New York Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen wanted a skipper who could really connect with the ballclub’s players.
This past offseason, the New York Mets underwent not one, but two managerial searches. After parting ways with Mickey Callaway, the Mets decided to hire former centerfielder Carlos Beltrán in early November. Beltrán lasted just 2.5 months though, eventually stepping down due to his role in the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal.
So then the Mets decided to promote quality control coach Luis Rojas to be the ballclub’s new skipper. Neither Rojas nor Beltrán has ever managed in MLB before, but both possess a unique quality that caught the eye of general manager Brodie Van Wagenen.
“There was something we were looking for specifically for this club, we wanted a guy that could clearly be a players’ first manager, somebody that could walk into our clubhouse and connect with the guys, be able to cross cultural lines with our clubhouse, be able to connect with the veterans, be able to connect with the young guys, the American kids, the international guys. And we felt like Carlos, and now Luis were the right fits,” Van Wagenen told Evan Roberts and Joe Benigno of WFAN Sports Radio.
Rojas now possesses the task of leading this ballclub back the postseason for the first time since 2016. New York was in the playoff hunt until the final week of the regular season last year. They finished 86-76, which is mightily impressive considering they were 11 games under-.500 at one point in July.
With plenty of talent on the roster, look for the Mets to make a run at October baseball in 2020.
