New York Mets to clean house, attempt to lure Brian Cashman to Queens (Report)

Steve Cohen might not have a definitive plan for the New York Mets front office yet, but Brodie Van Wagenen won’t be in charge in 2021. 

The media has been in a frenzy trying to speculate on what changes Steve Cohen is going to make to the New York Mets. The two most common reports are that Cohen isn’t going to make much change this year, but will hire a President of Baseball Operations to take over as the team’s top executive. This rumor stems from SNY’s Andy Martino, who reported that Brodie Van Wagenen wasn’t likely to go anywhere.

That news was quickly followed by rumors surrounding two of the league’s top executives, Theo Epstein and Brian Cashman. Buster Olney of ESPN reported that Cohen could take a big swing and try to lure the New York Yankees executive to Queens. Meanwhile, Joel Sherman of the New York Post believes that Epstein would be the best, and maybe even likely, choice to take over the Mets.

Now, Joe Pantorno of AMNY is coming in with more concrete news. Sources tell Pantorno that Cohen is expected to clean house when he enters. That means firing Van Wagenen and starting from scratch.

He pairs this news by corroborating a Martino report that former Mets general manager Sandy Alderson is likely to return to the organization. Pantorno reports there’s a chance he may take on a senior advisory role.

Pantorno doesn’t name any potential replacements for Van Wagenen. However, he does say he’s heard recent reports about the Mets trying to lure Cashman to Queens.

It’s hard to imagine Cashman jumping ship. He’s been with the Yankees for over 20 years, winning four World Series titles. He’s on his way to another playoff berth in 2020. He’s also got two more years left on his contract, so the Yankees would have to let him leave.

Any scenario in which Cashman ends up in Queens anytime soon is unlikely. With that said, it’s clear Cohen is looking to bring in established winning executives. He clearly wants to turn this franchise around quickly, and with the right general manager, it’s possible.

While a lot about the Mets’ future is unclear, one thing is known: Van Wagenen’s days of leading this ballclub are numbered.