Mets ouster pair in front office shake-up

Publish date: 2024-05-07

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The Mets have given out pink slips before this failure of a season is complete.

Several top Mets lieutenants are gone after an organizational shake-up on Thursday, a clear sign that this year, in which the most expensive team in baseball history became a trade-deadline seller, was not good enough.

Kevin Howard, the organization’s director of player development, and Jeff Lebow, the director of pro player evaluation, are no longer with the Mets, a source confirmed.

MLB.com reported the ousted also included director of performance Jim Cavallini and director of baseball development Bryan Hayes.

The largest name was Howard, who had been with the Mets since January 2021, originally hired as executive director of player development.

During the tumultuous 2021 season, he was promoted to assistant major league hitting coach before returning to serve as farm director after the year was over.

Howard has led a farm system that has its success stories — Francisco Alvarez chief among them — but did not churn out enough ready-made talent to save this season.

The Mets’ minor league pipeline became increasingly important after the club sold at the trade deadline, picking up as many top prospects as it could acquire.

Lebow had been with the organization in scouting roles since 2011, when he was hired as a baseball operations assistant.

General manager Billy Eppler and Lebow declined to comment on the developments. Howard did not immediately respond to a text message.

Metsmerized first reported the dismissals.

Carlos Carrasco remains a Met.

The 36-year-old was not claimed off waivers by the deadline, the rest of the league declining to take a chance on the righty and pick up the roughly $2.6 million left on his contract.

Carrasco’s role is uncertain after he was available out of the bullpen during Wednesday’s win over the Rangers, a game during which he warmed up but did not enter.

Denyi Reyes started instead and pitched well, allowing two runs in 5 ⅓ innings.

Carrasco, a 14-year pro, has tumbled this season, his 6.80 ERA among the game’s worst. It is possible the Mets will continue to see if he can help out of the bullpen.

They also might view him as a possible innings-eater for a team that likely will need one, considering the concern over Kodai Senga’s innings.

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