Oquendo will be last of first-round interviews

The Mets will complete their first round of managerial interviews Monday by talking with the Cardinals' Jose Oquendo, who will sit down with Sandy Alderson at the GM meetings in Orlando, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Oquendo, 47, has spent the past 11 seasons as the third-base coach under Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, who was hired by Alderson in Oakland. He has only one year of minor-league managing experience, in 1998 for the short-season Class A New Jersey Cardinals, but did serve as the manager of the Puerto Rico team for the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2009.

Oquendo has a brief Mets connection, having played two seasons in Flushing, and is probably best known as a versatile utility man that appeared at every position - including pitcher - during his 12-year career, including a decade with the Cardinals.

He will be the 10th candidate to interview for the Mets' managerial opening, just as the second round is beginning to take shape. As Newsday first reported Thursday, it appears that Bob Melvin, Terry Collins and Clint Hurdle are likely to get second-round interviews, according to an industry source, with Chip Hale another possibility.

A person familiar with the situation said Friday that Wally Backman also is expected to make the initial cut, as the Bergen Record first reported this week, but Alderson has yet to announce any of the finalists.

The Mets would like to finish their second round of interviews next week in Orlando during the GM and owners' meetings, considering that all of their front-office executives will be in attendance. If that proceeds as scheduled, the Mets could announce their next manager by the following week, with a Citi Field news conference before Thanksgiving.

Alderson is in Puerto Rico this weekend to attend a fundraiser for Carlos Beltran's baseball academy, and that also will be his first opportunity to talk with the centerfielder about the upcoming season, the last of his seven-year, $119-million contract. Beltran said Thursday that he would be open-minded about possibly moving out of centerfield, if it was in the team's best interests, and also would consider waiving his no-trade clause, if that scenario came up.