After Joe Girardi interviewed for a second time for the Mets managerial opening on Oct. 22, the team’s top brass wanted to keep him alive in the process. He wasn’t a clear front-runner and wasn’t eliminated. The Mets preferred to think about him for a longer period.
And the front office’s perception was that Girardi’s preference among all the openings was the Mets. But whether that was true or not, they also had heard what so many in the game had — that Girardi was the clear top choice with the Phillies, especially with owner John Middleton, and that Philadelphia wanted to move quickly.