Reese Kaplan -- Waiting for the Announcement Everyone Knows is Coming

The whole interview dance card appears to be filled and they are now going through the motions of an equally accessible and important job function as the new manager of the Mets.  

Yeah, right.

This whole process was always just stage setting for plans XYZ if plan A didn't accept the position.  Everyone knows the job was Buck Showalter's to lose and he would have to have gone all "Wally Backman on an umpire" during the interview for his candidacy to fall aside.  The only issues are how much money he wants, how many years he wants and what time to schedule the first press conference.

Now while it seems I'm being harsh here, please don't misunderstand.  After the less-than-spectacular luck the Mets have had with Mickey Callaway, Carlos Beltran and Luis Rojas it became clear to everyone that they were going to pick someone with a deep managerial pedigree.  The only variable in play was which one to choose.

Just because someone has managed for a long time doesn't necessarily mean that they are good at that role.  Take Terry Collins for example.  He had been out of baseball for a dozen years before the Mets decided in true Wilponian fashion that promoting someone who was already on the payroll and who had once long ago had experience seemed like a good idea.  Needless to say, it wasn't.  

This time around the Mets were somewhat constrained by the contractual obligations many current managers had with their current employers, so it became more prudent to consider the folks who were not under any such constraint.  

The members of that group included Showalter, Bruce Bochy, Brad Ausmus and a few others.  Of that group, Showalter had the best reputation, a winning record and a demonstrable period of his resume spent facing the media and fans in New York.  The process was pretty much over before it ever started.

What was a little surprising during the quest to fill this job opening were the others in the mix for the lead role.  Some were reasonable long shots like Joe Espada and Matt Quartraro who had been on the interview dockets for other ballclubs in the past.  The fact they did not get offers does, however, speak volumes.  

Bob Geren received his invitation a bit late in the email.  Others who were summoned to the Zoom podium included the Dodgers' Clayton McCollough whose named didn't set off any large scale purchases of champagne.  

At no point did the Mets consider terminated Cardinals manager Mike Shildt who was sent packing over so-called philosophical differences with the senior management.  The fact he had three full seasons under his belt with one first place finish, two second place finishes and an NL Manager of the Year Award on his shelf to go along with a highly impressive 252 and 199 record would seem to suggest the man knows what he's doing.  

No, he doesn't have 20 years as a major league manager and no, he hasn't worked in New York, but he sure seemed on paper to be the kind of guy with greater potential than the five also-rans.

While we await the formal announcement of Showalter's new source of paycheck, the next round of speculation will be on who the man will hire for his coaching staff.  Everyone was pushed out the door except Jeremy Hefner, so Showalter and his peers will have to move quickly to put together a team of personnel who they feel can help move the Mets in the right direction towards the first division.  

Until the lockout ends, there's no player movement that can take place, so manager and coaches are what we have to debate over the adult beverages with fellow fans.  

Showalter is a very reasonable choice that no one in baseball will dispute.  The soundness of the reaction probably is the primary reason this decision was made.