5 candidates to replace Terry Collins as New York Mets manager

4. Chip Hale

Hale is a former major league player, with past ties to the Mets as he spent two seasons as third base coach (2010 and 2011). He currently serves in the same role with the Oakland Athletics, where he was also bench coach from 2012-2014.

Hale managed the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate for three seasons, with some solid success, before joining manager Bob Melvin’s major league coaching staff in 2007 for three more seasons in that organization.

Hale circled back to the Diamondbacks’ organization in 2015, taking over as manager of the big league club. But he had just a 148-176 record over two seasons, and he was fired after a 69-93 mark in 2016. During his tenure as manager, at least in terms of talent on the field, it can be argued that the foundation for the Diamondbacks’ success this year was partially laid.

Hale, like Long, is also in his early 50’s (53 in December). So he should be a younger, more progressive candidate along the lines the Mets may look for to replace the old-school Collins. Hale would surely like another chance to manage at the highest level, and the Mets look like a good fit on the surface.