The Mets will now be on the hunt for a new manager, but first, they will likely hire a president of baseball operations to put together the new brains behind what they hope will be a revitalized organization.
One of team president Sandy Alderson’s top targets could be Billy Beane, whose A’s faltered late in the season and missed the playoffs, as he still tries to win a championship in Oakland, where he made “Moneyball” a phenomenon.
Beane was asked about those rumors on Monday during Oakland’s end-of-the-season press conference, and tried to brush off those reports, though didn’t confirm or deny any potential interest the Mets may have in him, or what his interest level would be in changing franchises.
“I don’t even respond to newspaper articles,” Beane said. “It’s all speculation… Normally the process [is] they would call the owner, which is how it goes. And it’s happened in the past.”
Audacy MLB Insider Jon Heyman reported on Saturday that the Mets will “plan to request permission to interview” Beane, who shrugged off questions on Monday about whether New York had already done so.
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“I wouldn’t even know, honestly,” Beane said.
Beane has strong ties to Alderson, who gave him a job as a scout after Beane’s playing career ended, and Beane succeeded Alderson as the A’s GM back in 1997. The two reunited in Oakland’s front office in 2019 before returning to the Mets after the 2020 season. Whether the two have been able to formally speak about the position isn’t being revealed by Beane, who will almost certainly be a coveted target for Alderson and the Mets.
“This has happened through my career,” Beane said. “It's a credit to the organization. It's all speculation…For me to worry about this and lend credibility to it, it's all just press reports.”
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