MILWAUKEE — The Mets are making a list, checking it twice, and paring it for second-round interviews.
And according to industry sources, mega-agent Brodie Van Wagenen has emerged as a serious candidate to fill the vacancy for the Mets’ head of baseball operations as the team moves toward next week’s callback interviews. Van Wagenen held preliminary talks with the club this week.
The 44-year-old Van Wagenen is the co-head of the baseball division at CAA sports and his clients include Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Yoenis Cespedes and Todd Frazier.
Cardinals director of player development Gary LaRocque and Nationals special assistant De Jon Watson have been removed from consideration for the job, according to sources, and Tigers VP of player development Dave Littlefield’s candidacy resides on the fringes — but it was unclear as of Friday if he had officially been removed from the list.
The 65-year-old LaRocque was the most surprising of the candidates to be eliminated before the second round, given his deep experience in scouting and player development — which owner Fred Wilpon has prioritized, according to sources — and roots in the organization (he previously served as Mets scouting director when David Wright was drafted in 2001). But team officials informed LaRocque that his lack of experience in dealing with agents was a significant factor in eliminating him from consideration.
Fred Wilpon is expected to conduct second-round interviews along with team COO Jeff Wilpon beginning next week. The Mets plan to make the candidates available to reporters afterward to gauge their interactions with the media.
First-round interviews were conducted by Jeff Wilpon and assistant general manager John Ricco.
Here is the latest breakdown of where things stand headed to the second round:
The Favorites
Doug Melvin: The Brewers senior adviser served as the club’s GM from 2002-15 and was still leading Milwaukee’s front office when key moves occurred that helped form the foundation of the team that played Game 6 of the NLCS on Friday. Among those moves: acquiring reliever Josh Hader in a trade with the Astros. The Brewers reached the playoffs in 2008 and 2011 with Melvin as GM.
The 66-year-old Melvin was also Rangers’ GM in the 1990s, when the club reached the postseason three times. Melvin has a deep background in scouting and player development and is known throughout the game for his easygoing demeanor.
Van Wagenen: The star agent lacks baseball operations experience, but has a solid understanding of the Mets from his dealings with the front office in recent years. Van Wagenen also represents Brandon Nimmo, Tim Tebow and prospects Justin Dunn, Anthony Kay and David Peterson.
In the mix
Kim Ng: The 49-year-old MLB executive also has been mentioned as a candidate to fill general manager vacancies with the Giants and Orioles. If hired, she would become baseball’s first female GM.
Ng has front office experience with the White Sox, Yankees and Dodgers. She is well-versed in the day-to-day operations of the job. Ng would bring a blend of experience in player development and analytics to the position.
Chaim Bloom: The Rays senior VP of baseball operations has the deepest analytics background of the known candidates and is well-regarded for helping keep Tampa Bay competitive on a tight budget. The 35-year-old Yale graduate is the youngest of the known candidates, but that could work against him, as sources have indicated Fred Wilpon’s preference is a more-seasoned candidate with whom he can relate.
On the fringes
Littlefield: It’s unclear if the Tigers’ VP of player development has officially been eliminated from the mix, but a source indicated he was a long shot to receive a second interview. Littlefield, 58, was Pirates GM from 2001-07, during which the club struggled under severe payroll restraints.
Potential wild-cards
Casey Close: The agent’s most famous client, Derek Jeter, runs the Marlins. Could it be Close versus Jeter in the NL East?
Omar Minaya: The former Mets GM is embracing his special assistant’s role, according to sources, and in no hurry to return to the day-to-day grind, but is among Fred Wilpon’s top confidants and can’t be completely ruled out.
— additional reporting by Joel Sherman
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