The Mets should make Ruben Amaro Jr. their next GM

Some baseball franchises look at innovation and run towards it. Like the Twins, for instance. They’re thinking about implementing the opener strategy that’s been so successful for the Rays. But other teams want to run away from things like “numbers” and “analytics.” Would it surprise you that the Mets are that team? It shouldn’t!

After yet another lost season that tossed its managerial structure into chaos, the Mets, who currently have three general managers for some reason, have decided that running away from analytics is the answer. According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, Mets officials think “perhaps the Mets became too analytics driven in recent seasons under Sandy Alderson’s watch,” and are looking for a more traditional general manager.

If you’re still reading and you haven’t had to go to the hospital to treat a pulled stomach muscle from laughing so hard, you probably know how deeply ridiculous that is. Of all the Mets issues, being too analytical just isn’t one of them. A combination of injuries, meddling from owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon, and a complete inability to actually manage any of their players is more to blame than some ill-defined analytics straw man.

But as we know, the Wilpons get what they want. And what they want is to do an about face and start walking backwards, back to a time when they felt they had control of the team and the game. They want a GM that will reflect that, and there’s honestly just one choice out there: their own first base coach Ruben Amaro Jr.

Wait, don’t leave! Just hear me out! Amaro spent seven years as the GM of the Phillies, and was notoriously slow to implement advanced metrics and analytics. Amaro himself was a ballplayer, and so was his father. He’s got old school baseball flowing in his veins, which has only been reinforced by his recent time on the field. After the Phillies fired him in 2015, he remade himself as a coach, handling first base for the Red Sox before a managerial change-over left him without a job and opened the door to his job with the Mets. The only thing that could make him a better fit is if he’d worked for the Yankees at some point. We know the Wilpons love that. (Or hate? It can be hard to tell.)

Amaro has spent zero time in front offices since he was fired. He’s made no major baseball decisions. While he probably (or hopefully) sees where he went wrong with the Phillies, even if he doesn’t he’s the best GM for the analytics-averse Wilpons. Amaro might even get the Wilpons to loosen the purse strings a little! Okay, that probably won’t happen. But Amaro could be the perfect fit. When he was with the Phillies, he was notoriously ego-driven and PR focused. For a team that screws up as much as the Mets do, having a smooth talking Stanford grad explain it all can’t hurt.

Come on, Wilpons! Open up your hearts and minds to Ruben Amaro Jr., who should absolutely be the Mets next GM.