Top Managerial Candidate Has 'Serious' Interest in New York Mets

This top managerial candidate is said to have "serious" interest in the New York Mets' vacancy.

The interest is said to be real.

According to The New York Post, free agent manager Craig Counsell is believed to be "serious" about his interest in the New York Mets' vacancy.

The Post went on to report that Counsell and his wife, Michelle, like New York, which gives the Mets a legitimate shot to land the top free agent manager.

The word is that Counsell is interested in raising the bar for managerial salaries. The Mets have deep pockets and the ability to make Counsell, who made $3.5 million in 2023, the highest paid manager in baseball.

But the Mets will have to lure Counsell away from his home in Wisconsin. His two daughters are in high school locally and his sons play college baseball at mid-western schools. Counsell has also managed the Milwaukee Brewers for the past nine years and grew up in the area.

That said, the belief is that Counsell and Mets new president of baseball operations David Stearns have a "great" working relationship. Stearns left the Brewers at the conclusion of the season, and has Counsell at the top of his managerial wishlist. 

Stearns, who has never hired a manager before, has only been in the early stages of his managerial search, which was likely due to his desire to speak with Counsell.

Counsell officially becomes a free agent on Wednesday, but the Brewers granted interested teams approval to speak with him as of last week.

The Post reports that Counsell has sincere interest in the Mets and is not using them to drive up the Brewers' offer. The Brewers made an offer to Counsell as soon as the season ended earlier this month. 

Beyond the Mets interest, Counsell interviewed for the Cleveland Guardians managerial vacancy on Monday, per The Athletic.

While Counsell's meeting with the Mets is expected to occur soon, it hasn't been locked down as of yet.

Cleveland, in fact, paid Terry Francona around $4.5 million last season.

The Mets have the ability to make Counsell the highest paid manager in the game, and if he is truly their top target, which he appears to be, it will likely happen if they can lure him to Queens.