While the Yankees are fighting for their playoffs lives, the Mets are in full off-season mode and interviewing candidates.
And this morning before the Yankees took on the Astros in the Bronx, Houston bench coach Alex Cora reportedly took a stroll out to Queens and interviewed for the Mets job.
Cora is in his first year as Astros bench coach, but he is highly regarded and favors the modern game, which is analytically minded. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s bilingual and can relate to the latin players.
“He’s a guy that always is looking for information that he could use against the opposite team,” said Astros designated hitter and former Met and Yankee Carlos Beltran. “And he’s also, he provide that information to the player, which is great. He has good communication with the guys, respect the guys. He’s always in the clubhouse getting to know the players, getting to know which buttons he could push on each player to make them go out there and play the game hard, which is great.
“I think I always feel that sometimes managers, they draw a very defined line between players and manager. And sometimes they get caught up not going to the clubhouse because they don’t want to feel like they’re invading their space. But as a player I love when managers come to the clubhouse, sit down, talk to us, get to know us, ask about our family, about everything. And that really, for me, means a lot. So Alex does that real well.”
Cora is also interviewing for the Red Sox and Tigers open jobs.
The Mets also reportedly have interviews lined up with Joe McEwing, Manny Acta, Bob Geren and NYSD’s Rich Mancuso reports former Mets third base coach Chip Hale will also get an interview.
Former Tigers manager Brad Ausmus removed himself from the running and Robin Ventura reportedly does not have interest in the job.
Hitting coach Kevin Long is reportedly the early favorite.
The second round of interviews may begin next week.
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