Reese Kaplan -- So Who Might Replace Carlos Mendoza in 2027?

With Carlos Mendoza collecting his paycheck for no longer managing the Mets it seems that everyone has ideas about what kind of replacement skipper would make the most sense for the team moving out of its basement dwelling embarrassment.  Some suggest a highly polished veteran manager would make sense as first time candidate Mendoza did not inspire his team to perform productively.  Others feel that a fresh face with vast baseball career experience could make sense even if he did not have any time with the lineup pencil in his hand.  Still others feel light veterans who have 3-5 years of managerial experience could bridge the gap between these two extremes.

If you peruse the various baseball reporting sites you will find a bevy of names proposed for this role.  Some are good, some are puzzling and others are a bit unknown to the casual fan.  Let’s have a look at the 14 prospective interview candidates to see what they have to offer.

Former Minnesota Twins Rocco Baldelli manager is on the radar as well.  As a new skipper for the club Baldelli came from a coaching background that began with Tampa Bay in a variety of roles before becoming the first base coach for them in 2018.  He was interviewed by several clubs and signed to take over the helm for the Twins for the 2019 season.  He took a team that only won 78 games in 2018 to one with 101 wins in 2019, winning Manager of the Year for his effort.  He returned to the post season again in 2023 but then had two subpar years in 2024 and 2025 which led to his termination.  He has had seven years experience as a manager though not all of it was good.

To many Mets fans the return of once-named manager Carlos Beltran to that role again would generate a lot of positive publicity.  Everyone knows what he did for the team on the field and was a star quality player throughout his long career.  The issue here again is lack of experience though the Mets connection could override the normal amount of concern that would typically greet a rookie skipper.

The first really big name on this alphabetical collection of manager wannabes is former Red Sox manager Alex Cora.  He is highly respected throughout baseball and despite being terminated by Craig Breslow, he owns a 620-541 career record that spanned from 2018 through April of this year.  He has a World Series championship on his record, three playoff appearances and an ALCS appearance in 2023.  He is in the midst of a $21.75 million three year deal that pays him for the completed 2025 season, all of 2026 and the 2027 year as well.  If you hire Cora then he would lose out on that 2027 money so that salary would have to be factored into whatever you spend to bring him to the Mets. 

Some figure that current Mets coach Kai Correa will become a major league manager at some point in his future career.  The question is whether or not now is too soon for that to happen after the Mendoza implosion.  Correa started off working with the Cleveland Guardians in a variety of coaching roles and came back to be in charge of the infield there in 2018 after a segment of work at a university.  He then shifted to the San Francisco Giants where he was the infield instructor and third base coach, dubbed as interim manager for the final three games of the 2023 season.  During the 2024 season he returned to Cleveland to be their major league field coordinator who was put in charge of defense, baserunning and strategic game strategy.  His experience at the helm is just that trio of post-Gabe Kapler games.

Another green choice with limited experience is former player and coach Ryan Flaherty.  Though highly regarded, his post playing days resume is fairly limited in relevant experience.  He started off as a development guy and advance scout for the Padres during 2019 and then became an interim manager when on-field skipper Bob Melvin was out with COVID 19.  He became a bench coach for the 2023 season and then moved onto the Cubs where he also served as a bench coach ironically replacing current interim manager Andy Green.

Current manager Andy Green started off his managerial career in the Pioneer and Southern Leagues where he had great success and won Manager of the Year for the latter stint in the latter back in 2013 and 2014.  He moved onto the Diamondbacks for a year as third base coach prior to migrating to San Diego for his first major league management job in 2016.  He remained there until late 2019 when he was fired and he next showed up with the Cubs to be third base coach for manager David Ross.  When Craig Counsell arrived Green resigned and eventually joined up with the Mets to work behind the scenes.  His managerial record is not good at all.

After his playing career ended, Brandon Hyde served in a variety of coaching positions as bench coach and on the corners for the Marlins and Cubs.  The Mets tried unsuccessfully to hire him in 2018 to be a coach and he continued his journey until 2018 when the Baltimore Orioles gave him his first major league managing role.  During his first three years he kept Baltimore in the cellar before finally getting above .500 in 2022.  In 2023 he hit the 101 win mark for the Orioles and he continued in that role for the following year when he was named the AL Manager of the Year, but was cut loose early in 2025 when he got off to another miserable start.  His career record is under .500.

After an unspectacular playing career ended George Lombard Sr. worked in the lower minor leagues as a hitting instructor and manager.  He advanced up to a variety of roles helping coach outfielders and baserunning for Boston.  He then moved to the Dodgers to continue shepherding young ballplayers in their minor league system before being promoted to the big club for the 2016 through 2020 seasons.  He then moved onto the Detroit Tigers to be a bench coach where he still currently works. 

Another fringer player, Omar Lopez left playing ball to return to his native Venezuela to become a coach.  He worked there from 1999 through 2007 as a hitting and infield coach as well as a scout (during which time he advocated drafting Jose Altuve).  From 2008 to 2019 Lopez managed his way up the ladder for the Astros organization.  He spent two years managing the Venezuelan winter league before taking over for two years in AA for the Astros.  He won Manager of the Year in the Texas League.  He’s been a first base and bench coach for the Astros and continues to helm the Venezuelan WBC team.  He might be a nice get since he’s with one of the smarter organizations in the game. 

One of the less well known candidates is coach Jake McKinley.  David Stearns knew him from their previous relationship together in Milwaukee.  He then left professional baseball to become a head coach at the University of Nevada.  The Mariners then brought him back to the pros as a major league field coordinator.  He does not have any professional experience as a manager but a preexisting relationship with Stearns and a low cost figure could theoretically entice him onto the interview list.  He wouldn’t be anyone’s stop choice. 

Another Stearns crony is coach Walker McKinven currently serving as a bench coach for the White Sox.  He has no real managerial experience and his name came as a big surprise from the many scouring the possible answers to the Mets’ “Help Wanted” sign for their managerial vacancy.  He worked with the Brewers as an associate coach for catching, pitching and strategy.  He doesn’t seem to have enough on his post playing days resume to suggest he is in the top tier of candidates.

While everyone knows Albert Pujols from his playing days, considering him as a prospective Mets manager is a bit puzzling.  He does have some limited managerial experience in the Dominican Republic for Leones del Escogido for 2024 and 2025.  He was replaced for 2025/2026 but shifted over to Estrellas Orientales for the 2026/2027 season.  It’s not a deep resume as a manager but no one can dispute his long career in the majors.  His sheer presence would take a lot of pressure off the club for bringing in a Hall of Fame caliber player to take the helm but with so little experience it is not unlike the Carlos Beltran idea but without the Mets historical affiliation. 

Former catcher David Ross was holding the Cubs lineup pencil for four seasons during which he finished in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th, compiling a losing record of 262-284.  He is highly respected in the game and has had big city experience in Chicago.  However, his track record is middling and while he has 4 seasons at the helm he’s not really been outstanding other than the COVID shortened 2020 season.  He’s already said he is open and hopeful that the Mets consider him a viable candidate. 

In 2022 David Stearns named former player Rickie Weeks as a member of his player development staff.  He then spent two years as an associate manager before shifting to a more front office type of role in both domestic and international scouting as well as baseball operations.  With no real managerial experience he would be another wildcard that would open up Stearns to even more media hostility for another decision that doesn’t seem well reasoned, but he was a star player with good name recognition.