The New York Mets have replaced Carlos Beltran. Quality and control coach Luis Rojas has been chosen to lead the club into the future.
According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the New York Mets are finalizing a multi-year deal that would name Luis Rojas the team’s next manager.
The Mets are working to finalize a multi year agreement with Luis Rojas to be the new manager.
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) January 22, 2020
Rojas has been in the Mets organization for a long time. He first joined in 2007 as a low-level minor league coach. He’s worked his way up the ranks and managed at four different minor league levels over eight seasons. It wasn’t until 2019 that Rojas got his first taste of the major leagues.
Rojas has a strong connection with many players on the team. He managed 12 of them during their minor league careers including, Jacob deGrom, Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil. He also made a strong impression on the veterans during his time with the team last season.
Robinson Cano, in particular, grew fond of Rojas. He campaigned for Rojas to be considered for the manager job in November, now he gets his wish.
Andy Martino of SNY is reporting that the New York Mets’ coaching staff will stay the same. Meaning Hensley Meulens, Chili Davis, Jeremy Hefner, Tony DeFrancesco and Gary DiSarcina are all staying in the same roles they had under Carlos Beltran.
Mets coaching staff will remain same under Rojas
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) January 22, 2020
With this hire, Rojas is now the second-youngest manager in baseball. He’s just 24 days older then Minessota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli.
Rojas’s age has led to a ton of questions about his readiness to be a major league manager. Baldelli’s success, 2019 AL manager of the year, should alleviate some of those concerns.
It should also be noted that Rojas comes from baseball royalty. He’s a member of the Alou family. His father is a former major leaguer and major league manager Felipe Alou, and his brother is former Met Moises Alou.
With a new manager in place, the Mets are ready for the 2020 season. Only time will tell if Rojas will be able to live up to the huge expectations for the New York Mets in 2020.
Update
According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, Rojas is expected to get a two-year deal with multiple club options attached.
Luis Rojas gets 2 guaranteed years in Mets deal, plus team options
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 22, 2020
That’s a weak contract for a manager. The standard manager’s contract is for three years. All eight of the managers hired in October or November got three-year deals.
This kind of contract is a sure-fire way to make sure the media and fans think the franchise isn’t sure in their hire. That’s not the kind of start fans wanted to see for Rojas’ tenure.
