The Mets don’t have an easy task luring coveted free agent manager Craig Counsell away from his hometown Brewers, where he’s won 86-plus games six straight years. The Mets aren’t likely to match the record $8 million Joe Torre salary, and while they should be high bidder, some still wonder whether Counsell would leave the team of his youth and year-round residence for a million or two more.
The Brewers should also be able to make him the highest-paid manager with top managerial salaries lower lately; he made $3.5 million and the now-retired Terry Francona led the way at $4.5 million. (Bruce Bochy is said to make about $4 million plus perks, and Bob Melvin made $4 million.)
The Guardians are interested in Counsell, but it’s hard to see them beating out the Brewers and deep-pocketed Mets. The Guardians are also considering Steven Vogt, Andy Green and Carlos Mendoza. …
— The Rangers took care of bench coach Will Venable, preventing him from leaving for Cleveland or the Mets. He’s obviously a candidate to replace Bochy when Bochy retires.
— Melvin gets a plus for negotiating skills, getting a two-year Giants extension off the Padres’ 82-80 season.
The Mets will interview Craig Counsell for their manager opening. Bill Greenblatt/UPI/Shutterstock— The Padres will consider in-house candidates Mike Shildt and Ryan Flaherty for manager. They loved Marlins manager Skip Schumaker when he coached there, and he’s upset over GM Kim Ng being forced out in Miami, but folks don’t think it’s likely Miami lets him leave, a la Melvin.
— The Angels are considering Buck Showalter and some less experienced managers. The Angels did hire Showalter guy Dom Chiti as a pitching coordinator.
— Pirates bench coach Don Kelly is a future manager, but word is he prefers to remain in Pittsburgh for family reasons, for now. His father-in-law, Tom Walker, the former Expos pitcher and father of Neil, passed away this week.
Mets president David Stearns (r.) and owner Steve Cohen (l.) Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post— Former Mets GM/president Sandy Alderson quietly left the team and is weighing his next move. His remarkable cancer journey was detailed by his Sloan Kettering oncologists and Alderson on a podcast. He survived a relapse and other infirmities, remarkably recovered and is doing great now.
— Would like to see Lou Piniella, who finished one vote shy last time via the veterans committee, make the Hall this time.
