Mets reportedly considering Baker for manager job

MLB.com is keeping track of all the latest rumors involving the Mets right here.

Baker reportedly on Mets' candidate list

Jan. 18: The Astros will interview longtime manager Dusty Baker on Monday, a source tells MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi. Meanwhile, Baker's name has "gained steam" with members of the Mets' front office, the New York Post reports. The Mets, though, had not yet reached out to Baker as of Saturday morning, according to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman.

Baker's last big league job came as the skipper of the Nationals, one of the Mets' fiercest rivals, so he's certainly familiar with managing in the National League East. He has never managed in the American League.

Per the Post's report, the 70-year-old Baker was considered by the Mets last May, when general manager Brodie Van Wagenen was first contemplating Mickey Callaway's dismissal. Callaway managed the rest of the season, but was let go in October with a year remaining on his contract. Baker's experience could provide a calming effect to an organization that has experienced tons of turnover at its leadership levels over the last two years.

The conventional wisdom is that both the Astros and Mets are looking for experienced leaders in the wake of Houston's sign-stealing scandal that yielded profound implications for three different clubs.

With Beltrán out, who could Mets turn to as manager?

Jan. 16: Hired in November, Carlos Beltrán is out as Mets manager before he ever even got to sit in the dugout for a game. The Mets and Beltrán mutually agreed to part ways Thursday in the wake of Beltrán being named and implicated on Monday for his role as a player in the Astros' sign-stealing scandal.

So who might the Mets and GM Brodie Van Wagenen turn to as they search for a new skipper for the second time this offseason? More >

Teams have checked on Céspedes' availability

Dec. 19: According to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo, the Mets have received inquiries regarding Yoenis Céspedes' availability in trades over the past week.

The increased interest in Céspedes comes after the Mets reached an agreement to significantly reduce his 2020 salary. The Mets' grievance stemmed from Céspedes suffering the ankle injury in an accident on his ranch earlier this year. The settlement lowered Céspedes' salary from $29.5 million to a figure below $10 million, though he can recoup some of that money via incentives, per the New York Post.

Here are some potential trade fits for the Cuban-born slugger. More >