Mets executive search continues as list of executives who turned the team down grows

The Mets appear to have been turned down by a dozen people; the search isn't expected to wrap up this weekend

The New York Mets' search for a new president of baseball operations is expected to carry beyond the weekend, according to Tim Healey of NewsDay. As a result, the Mets will be represented at the forthcoming general manager meetings by team president Sandy Alderson. Those meetings will begin on Monday.

The Mets have been on the hunt for a new head baseball operations executive since the season ended. That search has not proven fruitful. Rather, the Mets have whiffed on upward of a dozen executives, according to the count of Michael Mayer of Metsmerized, ranging from Hall of Fame-types like Billy Beane and Theo Epstein down to comparatively unknown upstarts in Daniel Adler and Peter Bendix. 

Recently, the Mets' search has seemed to settle on two assistant general managers of playoff teams: Randy Flores of the St. Louis Cardinals and Ben Sestanovich of the Atlanta Braves. It's unclear if either has officially interviewed with the Mets.

On paper, the Mets job should be one of the most attractive in the sport. New York is as large of a market as it gets, and the Mets have a diehard fan base with a newer stadium and a solid big-league roster. They also have a pair of intriguing young prospects, in catcher Francisco Álvarez and third baseman Brett Baty. Executives with other teams nonetheless appear concerned about the presence of Alderson at the top of an organization that includes his son Bryn, as well as Cohen's tweeting habits. Both, albeit in different ways, threaten the autonomy of the role.

The Mets are seeking new executives in part because of their poor discretion in their past hires. Jared Porter, the handpicked choice of Alderson and owner Steve Cohen, was fired early this year after ESPN reported on his sexual harassment of a journalist. Zack Scott, who joined the organization to serve as part of Porter's staff, was arrested late in the season on the suspicion of driving under the influence following a team fundraiser. It was reported earlier this week that Scott would not be retained.