*Photo from CBS Sports*
The New York Mets have named Luis Rojas their new manager to replace Carlos Beltran, according to Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen. Beltran stepped down last week after the Astros sign stealing scandal, when he was the only player named in commissioner Rob Manfred's report detailing the charges against the Astros. Rojas previously served as a manager in the Mets minor league system before becoming quality control coach for the 2019 season under former manager Mickey Callaway.
Van Wagenen said of Rojas becoming manager that "He's very, very well qualified, we anticipate him to be a great addition to our team. We think he has the ability to be consistent, to be calm under pressure, and to understand the opportunity that this team has as we head into the 2020 season. He's someone that the organization knew extremely well, and he’s someone that the players knew extremely well, when it came to this unfortunate circumstance, we didn’t want to change the values that we outlined for ourselves in the initial process. We wanted to continue the momentum that we have with the work that’s been done in preparation for Spring Training, and we felt like Luis was in a position to be a leader of that group."
There has been player support of Rojas too. Once the news broke, star 1B Pete Alonso tweeted that "Loved having Luis in ‘17 and ‘18 as my AA manager! It’s awesome playing under him and having him on staff last year as well!!! Super pumped to have him as the Jeffe. Also he throws some damn good bp." Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman said that he "Loved being around him on the bench last year, always eaching and full of knowledge. Super laid back and brings nothing but great vibes each and every day. … Excited even more for the year!"
Rojas will become the second youngest major league manager, trailing only the Twins manager, Rocco Baldelli. After the Mets formally introduce him as manager, Rojas will fly to Florida to continue preparing for spring training. The Mets are expected to hire a new quality control coach, but don't expect any other changes. Pitchers and catchers report to Mets spring training on February 12, at their facility in Port St Lucie, FL.
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