Reese Kaplan -- Managerial Approach Up for Grabs, Too!

Yesterday we examined the question of what type of GM would the Mets want for 2022 and beyond.  Obviously this question is one for the President of Baseball Operations and owner Steve Cohen to tackle.  However, it's not the only staffing decision that needs to be made.

Right now people are seemingly fed up with Luis Rojas after the shortened 2020 season where he finished in last place and this year when he rode an improbable hold on first place until spiraling completely out of control and now existing 6 games under .500 (prior to Friday night's game).  Now as a glass half-full kind of person you could indicate that he's shown great improvement if the metric in question is wins and losses.  

However, if you are a glass half-empty type, then you would look far beyond the record and delve into lineup choices, bullpen management, flaws in fundamentals, non-existing hitting and puzzling handling of the starting staff.  The number of wins isn't a solid guarantee of returning.  After all, sexual predator Mickey Callaway went from 77-85 in his rookie season upward to 86-76 in year two but was fired anyway.  

So here we are at the same crossroads on who should manage the Mets in 2022?  

Keep Luis Rojas in the Dugout

With Sandy Alderson still around we must look back with agita about his unwillingness to demand more from a manager when he kept Terry Collins in the dugout for seven painful years where he set a record with more losses than any other Mets manager.  His overall performance was 32 games under .500 having lost 583 games yet wasn't replaced with anyone better.

I refresh your memory because Luis Rojas may be a younger version of Terry Collins.  He doesn't have the depth and breadth of major league managerial experience that Collins did, but after being unceremoniously booted out of both Houston and Anaheim it was clear that he was not well suited to the job.  Players seem to like Rojas but it's a business, not a friendship forum.  Rojas has not demonstrated the ability to deal with issues like injuries, poor performances and even basic baseball fundamentals.  However, it is much easier for Alderson to advocate doing nothing than it would be to do something.  Of course, he could also use the excuse that the managerial selection is his yet-to-be-named GM's choice so he won't look like the bad guy.  

A Bigger Name Manager With More Experience

Just as this option existed for GM choices, there are veteran managers available who have a track record of success (and failure) who could be lured into New York to take charge.  The issue here is that veteran managers often get 7-figure salaries over multiple seasons, so it's a deep pocket commitment if you wanted to see someone like Buck Showalter or Mike Scioscia then you had better be prepared to relinquish the front office dictatorial control over metrics and let them do what they do best.  Nowadays, that may not be a viable way of doing things.

A Former Player With Minor League Managerial Credentials

Bringing in a known name like Edgardo Alfonzo helps address the familiarity and marketing of the manager.  Add in the dugout credentials from the minors and you have a somewhat easier sell.  However, there's no guarantee that someone who did well with the would-be players working their way up the ladder would be able to translate that success in the majors.  Look at Luis Rojas.  It's also possible to look outside the organization for another well-known player whose name recognition may not have Mets roots but could be an easy choice for the fans and the media.  Joe McEwing does have a Mets association but his post-playing career has been mostly with the White Sox as a manager of the year in the minors and as a coach in the majors.  He has yet to get the lineup pencil in his hands at the major league level.  

A Totally Raw Rookie Manager

Back in 2020 the Mets were prepared to hand the reins to new manager Carlos Beltran before his Houston Astros cheating scandal torpedoed his chances.  They were banking big time on his name recognition and Mets affiliation to compensate for the fact he had not a single inning of managerial experience.  There are many former players who sometimes make this leap.  Usually it's the bigger name folks like Ozzie Guillen or Don Mattingly.  Often folks think a hard nosed player like Chase Utley would bring his energy and attitude with him, but usually if you are not a perennial All Star you have to pay your dues with some years coaching and managing in the minors.  This approach is clearly the most risky to take and I would suspect it's not even on the table.  

So what do you all think?  Should Rojas return?  Should they go the big name route?  Should they find another seasoned minor league manager/major league coach and take a chance?