Is Buck Showalter right man to lead Mets in 2024?
Mets manager Buck Showalter during the first inning against the Rangers at Citi Field on Tuesday. Credit: Ed Murray/Ed Murray
Coming off his fourth Manager of the Year award, and a 101-win season, Buck Showalter’s future with the Mets was not something that figured to be in question on the brink of September.
Then again, most of the stuff that’s transpired in Flushing (or Port St. Lucie) over the previous seven months was beyond anyone’s imagination when the original $377 million roster was assembled last winter. The Mets, forever on brand, outdid themselves in the worst-case scenario department.
But since we’ve already turned our attention to 2024, it’s worth asking how Showalter fits into this don’t-call-it-a-rebuild effort underway at Citi Field. The only certainty in the equation? Showalter has one season remaining on his original three-year, $11.25 million contract, at a guaranteed $4 million, so owner Steve Cohen is on the hook for that amount whether he’s in the Mets’ dugout or an ESPN booth.
That’s couch-cushion money for Cohen, and wouldn’t be an obstacle to making a change, if that was the ultimate decision. After the financial component, however, Showalter’s situation enters more of a gray area, with much of it likely hinging on whether or not Cohen is able to finally hire a president of baseball operations at season’s end.
Showalter is expected to sit down with Cohen and GM Billy Eppler at in the near future to discuss next season, a source said Tuesday, but the group has yet to have those conversations. Any planning for 2024 probably is going to involve a fourth person as well at some point. Would the Mets go with a different voice in the manager’s chair to match a new vision going forward? Or if Cohen insists that his ’24 team will fight for contention — despite the pledge of scaled-back spending — is the sage Showalter still the right man for the job?
It’s no secret that Cohen has been eyeing Brewers executive David Stearns, the former GM who’s essentially been in limbo with Milwaukee this past year as he waits for his current contract to expire. Cohen hasn’t detailed the powers of that position in his view, but going by the title, that hire would be above Eppler, who brought Showalter on board.
Cohen suggested earlier this season that a new baseball ops prez could work in tandem with Eppler rather than replace him, but without knowing that person’s vision for the Mets, it’s difficult to predict the road ahead. Still, Showalter has a few significant allies in place. Eppler figures to endorse him, and Showalter should benefit from a huge clubhouse backer in Francisco Lindor, who has Cohen’s ear when it comes to the club’s decisions.
When I asked Lindor about Showalter’s potential role in this next phase for the Mets, he was quick to mention his former Cleveland manager, Terry Francona, as instrumental in piloting the Guardians through their retooling phase — and sees those same qualities in Buck. Mostly due to the experience factor, and having a greater say in baseball operations.
“Tito was part of a rebuild and restructure of an organization,” Lindor told Newsday before Tuesday’s game. “And that’s what Buck is here for as well, to help restructure the organization. I think he’s great. He’s an amazing man, an amazing manager, and he’s helped me a lot.
“The longer you’re around people, the more you learn how to interact. Buck’s been amazing at that. I’ve got the utmost respect for him, and for his staff. He’s brought in the right people. He checks up on everybody. He’s around. He makes it known that he’s available and he’s there for us.”
Showalter’s role has shifted considerably, however, since Aug. 1 — when Eppler triggered the “re-purposing” of Cohen’s record payroll and cashed out any October hopes for this season. Although the Mets have yet to be officially eliminated from playoff contention, they’re currently in development mode. Showalter maintains that doesn’t revoke his primary directive.
“First of all, we’re trying to win baseball games,” Showalter said Tuesday. “But within that context, you’re trying to do what’s best for the organization long term.”
That’s not really what Showalter signed on for. Despite managing for nearly a quarter century, and 1,712 career wins, he’s still chasing a World Series ring — and Cohen’s billions seemed to provide a shortcut to his lifelong dream. That’s been shelved for now, with the odds dropping for next year, too. Such a radical change necessitates an adjustment in mindset.
“Is it hard? No, it’s part of the job description,” Showalter said. “Everybody’s weighed in on next year — and that’s a conversation for another time — but I can tell you how me and the coaching staff and Billy [Eppler] are wired to win every game. There’s also some things you’ve got to keep in mind with your decision-making, so you’re always trying to bridge both.”
That “bridge” is going to impact the Mets’ success over these last five weeks, and Showalter’s ability to straddle both roles could play a factor regarding his future in Flushing. By any measure, this season has been a Titanic-level disaster, with the last-place Mets sinking to 13 games under .500 (60-73), before Tuesday night's 2-1 loss to the Rangers. But now it’s more about determining if Showalter can lead them back to respectability — again.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.
