Mets make decision on Buck Showalter’s future
Apr 8, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Mets manager Buck Showalter (11) walks the dugout during the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Mets have made a decision on manager Buck Showalter’s future with the team.
Showalter met with reporters on Sunday and essentially revealed that he has been fired. The 67-year-old said he met with Mets general manager Billy Eppler and was told the franchise’s new leadership wants to go in a different direction. Showalter said the Mets gave him the option of “stepping aside,” which was clearly just a formality.
Showalter was understandably not in the best mood. Once he revealed that he will not return in 2024, he scolded the media for scrambling to their phones and being “more interested in tweeting this out and being first.”
Buck Showalter announces that he will not be returning next year and has a message for Mets fans:
"I was honored to get a chance to manage a second New York team and I'm proud of what the Mets did… I wish things could've gone better this season because Mets fans deserve that" pic.twitter.com/0cxRnauerZ
— SNY (@SNYtv) October 1, 2023
The Mets have a press conference scheduled this week to introduce new president of baseball operations David Stearns, who previously served in the same role with the Milwaukee Brewers. It was unclear if Stearns planned to keep Showalter for another season, but we now have our answer.
Showalter went 74-86 in his second season with the Mets, which was a major disappointment. The team won 101 games last year and Showalter was named Manager of the Year, so expectations were extremely high heading into 2023.
One star player recently threw his support behind Showalter, but the team feels a new manager can do better.
Now that Showalter has been pushed out, the Mets could make an aggressive push to hire one specific replacement.