Theo Epstein out of running for Mets front office

NEW YORK — Theo Epstein will not be coming to the Mets.

A source familiar with the situation said Mets owner Steve Cohen and Epstein spoke and had a good conversation on Wednesday. But both agreed joining the Mets front office was not the right opportunity for Epstein.

Cohen and Epstein realized pretty quickly — on a Zoom call that was more friendly chat than job interview — that this wouldn’t work out, according to a source. The two respect each other, but agreed it’s not the right time for either Cohen or Epstein to bring the latter into a front office role.

They never discussed any potential roles for Epstein, though the club would’ve preferred for the exec to take over its baseball operations.

Epstein was the white whale in the Mets’ search for a president of baseball operations. The longtime baseball executive led the Red Sox and Cubs to three championships before transitioning to his current role as a consultant for MLB.

They can now pivot to Brewers head of baseball ops, David Stearns, and Oakland A’s executive VP of baseball operations, Billy Beane. The Mets will need permission to speak to Stearns and Beane, as both are under contract. Alderson and Beane have a close relationship, beginning with their time in the Oakland front office in the early 1990s. Alderson, then-GM of the A’s, hired Beane to take over the position in 1997.

Beane, who the Mets drafted No. 23 overall as a player back in 1980, discussed the rumors that he could come to Queens. In a lengthy answer, Beane never said: “No.”

“This has happened through my career,” Beane told reporters on Monday when asked if he’ll take an interview with the Mets. “It’s a credit to the organization and a reflection of the success. It’s all speculation. Normally, the process would involve them calling the owner, which has happened in the past. For me to be worried about this is really to lend credibility to it. It’s all just press reports.”

The Mets prefer to hire a president of baseball ops with experience, and someone who will stabilize a front office that currently consists of team president Sandy Alderson and assistant GMs Byrn Alderson, Sandy’s son, and Ian Levin. The club placed acting GM Zack Scott on administrative leave after his DUI arrest last month, for which Scott pleaded not guilty. Alderson indicated the Mets would make a decision on Scott following his next court date, scheduled for Thursday in White Plains, N.Y.

Cohen tried to hire a head of baseball ops last season, but the Mets did not receive permission from teams to speak to their top candidates. Alderson was hopeful last month that the Mets would have better luck in that department this offseason.

“You want somebody well-rounded, who would have skills in all those different areas,” Cohen said in Nov. 2020 of the qualities he’s looking for in a person to lead operations. “I’m not crazy about people learning on my dime. Hopefully we can find someone who is well-rounded and has abilities in multiple areas.”

Epstein, of course, fits that description after breaking the title curses for the Red Sox and Cubs. Epstein won two World Series rings over the span of a decade in Boston before earning a third championship with the Cubs in 2016. When Epstein landed with the league as a consultant regarding on-field matters in Jan. 2021, he said his goals include owning an MLB team one day. He is one of five executives ever to lead multiple organizations to championships.