After parting ways with Mickey Callaway, the Mets are searching for a new manager. Here's the latest on candidate Joe Girardi...
Oct. 24, 9:22 AM:
The Phillies have hired Joe Girardi to be their manager, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reported, adding that an announcement could come later on Thursday.
While Girardi was the choice among many Mets fans, there was never an indication that the team viewed him the same way.
"This is not surprising," SNY's Andy Martino said on Thursday. "The Phillies have been way more on Girardi than the Mets. Brodie Van Wagenen has been going through a process of trying to choose his next manager very carefully, make sure he feels a connection with the guy. And that's more important than winning a news cycle or satisfying a portion of the fan base that wanted a certain guy. What the fans want is to win. It's on Brodie to pick a manager he can win with, and he's gotta do that now."
Girardi had his second interview with the Mets earlier this week, and was removed from contention for the Cubs opening when they hired David Ross on Wednesday.
Oct. 23, 9:49 AM:
David Ross is expected to be named Cubs manager, reports David Kaplan of ESPN 1000, who notes that Theo Epstein and Ross' camp are currently working out contract terms.
The above takes Girardi out of play for the Cubs job and leaves the Phillies and Mets as his two current options.
According to SNY's Andy Martino, Girardi's camp expects a resolution soon, with the Mets not counted out "completely" but the Phillies "in hot pursuit."
Oct. 22, 5:39 PM:
Appearing as a guest on Mike Francesa's WFAN show Thursday afternoon, Joe Girardi provided an update on where things stand with his search for an MLB managerial job, or at least as much of an update as he could.
Girardi said all three teams he's met with -- the Mets, Phillies, and Cubs -- are all potentially still in play, and that he has not completed all of his interviews.
"I have not heard anything from anyone, so I'm going to say there's still three teams. But I'm not sure. I haven't been told a no by anyone yet," said Girardi. "I feel really good about the interviews that I've had. But as I've told my son, it's not how I feel, it's how they feel."
And while Girardi doesn't seem to expect any kind of announcement in the next 48 hours ("I would say maybe a little bit more"), he does expect to get some answers soon.
"I think there will be some clarity with it pretty soon," he said.
Girardi also emphasized that all three potential landing spots could be a good fit for him, and that he doesn't have a pecking order in terms of which job he'd prefer.
"I think they're all good jobs, really good jobs. They all have great markets, they all have passionate fans that want to win, they all have ownership groups that want to win, so yeah I think they're all good jobs," said Girardi.
"To me, the big thing is the relationship and the comfortability factor of everyone working together."
SNY's Andy Martino confirmed earlier in the day that Girardi was having his second interview with the Mets on Tuesday. He reportedly had his second interview with the Phillies on Monday, according to David Kaplan of ESPN 1000.
Oct. 22, 9:10 AM:
Girardi will have his second interview with the Mets on Tuesday, with Eduardo Perez and Tim Bogar having theirs on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, SNY's Andy Martino confirmed.
Oct. 21, 11:43 AM:
In Philadelphia on Monday for his second interview, Girardi is "the clear favorite" to get the Phillies manager job, reports David Kaplan of ESPN 1000.
SNY's Andy Martino reported last Thursday that the Phillies "seem more likely for Girardi still than (the) Mets."
With the Mets whittling their candidate list down, Girardi is among the candidates to advance to the second round of their process.
Oct. 18, 8:44 AM:
The Phillies have "heavy interest" in Girardi, reports SNY's Andy Martino, who says Philadelphia has not yet made a decision on who they will hire between Girardi, Buck Showalter, and Dusty Baker.
Girardi's interview with the Mets has already taken place, Martino reported.
Oct. 17, 1:10 PM:
Joe Girardi, Buck Showalter, and Dusty Baker will all have second interviews with the Phillies for their manager job, reports Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Breen -- who reports that Girardi and Showalter are viewed as the favorites -- added that the three above candidates are believed to be the only candidates for the Phillies job, with the process expected to wrap up on Monday and a resolution expected soon after.
Oct. 16, 7:16 PM:
Joe Girardi stepped away from his post as Team USA's manager for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo because he has ongoing interviews with MLB teams and needed to decide now, the MLB Network and Fox Sports analyst told Mike Francesa of WFAN.
"I was committed to the Olympic team and about a week ago -- maybe even a little bit more -- I started discussing there was a possibility that I wouldn't be able to do it because of some of the things that I was going through interviewing and I couldn't commit because you have to report on Sunday," Girardi said Wednesday afternoon.
The former Yankees manager (2008-17) said that the move was made in confidence of him getting an opportunity to manage a ballclub after he completed his first-round interviews with pending next steps on deck.
"I have interviewed with some clubs," Girardi said. "Interviews are still going on, so I am not finished and I will continue to go through the process and wait and see what happens."
Girardi added that the interviews spanned across three MLB teams.
"I felt that they all have went well," Girardi said. "So it's just some second interviews and going through the process to see what comes to fruition."
Money has not been discussed yet with any of the ballclubs, but Girardi felt confident in his belief that he would get back in the game.
"I really believe that I'm going to get an opportunity," Girardi said. "I do."
Girardi's name has been popular among Mets fans since New York fired Mickey Callaway after two years Oct. 3.
SNY's Andy Martino first reported Oct. 1 that the Mets intrigued Girardi, who wanted to manage again and spent nearly a decade in New York with the Yankees.
Girardi's candidacy has been weighed with pros and cons, including an endorsement Oct. 9 from Yankees general manager Brian Cashman to SNY's John Harper.
However, the Mets are not the only ones with reported interest in Girardi.
The Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies have also been linked to Girardi over the past two weeks after the two ballclubs fired Joe Maddon and Gabe Kapler, respectively, and entered the hunt for a new manager.
Carlos Beltran, Mike Bell and Derek Shelton have headlined the darkhorse candidates without experience, but outsiders have found the outcome of the Mets passing on Girardi or Buck Showalter difficult to imagine.
Eduardo Perez and Tim Bogar reportedly entered the mix in the past week, too, but Girardi remains one of the top names to keep tabs on while the Mets' search continues.