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    Alderson is Mets' choice to be their GM

    Alderson is Mets' choice to be their GM

    By Anthony DiComo / MLB.com |
    SAN FRANCISCO -- A little more than three weeks after the Omar Minaya era ended in Flushing, the Sandy Alderson era is about to begin.

    The Mets announced on Thursday that they will introduce Alderson as their new general manager during a news conference Friday at 2 p.m. ET at Citi Field.

    Alderson, 62, traveled to New York for his final interview on Tuesday, meeting with Mets principal owner Fred Wilpon, chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon and president Saul Katz. He originally toured the ballpark last week with Jeff Wilpon and assistant GM John Ricco, after an initial interview with Wilpon and Ricco earlier this month in Manhattan.

    The Mets met a second time with former D-backs GM Josh Byrnes, the only other candidate to earn a call-back interview, on Monday. The team did not invite Allard Baird, Rick Hahn, Logan White or Dana Brown back for second meetings. Nor did the Mets wait for the end of the World Series to complete the process, which might have afforded them the opportunity to interview Rangers GM and Queens native Jon Daniels.

    That was because of the gravitas of Alderson.

    Alderson, 62, has been considered the clear front-runner since Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, his current employer, granted permission for him to interview for the job earlier this month. Best known for constructing an A's team that won four division titles, three pennants and one World Series during his 15 seasons as general manager from 1983-97, Alderson later worked for the MLB's front office before heading San Diego's baseball operations department for four years.

    Last summer, Alderson left that post, becoming an MLB consultant for the league's interests in the Dominican Republic. In that role, he has worked to reduce the prevalence of age falsification and the use of performance-enhancing drugs in the Dominican.

    Though MLB typically frowns upon teams making significant announcements during the World Series, the Mets are seeking -- and should receive -- permission to introduce their new GM on Friday's off-day between Games 2 and 3. The front office has several urgent baseball-operations issues on its agenda, including negotiations with reliever Hisanori Takahashi, who will be ineligible to rejoin the Mets until May 15 if he does not sign a new contract by the end of this month.

    Anthony DiComo is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @AnthonyDicomo. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.