Mets bring Mickey Callaway back as manager, source says
Mets manager Mickey Callaway looks on from the dugout against the Brewers at Citi Field on April 14. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
What had been assumed for months is now official: Mickey Callaway will be back in 2019 for a second season as the Mets’ manager, a source said Friday.
Callaway, in town for organizational meetings, and general manager Brodie Van Wagenen met Thursday at Citi Field, one in a long series of first-week sitdowns for the new GM, sources said. Sources described the meeting as productive and positive, the same tone Van Wagenen struck Tuesday while addressing Callaway’s status after their preliminary conversations.
“I fully support him and I think that one of the themes that we’ve discussed today, and will continue to be a part of this new regime, is a culture of positivity,” Van Wagenen said at his introductory news conference, although he stopped short of saying Callaway would be back. “He has enthusiasm and he has energy and I want to embrace that and use that to inspire players.”
In a season beset by injuries and weak organizational depth, Callaway’s Mets finished 77-85, fourth in the NL East but seven games better than 2017. After going 5-21 in June, one of the worst months in franchise history, the Mets had the best record in the division from July onward at 45-37.
Callaway’s status was never much in doubt, though chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon said at the end of the season that it would be up to the eventual new GM to decide his future.
“Mickey and the staff did a nice job not letting anybody quit and keeping them moving forward, which was certainly something that could have happened,” Wilpon said in September. “I’d like Mickey to stay. That’s from ownership, though. And we’re going to rely on a new GM to give us that direction and guidance.”
The Mets have not finalized plans for Callaway’s coaching staff.
Roster roulette
Trivia question — what was the Mets’ first transaction under Van Wagenen?
After a flurry of moves Friday, there are many answers.
In an effort to clear space on the 40-man roster — and empty the 60-day disabled list — the Mets made moves involving 11 players, some of them mere technicalities and some of them potentially career-altering.
Righthander Rafael Montero (injured all year) and utilityman Phillip Evans (injured at the end of the year) were outrighted and elected free agency. Similarly, righty reliever Jamie Callahan, who didn’t pitch in the majors this year, became a minor-league free agent. The Cubs claimed utilityman Jack Reinheimer off waivers. Lefthander P.J. Conlon was outrighted to Triple-A Syracuse, remaining Mets property.
Everybody else who was on the DL now is off it: Yoenis Cespedes, Travis d’Arnaud, Juan Lagares, T.J. Rivera, Eric Hanhold and Bobby Wahl. That is just a formality and doesn’t say anything new about those players’ availability (or unavailability) at the start of 2019.
Montero and Evans are most noteworthy.
Montero, 28, had a shot at the Mets’ Opening Day roster despite a bad spring training (he was out of minor-league options) until he blew out his elbow and had Tommy John surgery. In parts of four seasons with the Mets, Montero, once among the club’s top prospects, had a 5.38 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP.
Evans, 26, was poised to receive significant playing time in the final third of the season, but a questionable slide by Washington’s Adam Eaton on Aug. 1 broke Evans’ leg and ended his year. He has a .241/.328/.278 slash line in 34 games across two major-league seasons.
The Mets’ 40-man roster has 38 players.
