Mickey Callaway is expected to return as Mets manager next season, according to a baseball source. Even if the team brings in a new general manager, Callaway would remain in his position, the source said.
While the Mets have many question marks entering the 2019 season, as of now, Callaway's job is not one of them. The rookie manager signed a three-year contract last October. After an 11-1 start, the team plummeted to 27-27 by May 31 and were 45-63 entering Sunday's game against the Braves.
Callaway took the news in stride before Sunday's game, saying, "You know it could happen at any time and I know I'm going to get fired one day. So, I try not to worry about it and do the work."
The Mets have internal candidates, led by John Ricco, for the GM job, but the source said the team will also look outside the organization after the season. Indians GM Mike Chernoff, who began his career as an intern with the Mets, has been reported on a growing list of names.
Callaway said the front office and ownership has remained supportive throughout what has turned into a dismal season. "They said, 'Just keep on working the way you work,' " he said. "You can't control wins and losses all you can do is control the work and how you do it' I think all of us have been aligned on that the whole time and knew that coming in."
Callaway said he has not approached the job as one he was in jeopardy of losing.
"I tried not to focus on that," he said, "obviously everybody, as a person you think about what could happen, you know, reality of the situations. But I always try to just go out there and approach the game and the job every day like this is going to be my job forever and try not to worry about the repercussions of us not winning games and things like that as far as it pertains to me. I'm just worried about the players, the work, do the best we can.
"I try to make sure that I ask people to evaluate me as much as possible. I get the analytics department to send me information on my decision making, where we're at as a team, obviously I always leave it open to the front office to always question me, I'm open to constructive criticism. I'm always going to take feedback from others on how I can better. I always ask other coaches, managers, whoever I can run past questions, to try and get better."
Callaway, 43, was hired last October as the team's 21st manager. His deal includes a club option for the 2021 season. He had spent five years as the pitching coach of the Indians and during that time Cleveland led the major leagues in team earned run average, strikeouts (1,614) and strikeouts per nine innings. The Mets were 20th in ERA (4.38) before Sunday's games.
Callaway became the Mets No. 1 choice after a long lunch with principal owner Fred Wilpon. He also received a strong endorsement from Sandy Alderson, who in June essentially relinquished his duties as general manager as he battles cancer. Alderson had called Callaway "a contemporary thinker in terms of strategy."
The Mets were largely derailed by injuries in Callaway's first season, particularly with the loss of slugger Yoenis Cespedes, who played in just 38 games before his season ended last month after it was disclosed he would need surgery on both of his heels. "It was tough that the injuries happened," Callaway said. "Reality sets in, you're going to be missing some of these players. Obviously, a long tough stretch after that and we're kinda still in it, trying to dig ourselves out. I think the way to combat that is to focus on the work and try to get the players that you have better every day."
