Source: Mets let go of farm director in front-office shakeup
The Mets at Clover Park during a spring training workout on Feb. 21, 2023 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
Nearing the end of a messy season, the Mets have begun making changes.
They parted ways on Thursday with director of player development Kevin Howard, a source said, part of a wave of moves shaking up the front office ahead of an offseason of potentially even larger movement.
Owner Steve Cohen said in June that he still wants to hire a new top baseball executive — a president of baseball operations — potentially as soon as this fall. A change at the top typically comes with changes down the ladder, and now the Mets have created at least several openings for the new hire to bring in his own people.
Among the others also no longer with the Mets, according to a source: director of pro player evaluation (scouting) Jeff Lebow, director of performance Jim Cavallini and director of baseball development Bryan Hayes.
Most of general manager Billy Eppler’s inner circle of baseball executives remains intact. Howard, who also served as a hitting coach for the major-league team for most of the 2021 season, and the others joined the club under previous baseball operations regimes.
The Mets’ next farm director, when hired, will be their fifth in seven seasons.
Carrasco stays put
Presented with the opportunity to add Carlos Carrasco at no cost except for his remaining salary, the other 29 teams declined to claim him off waivers from the Mets prior to the Thursday afternoon deadline.
That means Carrasco will remain with Mets unless they decide otherwise. His current role is uncertain. He was available out of the bullpen on Wednesday, but manager Buck Showalter mentioned him as a possible starter for Saturday against the Mariners. Carrasco, 36 years old and a free agent after this season, has a 6.80 ERA and 1.70 WHIP this year.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
