Mets Announce Buck Showalter As Team's Next Manager

A long and drawn out managerial search for the Mets has come to a conclusion.

Owner Steven Cohen announced on Twitter Saturday that Buck Showalter will be the next manager of the Mets.

Showalter, 65, will be the 24th manager in the history of the Mets, succeeding Luis Rojas. Rojas was relieved of his duties as manager on Oct. 4 after going 103-119 from 2020-21.

Meanwhile, Showalter is a three-time American League Manager of the Year (1994, 2004, 2014). He's been a manager four previous times with the Yankees (1992-95), Diamondbacks (1998-2000), Rangers (2003-06) and Orioles (2010-18). He's compiled a 1,551-1,517 record in 20 seasons as a manager.

Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro was reportedly a finalist alongside Showalter for the job. He'll stay put in Tampa, while Showalter heads to Queens.

The offseason has been equal parts chaotic and promising for the Mets. General manager Zack Scott was fired on Nov. 1, stemming from charges of drunken driving in August. Scott had been promoted to the position after Jared Porter was fired after fewer than 40 days on the job. Allegations of Porter sending sexually explicit text messages and images in 2016 to a female reporter gave him third prize.

The general manager search was a mess, with the Mets' top candidates of the Athletics' Billy Beane, the Brewers' David Stearns and Theo Epstein all declining the job. Cohen eventually hired Billy Eppler as the team's general manager on Nov. 18.

Before the lockout brought free agency to a pause, the Mets gave out big contracts to RHP Max Scherzer, outfielders Starling Marte and Mark Canha and third baseman Eduardo Escobar.

The Mets will hope Showalter can get the best out of a squad that missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season in 2021, finishing third in the NL East with a 77-85 record.

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