Mets interview Skip Schumaker, plan to speak with Tim Bogar

The New York Mets have added two more names to the mix as they continue to search for the 22nd manager in their franchise’s history. Joel Sherman confirmed that the team interviewed Skip Schumaker yesterday for the job. In addition to Schumaker, Jon Heyman revealed that the club plans to interview Tim Bogar.

Schumaker has served as the first base coach for the San Diego Padres for the past two seasons. Prior to that, he was a second baseman and outfielder with the St. Louis Cardinals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Cincinnati Reds during his ten-year playing career. He last appeared in a major league game in 2015 and officially retired in 2016 before joining the Padres organization as a coach.

Bogar began his major league career with the Mets, where he played for four seasons. He spent the next four years with the Houston Astros and finished his career in 2001 with the Dodgers. Since retiring, he’s served as a minor league manager for several affiliates, beginning with the Rookie-level Greenville Astros in 2004. His team won the Appalachian League championship in 2004, and he was named skipper of the year in 2005 when he managed the low Single-A Lexington Legends in the Astros organization.

Bogar has served as a coach at the major league level for the Tampa Bay Rays (2008), the Boston Red Sox (2009-2012), the Texas Rangers (2014), the Seattle Mariners (2016-2017) and, most recently, the Washington Nationals (2018 and 2019). He has experience as a first base coach, a bench coach, and special assistant to the general manager. He also compiled a 14-8 record as interim manager of the Rangers in 2014 after the Ron Washington resigned from his post. In addition to his ties with the franchise as a player, he also has a connection to Allard Baird from his Red Sox days.

With Schumaker and Bogar in the fold, there are now eight known candidates for the role: Bogar, Schumaker, Joe Girardi, Carlos Beltran, Eduardo Perez, Mike Bell, Derek Shelton, and Luis Rojas. According to the most recent reports, the team has brought in each of the candidates on that list for a first-round interview already, with the exception of Shelton and Bogar. There is currently no clear-cut favorite for the position.