Mets name longtime executive John Ricco as new senior vice president/senior strategy officer

New York Mets interim general manager John Ricco announces that Yoenis Cespedes will undergo season-ending surgery on both heels. Ricco addressed the press before an MLB baseball game between the New York Mets and the San Diego Padres at Citi Field on Wednesday, July 25, 2018. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Longtime Mets executive John Ricco has a new role and a new title.
The Mets announced Tuesday that Ricco was promoted to senior vice president/senior strategy officer, a newly created position in which he will report directly to chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon and be involved in the team’s business and baseball operations departments.
Ricco, who was Mets’ assistant GM since 2004 but was passed over for the top job when the club hired Sandy Alderson in 2010 and Brodie Van Wagenen last fall, will work on special business and finance projects, including significant construction projects the Mets are planning for their spring training facility in Port St. Lucie, Florida, and other minor league facilities, the team said. On the baseball side, Ricco will still be involved in the Mets’ arbitration efforts, with oversight on the payroll.
“This new role will give me the chance to broaden the scope of my executive experiences, while remaining a contributor to the operations areas I know and enjoy,” Ricco said in a statement. “I am intrigued by the possibilities and excited about the challenges ahead.”
Wilpon said: “I’m extremely grateful that he’s remaining with us. He brings a wealth of knowledge on a variety of topics and we know he will have a lot of success in his new role.”
The Mets now have two assistant GMs: Allard Baird and Adam Guttridge, both hired in recent months by Van Wagenen.
Notes: Infielder Neil Walker, a Yankee last season and a Met in 2016-17, signed a one-year deal with the Marlins. … Former Mets closer Jenrry Mejia agreed to a minor-league deal with the Red Sox. Once served with a purported lifetime ban for three positive PED tests, Mejia was conditionally reinstated by Major League Baseball last summer. The Mets released Mejia in November. … Dillon Gee, a Mets rotation staple during the 2011-14 rebuild, announced his retirement Monday. He made his major-league debut in September 2010 in place of an injured Johan Santana. Injuries to Gee in May 2014 and May 2015 led to the debuts of Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaaard, respectively.




