A pair of minor-league managers have been informed they won’t return to the organization in 2010, the Daily News has learned. Longtime big leaguer Julio Franco, who managed the Mets’ Gulf Coast League affiliate, has been dismissed. Also out: Double-A Binghamton manager Mako Oliveras, who was an ally of fired VP of player development Tony Bernazard.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2009/09/27/2009-09-27_mets.html#ixzz0SQqdIlOl

No objection to cleaning house, but the real test is always finding the talent to fill all these vacancies. Whatever changes they are making at the top, I hope they don’t wait too long once the season is over.

Given how much was delegated to Tony B on the minor league side of things I would have to assume Omar is directly responsible for the moves affecting the big league club. Otherwise what is he doing? But yes, the extended network of bringing back Perez should be brought to task.

As an outside observer, with no ties or contacts in the Mets organization, it’s hard for me to believe either Pena or Bernazard were fired for anything related to their job performance in the areas you would think they would be responsible for. I’m also reading a rumor on another board now that Julio Franco may be out as a minor league coach (managed the Gulf Coast team).

In Pena’s case, he came in mid 2006, then in 2007 produced a monster international class that included Mejia, Familia, Flores, Puello, Marte, Valdespin, Cuan, and Aldama. The next year, 2008, they went cheap after spending big on the draft, and as far as I know only gave out one 6 figure bonus, to Aderlin Rodriguez.

I don’t mind the Mets cleaning house, but I’d like to know they are getting rid of the guys actually responsible for some of the incompetent decisions with the big league club. Matt Cerone on Metsblog has an interview with Mark Healy, who seems to blame Bernazard for the loss of much of the Mets upper level executive talent in recent years, especially Eddy Toledo, Gary LaRocque, and Jack Bowen. But other than Toledo, who is credited for signing both Fernando Martinez and Jose Reyes (amongst others), I’m not sure what those guys actually were responsible for here.

What I would really like to know though, and have never seen reported, is who was responsible for wanting Rick Peterson fired and replaced with Warthen. By some accounts, Omar only agreed to fire Willie Randolph if he could also fire Peterson. Since we know Bernazrd was behind wanting to fire Randolph, it seems unlikely he was the one who wanted to fire Peterson. Another one I’d like to know is who was behind wanting to pay Oliver Perez $12M a year. Those are the guys I want purged from the organization for performance reasons.

Regardless of the reasons though, it certainly seems as though the Mets have been left with something of a vacuum in upper level management. I doubt they could be expected to fill all of those holes internally, so hopefully they will be looking outside the organization for some proven upper level talent to fill those gaps.

Finally, if Omar isn’t pulling the strings on all of this, I have to wonder who is. If there is really an internal power struggle going on, you have to ask who would have the power to undercut Omar to this degree, aside from Jeff Wilpon. And if it is Jeff Wilpon who is now in charge, I have to question whether all of this is really going to be leading to any improvement.

“With the caveat that there are questions about his makeup, Puello’s potential for five major league average tools affords him the benefit of the doubt for now. Signed by the Mets for $400,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2007, he’s a strong athlete with a solid 6-foot-2, 195-pound build and loose actions. He stole 15 bases in 20 attempts this season, and his plus speed rates as his best present tool.

Puello starts with an unconventional stance—one manager likened it to him sitting in a chair—but he has a pure, righthanded line-drive stroke. The ball comes off his bat well, and he already has natural power to left field. As he learns to use the opposite field, he’ll be more effective at the plate.

An aggressive player by nature, Puello showed an undisciplined approach at the plate, and some league observers questioned his maturity. His mindset works well in right field, where Puello charges balls with abandon and likes to show off his plus arm.”

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/league-top-20-prospects/2009/268917.html