Mets executive vice president and general manager Brodie Van Wagenen is leaving the organization, the club announced (via Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News). Also departing are special assistant Omar Minaya, assistant general managers Allard Baird and Adam Guttridge, and executive director of player development Jared Banner.
New owner Steve Cohen had already confirmed he’d bring in Sandy Alderson to lead baseball and business operations once his purchase of the franchise became official. That made it seem likely Van Wagenen, the outgoing Wilpon family’s choice to lead baseball operations, might find himself on the outs. His departure mere hours after Cohen officially assumed control of the organization isn’t a huge surprise.
Nevertheless, it comes as quite the shock that four other high-ranking Mets’ officials will follow him out the door immediately. It’s not uncommon for incoming ownership groups to bring in a new baseball operations leader who gradually reshapes the composition of the front office. Wholesale changes of this magnitude at the top of a baseball operations department, though, are unheard of.
More to come.