Mets dismissing Buck Showalter more about their future than his faults

NEW YORK — The Buck Showalter era in Queens has come to an end.

Hours before the New York Mets’ regular-season finale, in the Citi Field press conference room, the veteran skipper announced in his trademark Florida Panhandle drawl that he and the club were parting ways. There were no tears, but the typically free-flowing and jovial Showalter took on a much more somber, direct tone Sunday.

That energy insinuated the obvious: This was not a resignation or a mutual parting of ways. Those leading the Mets, or about to lead the Mets, initiated the removal. Showalter, simply put, was fired.

“I think the players know I would never quit or resign,” Showalter revealed after the game. “I had four of five of them in my office today and they said, we would have seen through that in about 30 seconds. But I appreciate it. It was a classy move on the organization and Steve’s part.”

There’s an argument that Showalter’s position atop perhaps the single most disappointing MLB team ever necessitated his dismissal. The Mets entered this season with the largest payroll in baseball history and stratospheric expectations. Instead, they dealt away two Hall of Famers at the trade deadline and finished the season 74-87, 9.5 games out of a playoff spot.

Not all the catastrophe that was the 2023 Mets belongs on Showalter’s shoulders. The front office handed him an old, flawed and shallow roster. Managers are not miracle workers.

The motivation behind and timing of Buck’s dismissal is obvious: On Monday morning, the Mets plan to introduce their new president of baseball operations, David Stearns.

“It became clear that he wanted to go in a different direction,” Mets owner Steve Cohen said of Stearns. “And that’s certainly his right, and I gave him that right. It’s no different then when a CEO comes into a new company, they bring in some of their own people.

“This is not a reflection on Buck. Buck did everything that we wanted him to do. Obviously the season was a disappointment, but it’s not Buck’s fault; it’s spread across the organization.”

Stearns, who took on an advisory role with the Brewers in the final year of his contract this past season after building them into perennial contenders, is considered one of the sport’s most forward-thinking and progressive general managers. In Milwaukee, Stearns enjoyed an incredibly productive relationship with current manager Craig Counsell. As he looks to modernize the Mets organization, Stearns, who will outrank GM Billy Eppler, likely feels it imperative that he and the manager speak the same baseball language.

This type of arrangement is commonplace in MLB. A change in front office leadership is often accompanied by a change in the dugout. Would you agree to manage an F1 team if you couldn’t pick the driver? This change is not necessarily an indictment of Showalter or the job he did, but a blunt recognition that new times call for new measures. Buck simply didn’t fit the future.

But portraying Showalter as an old-school old-head is overly simplistic. Showalter was not an out-of-touch dinosaur incapable of leading a modern clubhouse. He is still generally a respected presence who garners reverence around the game. The standing ovation from his own players as he delivered the lineup card pre-game shows as much.

“I was surprised. I was surprised. There was nothing wrong with him,” Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor said of Showalter’s ouster afterward. “He was a true professional and let us know before so that we all knew. Once again he was very accountable. I appreciate him. I love him. It was one of those conversations where there was a lot of seconds with like, silence. And then him saying what he thought and his beliefs.”

First baseman Pete Alonso added: “I was really really upset. He’s an unbelievable manager. I think he’s a great mentor.”

Hired ahead of 2022, Showalter oversaw a magical 100-win season which, at least for a summer, rejuvenated the fan base with a level of optimism not seen for years. Only a scalding charge from the Braves kept the Mets from capturing the division crown. Yes, their October exit at home to the Padres was cruel and swift and sudden, but the playoffs are a crapshoot, as Showalter’s managerial record highlights.

Still only 67, Showalter declined to say whether he’d manage again in the future. Both San Francisco and Cleveland have managerial jobs open that could use an experienced hand, while the Padres are among others that might become available and enticing. The Giants in particular would be an interesting landing spot as they and Mets appear to be entering divergent approaches.

While New York’s hiring of David Stearns implies the implementation of more analytically inclined processes and systems, the firing of Gabe Kapler seems like the end to an era of fiddling at the margins in favor of a more star-studded roster, the likes of which could suit Showalter.

If Showalter never manages again, it’s the conclusion to a phenomenal career, albeit one that never reached the mountaintop. He’s collected the 19th-most wins in MLB history, more than any other skipper without a ring.

This is a baseball legend, who deserved a more ceremonious ending to his time in Queens. While he failed to deliver the franchise a championship, Showalter brought the organization a level of respectability it lacked in previous seasons.

Now, the next one, and a new era, essentially begin Monday.

“It’s not always fair,” Showalter said. “We should have played better. Simple as that.”

Jake Mintz, the louder half of @CespedesBBQ is a baseball writer for FOX Sports. He played college baseball, poorly at first, then very well, very briefly. Jake lives in New York City where he coaches Little League and rides his bike, sometimes at the same time. Follow him on Twitter at @Jake_Mintz.