MLB rumors: Astros bench coach floated as candidate for Mets job if Mickey Callaway gets fired
Callaway is one of a handful of managers on the hot seat
The New York Mets' 2019 season is all but officially over. Entering Tuesday with just six games left in the regular season, the Mets fell five games behind the Brewers for the final NL wild card spot. Manager Mickey Callaway is set to miss the playoffs for the second straight year, and the Mets manager is on the hot seat heading into the offseason.
In the case that the Mets do depart with Callaway, there's already a candidate for the job, according to ESPN's Buster Olney.
If the Mets change managers, one of the candidates likely to be considered is Astros coach Joe Espada.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) September 24, 2019
Joe Espada is currently in his second season as the Astros bench coach. Previously, he served as the Yankees third base coach from 2015-2017 under former manager Joe Girardi.
While the Mets came close to grabbing a playoff berth thanks to a second-half surge back into contention, the team's season was full of dysfunction all around. First-year general manager Brodie Van Wagenen has publicly stood by Callaway, but at the same time, there were reports citing the GM was undermining his manager. Both Van Wagenen and Callaway denied the repots. And to go along with the Mets front office drama was plenty of clubhouse and injury drama.
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