bring in free agents or trade candidates to fill their holes at second base and in their starting rotation.
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