The Mets remain "hopeful of choosing a manager within the next few days," SNY's Andy Martino reported on Tuesday, adding that he has still not heard of any external candidates being in the mix.
Still, while the names of serious external candidates haven't come out, Martino cautioned that it doesn't definitely mean there aren't any.
As the Mets continue their search for Carlos Beltran's replacement, with most of the buzz surrounding internal candidates such as Luis Rojas, the Astros have seemingly cast a much wider net.
Houston has been linked to experienced big league managers Dusty Baker and Buck Showalter. They will also be interviewing Eduardo Perez, who was one of the finalists for the Mets job before it went to Beltran.
In addition to the above candidates, the Astros are also considering internal options such as 44-year-old bench coach Joe Espada.
When it comes to the Mets, Martino reported on Monday that a lot of their focus seems to be on deciding whether the 38-year-old Rojas -- who interviewed for the job earlier this offseason but didn't make the final round -- is ready to be their manager.
Rojas, who is the brother of Moises Alou and son of Felipe Alou, served as the Mets' quality control coach in 2019 and has been with the organization since 2007, managing at five different minor league levels.
While it could make all the sense in the world for the Astros to go external due to the stench of their sign-stealing scandal being attached to internal candidates, it could make all the sense in the world for the Mets to go internal.
In addition to his extensive managing experience, Rojas' familiarity with the Mets organization could be a huge plus as they look to replace Beltran with less than three weeks to go until spring training.