Time to go

Mets had to fire Phillips now in order to focus on the future

Three seasons ago, the New York Mets were in the World Series. Last year they finished in the NL East cellar and find themselves there once again. General manager Steve Phillips paid the price for the team's precipitous decline when he was fired Thursday. SI.com spoke with Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci about the situation.

SI.com: This move is not surprising. Why fire Steve Phillips now, though?

Verducci: The Mets will face a critical period in the next five to six weeks. They're going to start reshaping the team's future by trading off some veterans and restocking young players. New York wasn't comfortable leaving those decisions in the hands of a guy it's lost total confidence in.

SI.com: What did Phillips in was acquiring veterans who had big contracts but didn't produce. How tough will it be for the next GM to clean up that mess?

Verducci: It's not an impossible situation. Jeromy Burnitz, Roberto Alomar and Armando Benitez will all be free agents, so their salaries come off the books. The Mets will have a little bit of flexibility at the end of this season. Plus, New York is hoping insurance will pick up 3/4 of Mo Vaughn's salary if he has to retire because of his knee injury. So the situation is not totally bleak. I still believe GM of the Mets is one of the few plum jobs in the game because you will have money to work with and you have a fan base that cares about the team. The Mets don't have to go into a four- or five-year rebuilding plan. They do, however, have to take a look at what wins in Shea Stadium. Pitching and defense wins there. Trying to assemble a slugging team of veteran hitters who have track records elsewhere is not the way to go, as Phillips found out. They need to improve their pitching and defense.

SI.com: Jim Duquette has been named interim general manager. Does he have a chance to keep the job beyond this year?

Verducci: I think Duquette has a real chance of keeping the job. It's very difficult at midseason to find a permanent general manager. Duquette is a logical candidate at this point. He knows what the Mets have in their farm system and he's been with the organization for several years. I think he's got an opportunity to win the job on a full-time basis. But the Mets will put some feelers out over the course of the season, and especially after the season, for some big-name GMs.

SI.com: What names would those be?

Verducci: I think the Mets at least have to knock on the door of Billy Beane. In all likelihood, New York will get the same response that Boston got this past offseason. There will be intrigue about the job, but maybe not the commitment from Beane. Beane grew up in the Mets farm system wanting to be former GM Frank Cashen, even at a young age. The Mets hold a place in Beane's heart that other teams don't. New York would be foolish to not explore that opportunity.

SI.com: Does Phillips' firing have any impact on manager Art Howe?

Verducci: Howe is fine. He has a four-year contract, which protects him. Also, Howe was as much a Fred Wilpon hire as a Steve Phillips hire. Howe isn't going anywhere. Ironically enough, the only scenario in which Howe could be in trouble is if the Mets are somehow able to lure Beane to New York. I don't see those guys working together again.

SI.com: Do you think Phillips will eventually get another GM job?

Verducci: Phillips is a very bright baseball guy, and I don't know if there's anybody in the game who can outwork him. I fully expect him to resurface somewhere else as an assistant. I wouldn't rule him out of becoming a GM down the line, though he won't just fall into a job. I still think he has a place in the game.

SI.com: Do you think Bobby Valentine is somewhere in Connecticut with a big smile on his face?

Verducci: I imagine in his private moments, Valentine's thinking Phillips got his just due a few months after Bobby got his. But Valentine isn't vengeful. Professionally, he and Phillips had problems, but I don't think there are a lot of personal hard feelings between the two.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci covers baseball for the magazine and is a regular contributor to SI.com. Click here to send a question to his Mailbag.

 

Related information

Stories

Last-place Mets fire GM Phillips Previous Tom Verducci Columns

Multimedia

Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video