Eduardo Perez Reportedly Emerges as Frontrunner for Mets Managerial Vacancy

The New York Mets' managerial search has been a complete rollercoaster. Just last week, it looked like Carlos Beltran was the leading candidate for the job, being the first applicant to receive a second interview from the team. Joe Girardi was also strongly linked to the organization before being snagged by the Phillies.

But now the tables have completely turned, and former Marlins hitting coach and ESPN analyst Eduardo Perez has emerged as the "clear frontrunner" to become the Mets next manager.

This wouldn't necessarily be a bad hire. In fact, the Mets would be much smarter to bring Perez, a former player with coaching experience in the past, onto their staff instead of a novice like Beltran.

Perez's resume includes winning Manager of the Year in the Puerto Rico Baseball League back in 2008. He later served as an assistant on the Indians before joining the Astros as a bench coach in 2013.

The Mets still have other strong candidates to consider, such as Derek Shelton and Luis Rojas. And this is a decision the front office absolutely can't mess up, as they need to find a way to maximize the potential of the talent on their roster.

After Mickey Callaway's two-year tenure was ultimately deemed a failure, the Mets are hoping this next hire will help the franchise take a step forwards, rather than backwards.