Athletics’ Billy Owens Name to Watch in Mets GM Search

Photo by Carlos Avila Gonzalez of The Chronicle

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that A’s executive Billy Owens is getting some buzz as a potential candidate to become the Mets next GM.

Sources tell me that Owens and Rays’ exec Bobby Heck are two names under consideration to replace Brodie Van Wagenen.

Prospective Mets owner Steve Cohen already announced that he will hire Sandy Alderson to be the Team President once he receives approval from the owners. Alderson has spent the last two years with Oakland as a senior advisor after being the Mets GM from 2010 to 2018. Multiple reports suggest that Van Wagenen would lose his job as part of the Mets transition to new ownership.

Owens, former third round pick of the Orioles, has been in the A’s organization for 20 seasons and his second as the assistant manager/director of player personnel. Of course, that means that the former minor league hitting coach has worked with Alderson for the last two years.

This recent podcast with Feinsand and Owens gives some insight into the thought process of Billy. Owens was seen as a favorite for the Giants’ GM last year but was ultimately passed over for Scott Harris.

Heck, currently special assistant to the GM in Tampa, was named early in the Mets previous GM search before they hired Brodie Van Wagenen.