ORLANDO, Fla. – The second round of Mets managerial interviews will go a lot quicker than the first.

Bob Melvin and Chip Hale will meet with Mets brass on Wednesday, while Wally Backman and Terry Collins will have their chance on Thursday. The second round of interviews, taking place near the GM meetings in Orlando, will be conducted by new GM Sandy Alderson, his top lieutenants J.P. Ricciardi, Paul DePodesta and John Ricco, while Mets COO Jeff Wilpon will sit in.

“As to whether that’s the end, that remains to be seen,” Ricco said. “We have to see what happens with each of them.”

Alderson characterized the field as “wide open” on Tuesday, but Collins and Melvin are considered definitive frontrunners. The team is hoping to have reached a decision by Thanksgiving.

The final four was paired down from an original group of 11 candidates.

With AP