Buck Showalter Tells WFAN He Wants To Be Considered For Mets Job

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Buck Showalter says he'd like to be considered for the Mets' managerial opening, although he admits he's uncomfortable publicly campaigning for it.

The veteran manager was a guest on Steve Somers' WFAN show on Thursday night. He initially tried to sidestep questions about his interest level in succeeding Mickey Callaway, who was fired earlier in the day. But Showalter conceded he's open to the possibility of managing the Mets. 

"Yeah, I'd like to be talked about it, but I'm not going to campaign about it, and I'm real uncomfortable even talking about it with you now because there's a lot of good people out there and they're going to make a good decision," Showalter said. "They'll have reasons why and why not, and, you know, I respect that."

Showalter, 63, has 20 years of major league managerial experience with the Yankees, Diamondbacks, Rangers and Orioles. The three-time AL Manager of the Year has led teams to 11 winning seasons, five postseason appearances and three division championships. He, however, has never guided a club to the World Series.

Older managers often face questions about whether they truly embrace the analytics age of baseball. Showalter said he has no problem with a front office having input into his decisions as manager.

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"It's always been that way," said Showalter, now an analyst for the YES Network. "(Former Yankees general manager) Gene Michael and I used to sit down and talk about the lineup every night. (Former Rangers general manager) John Hart and I used to sit down and bang it around, and you bang it around with your coaches. I welcome that. I'd like to think that we have good reasons for the things that we do. And the best organizations are the ones that are able to bridge all the departments into pulling on the same rope."

General manager Brodie Van Wagenen said the Mets have compiled an "expansive" list of candidates. He did not name names, but some possibilities could include former Yankees manager Joe Girardi, former Cubs skipper Joe Maddon, Astros bench coach Joe Espada, Dodgers bench Bob Geren and former Blue Jays manager John Gibbons.

To listen to Somers' interview with Showalter in which they also preview the Yankees-Twins AL Division Series, click on the audio player above.