Sources: Mets believed to have interviewed Brad Ausmus for managerial opening

The Mets interviewed Brad Ausmus for their managerial opening on Monday, marking the first interview of what is expected to be an extensive search, according to sources familiar with the situation.

Ausmus, 52, previously served as Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels manager. He has an extensive relationship with now-Mets general manager Billy Eppler, who hired Ausmus with the Angels, and did not want to fire him after only one season in 2019, only to be overruled by owner Arte Moreno.

Besides Eppler, Ausmus and the Mets have other connections. Both he and president Sandy Alderson and his son, assistant GM Bryn Anderson, are Dartmouth College alumnus. Ausmus spent the 2014 season managing new Mets pitcher Max Scherzer with the Tigers.

Mets: Would Brad Ausmus be the right managerial hire?

Still, with the Mets in win-now mode and owner Steve Cohen saying in Nov. 2020 that he wants to win a World Series within 3-5 seasons, Ausmus would prove to be an underwhelming hire. He has a losing record across five major-league seasons, including multiple 90-loss seasons, and only two winning seasons while never winning a postseason game.

Other candidates for the Mets managerial position include Astros bench coach Joe Espada, former manager and current MLB Network analyst Buck Showalter, Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro and Pirates bench coach Don Kelly.

The Mets have reached out to Espada, sources said, and are expected to interview Quatraro in the coming days, perhaps as early as Tuesday. They had former major-league outfielder Curtis Granderson on their list, as FanSided first reported, but a source confirmed Jon Heyman of MLB Network’s report that he is unlikely to interview for the position.