Once the Mets determined Joe Girardi was not going to be their manager, their front office understood that the net was removed and they were walking a tightrope on a windy day.
All that was left on their candidate list was risk. Girardi was such a simple solution. He was a proven manager. In New York. With a championship on his résumé. With the fans clamoring for him. Girardi’s greatest detractors would confirm he could manage a major league team on a high level.
But the connection the Mets were looking for between ownership, baseball operations and a new manager never materialized.