Sources close to the New York Mets believe the team will replace Sandy Alderson with an outside hire rather than an assistant.
New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson is currently on a leave of absence due to a recurrence of cancer. Currently, J.P. Ricciardi, Omar Minaya and John Ricco, who gave Mickey Callaway a vote of confidence, are making the decisions for the team.
However, it’s possible none of those men will take over as the next general manager (it’s widely believed that Alderson is not going to return), as Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports reports that those close to the team believe that they will turn to an outside hire.
“As for who might become get the full-time job, one person, who is close to the club-owning Wilpons, said that while ‘the Mets aren’t sure themselves,’ where they will go for a successor to Sandy Alderson, he believes that the next general manager will more likely than not come from outside the organization. That obviously isn’t set in stone, but it seems to be a prevailing opinion of others as well.”
Ricco has been with the team since 2004 and served as interim general manager between the firing of Minaya and the hiring of Alderson. He is thought to be well-liked by the Wilpons, and probably has the best chance of any of the three to become the general manager.
Ricciardi served as general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays from 2002-2009, guiding them to four seasons with records over .500 while in the same division as the powerhouse New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox of that era.
Minaya served as the Mets general manager from 2005-2010. The team reached the National League Championship Series in 2006, losing in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals.
However, the team also suffered back-to-back late-season collapses in 2007 and 2008 and he wouldn’t commit to a rebuild that was needed. That refusal led to his firing at the end of the 2010 season.
Heyman also notes that the team’s finances are thought to be in good shape now, which would be a huge benefit for whoever takes over as general manager. It appears that the Mets want to start anew with their (allegedly) larger checkbook and hire somebody from outside the organization.
