The Mets are approaching a decision on who will take the reins from Buck Showalter as the clubs new manager, per , with a decision from star manager expected in the next few days. That, Martino notes, seems to set the Mets up to act quickly regarding their own managerial vacancy; if Counsell settles on the Mets, the Mets will of course hire him for the position, while Martino suggests that Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza is another very strong candidate for the role. Martino implies Taijuan Walker Jersey that Counsell and Mendoza are regarded as the two finalists for the role, noting that the only scenario that could hold up the manager search in Queens is both Counsell and Mendoza electing to take jobs elsewhere. Thats not nece sarily a completely far-fetched scenario, however. After all, Counsell seems likely to have his pick between the Mets, Guardians , and the incumbent Brewers , all of whom appear to be prioritizing Counsell as their top option to lead their club in the dugout next year. Its unclear where Counsell will ultimately land, that Counsell will at least offer Milwaukee a chance to match whatever salary offer he receives from New York and Cleveland. If Counsell does wind up returning to Milwuakee, relayed recently that the favorites for the job with the Guardians would then be Mendoza and Mariners coach . That creates at least the po sibility of a situation where the Brewers retain Counsell while the Guardians land Mendoza, leaving the Mets unsure about who their next manager will be. Cubs bench coach and former Padres manager as well as current As manager have both been noted as po sible candidates for the manager job in New York in the past, and the Mets are known to be searching for an external candidate, specifically. More managerial notes from around the game The Astros could be nearing the end of their search for a manager to replace veteran skipper Dusty Baker, who retired at the end of the 2023 season. Per , GM Dana Brown is pushing for the organization to promote bench coach Joe Espada to take over for Baker in the role. That being said, even an endorsement from Brown doesnt nece sarily guarantee the job will go to Espada; after all, as recent reports have indicated that both owner Jim Crane and adviser Jeff Bagwell will have over who takes the reins from Baker in the dugout when all is said and done. Former Tigers and Angels manager along with third base coach are among the other for the managerial gig in Houston. Before the Padres settled on Bob Melvin to manage the club during the 2021-22 offseason, indicates that president of baseball operations met with former Padres and Giants manager Bruce Bochy regarding his interest in the position. Krasovic relays that per Bochys agent Tony Attanasio, Preller and Bochy met twice that offseason in Bochys home in Nashville, TN. Attanasio suggests that Bochy wasnt especially interested in returning to San Diego, and of course the club wound up hiring Melvin for the role instead. For his part, Bochy would return to the game as skipper of the Rangers in 2023, leading the club to its first World Series championship in franchise history. Philadelphia Phillies Jersey