The Mets’ search for a new manager is already taking shape, and the names floating to the top are the kind that make headlines fast.
After New York was eliminated from postseason contention on Monday, the club’s rough season - one that started with 12 straight losses in April - moved into a new phase. Carlos Mendoza was fired in June, and Andy Green stepped in as interim manager. But ESPN’s Buster Olney reports Green’s path is expected to take him back to the front office, not the dugout.
“However, the plans for Green have not changed, according to organizational sources: He will return to his work in the front office rather than continue as the club's manager going forward,” Olney wrote. “(And the Mets have the option of choosing to reward Green by installing him in the currently vacant role of general manager.)”
That leaves the Mets looking elsewhere, and Olney says two prominent candidates stand out: Carlos Beltran and Albert Pujols.
Neither man has MLB managerial experience, but both bring major star power. Olney noted that owner Steve Cohen will have the final say, though he won’t override David Stearns to force his own choice.
“Steve Cohen will have final say, as owner, but he won't push [David] Stearns aside to pick his own candidate,” Olney wrote. “If Stearns wants to target a prominent name, then Hall of Famers Carlos Beltran and Albert Pujols could be in play.”
Pujols, a future Hall of Famer and one of the most accomplished hitters in the sport’s history, has already shown he can run a team in winter ball. He guided LIDOM’s Leones del Escogido to both a winter ball championship and a Caribbean Series title during the 2024-25 season. He also managed the Dominican Republic at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
The Los Angeles Angels, where Pujols spent 10 of his 22 seasons as a player, were also mentioned in the reporting.
For now, Olney says Pujols is a name to keep an eye on as the Mets work through their offseason managerial opening.
In Other News...
Sean Manaea Had A Brutally Awkward Reaction To Mets Fans
Pete Alonsos return to Citi Field had all the markings of a classic awkward reunion, and it only got louder after he launched his 300th career home run against the Mets. The blast brought a curtain call from the former fan favorite, and while plenty of Mets fans rose to their feet to acknowledge what they were seeing, the moment still landed like a jolt in a ballpark that used to belong to him.
Sean Manaea was among those left uneasy by the reception, calling the reaction to Alonsos celebration crazy and making clear he still respected the slugger even if the scene did not sit right with him. Alonso, meanwhile, kept the evening moving by engaging with fans who retrieved the home run ball, swapping memorabilia and even offering tickets to Baltimore games, a reminder that the relationship between player and crowd can get complicated in a hurry when history is involved. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Players Just Weighed In On Citi Fields Pete Alonso Problem
Pete Alonsos 300th career home run at Citi Field should have been a straightforward celebratory moment for a former Met returning to a familiar setting, but it ended up becoming something more complicated for everyone in the building. Sean Manaea and Francisco Lindor both said they were surprised, and in some ways frustrated, that a slice of the crowd was cheering for Alonso in the middle of a series that already had a restless feel around it.
Andy Green took a broader view of the reaction, calling it unusual but also a sign that fans appreciate players who do something impressive, even if they are wearing a different uniform now. The mixed response around the ballpark, including chants aimed at team president David Stearns, underscored how quickly the mood can shift at Citi Field, and why even a milestone as big as Alonsos can become part of a larger conversation about where the fan base is at right now. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Fans Just Reignited The Pete Alonso Frustration
Jonah Tong turned in one of the better nights of his young Mets tenure, working six innings without allowing an earned run against the Orioles and giving New York exactly the kind of steady outing a club wants from a top prospect. Still, the bigger conversation around the game had little to do with the line score. Pete Alonso, now facing his former team, drew a warm reception from the crowd as he came close to his 300th career home run off Tong, a moment that brought an odd mix of appreciation and frustration back to the surface.
Later, Alonso reached that milestone at Citi Field and was cheered again, a reaction that only sharpened the split feelings around his departure and how Mets fans continue to process it. For the players in uniform, it was a reminder that the Alonso story still lingers around this team, even when the baseball itself gives them plenty else to talk about. Tong did his part on the mound, but the crowds response ensured the night carried a familiar layer of tension. [Read more 🡒]