Top candidate reportedly emerges for Mets manager job

Sep 11, 2021; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets majority owner Steve Cohen and his wife Alexandra Cohen at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets reportedly have their eyes on one specific candidate as their top choice to fill their managerial vacancy.

The Mets are most interested in Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Counsell’s contract expires at the end of the season, and some around the league believe the Mets have a “reasonable chance” to bring him in.

Counsell and the Mets have been linked together for a while once it became clear that the Brewers might not be able to keep him. The ties are obvious, especially after the Mets named former Brewers executive David Stearns as their new team president.

Counsell will be highly coveted by both teams, as he has been very successful in Milwaukee. He is also a Wisconsin native and the allure of staying in his home state may be powerful. The Mets can likely offer more money, however.

The Mets are looking for a replacement for Buck Showalter, who departed at the end of the team’s disappointing 2023 season.