According to New York Mets franchise legend Jose Reyes, baseball great Albert Pujols told him that he would “love” to manage the ballclub.
The Mets fired Carlos Mendoza in June after a brutal start to the season that saw the team in last place in the National League East, replacing him with Andy Green on an interim basis.
Mets president David Stearns has said that Green will not be considered for the full-time job, as the team will embark on a thorough search this offseason for the team’s next manager.
One name that has been connected to the Mets is Pujols, the MLB legend who was in talks with the San Diego Padres this past offseason to get their managerial job before it went to Craig Stammen.
According to Reyes, Pujols wants the Mets’ managerial job — and he told him that straight up.
Albert Pujols Wants to Manage New York Mets
Speaking to TMZ, Reyes — a Mets franchise icon in his own right — said that he recently spoke to Pujols, who told him that he would “love” to manage the Mets.
“I was talking to Albert Pujols. I posted on my social media, talked to him. He’d love to come manage the New York Mets. He told me that,” Reyes said.
Pujols does not have any MLB managerial experience, but he did manage the Dominican Republic team in the World Baseball Classic this spring.
Moreover, there has been a trend in recent years to give MLB managerial jobs to former players who have limited managing experience, so the Mets would not be out of their element if they gave the job to Pujols.
If he truly wants the job as Reyes said he does, then the Mets should try to make it happen, as Pujols is an all-time great who would be able to handle the bright lights of New York.
Jose Reyes Stumps for Carlos Beltran
Although Reyes did say that Pujols wants the job, he personally would like to see another Mets franchise legend, Carlos Beltran, get the team’s managerial job instead.
“Carlos Beltran, that’s the guy that I want to take this job, but let’s wait to see how Green’s going to do and go from there,” Reyes said.
It is worth noting that Beltran was previously hired by the Mets to be the team’s manager in 2019, but he resigned before he ever managed a game for the team after he was implicated in the Houston Astros‘ sign-stealing scandal.
However, that was seven years ago, and he would likely be able to get another chance now as others from the sign-stealing scandal have moved on with their baseball careers.
In 2023, Beltran joined the Mets’ front office, so he is working for the team right now, so it should theoretically be fairly easy for him to get the manager job if he wants it, since he already knows Sterans and the organization well.
But if Pujols truly wants the gig, then that’s the guy the Mets should target.
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