Why Andy Green Isn't a Great Option for Mets GM Position

There has been speculation that interim manager Andy Green could be the Mets' next general manager. That idea sounds better on paper than it does in practice.

New York Mets interim manager Andy Green has been rumored to be a GM candidate for the team. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Mets have been surprisingly competitive down the stretch, and a lot of credit goes to interim manager Andy Green. It would have been easy for the Mets to fold up shop when Carlos Mendoza was let go at the end of June, but Green has brought positive energy to the locker room and accountability to push the team's younger players to be better.

Despite a significant portion of the fandom and owner Steve Cohen expressing their desire to see Green stick around as the permanent manager, Green has repeatedly made it clear he wants to return to his role in the front office. Prior to this assignment, Green was in charge of the organization's Player Development apparatus, which has seen many talented youngsters take big leaps forward in the second half of this season.

One interesting alternative that has been floated lately is Green potentially returning to the front office, but in a new role: general manager. The Mets have operated without a GM since Billy Eppler resigned after the 2023 season due to a phantom IL scandal, with David Stearns taking over as the team's top baseball decision-maker ever since.

While Stearns has plenty of assistant GMs to help him with day-to-day responsibilities, there has been a thought that hiring a permanent GM would free Stearns to focus on more big-picture items to help build the Mets into a perennial contender.

SNY's Chelsea Janes reported last week on speculation about Green ascending to that role, noting his familiarity with players in the organization and strong working relationship with Stearns could make him a natural fit for the position.

Why Andy Green is not the best candidate for Mets' GM position

That being said, Stearns' best chance to fix the 2027 Mets may well involve a GM candidate who isn't Green. Even though Green is a respected baseball man with good knowledge of the organization, the Mets could strongly benefit from looking outside the organization to fill that role.

The Mets have experienced many of the same issues over the past few years, namely making poor decisions on external acquisitions, which can be tied to poor pro scouting calls. Pro scouting is not Green's expertise, but even if it were, the Mets should be looking to add a new voice to the room that isn't wedded to the exact same process Stearns' group has operated with since 2024.

With a lockout all but certain to happen this winter, the tempo of the offseason will change. All baseball-related transactions involving big-league players will immediately halt, leaving front offices little to do besides speculate on options when work resumes, freeing up time for the Mets to both find their next manager and add a strong GM to their front office.

Keeping Green around in his original player development role makes a lot of sense, especially since the Mets have made major strides in that area since he arrived. Pushing Green into the GM role could also work, but it would be an unnecessary risk, as there are plenty of qualified candidates available who would jump at the opportunity to work with Stearns in this market.

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