Brodie Spruces Up The Mets Front Office With Some Noble Hires

Brodie Spruces Up The Mets Front Office With Some Noble Hires

by Nick Giacone March 05, 2019

Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen is back to thinking outside the box again. After bursting onto the scene in late 2018 with a blockbuster trade and some savvy player signings, Brodie is now making some sly additions to the Front Office. On Monday, The Mets announced the addition of two well-known former pitchers to assist in operations:

Then came a more unexpected hire, announced Wednesday:

Al Leiter, John Franco and Jessica Mendoza are already household names in the Baseball industry. Now they’ll try to further their legacies with some advisory work in Flushing. Let’s examine how they’ll contribute for the Orange-and-Blue:

Al Leiter. After leaving his job as a broadcaster for YES Network, Leiter moves from the Bronx to Queens and from the booth to the scouting department. Leiter will serve as an Operations Adviser, helping the Mets with scouting and player development, as well as specializing in mental preparation for our pitching staff from the minors to the majors.

John Franco. Our former captain and closer will expand his role as Team Ambassador to also serve as an Operations Adviser. Franco’s role will be less specialized than Leiter’s, as he’ll work more generally with our pitching staff overall.

Jessica Mendoza. The most outside-the-box hire of the three, Jessica joins the Mets with a decorated softball playing career that pairs with her reputable analyst and broadcasting role with ESPN. Mendoza will also serve as an Operations Adviser, assisting with player evaluation, roster composition, and monitoring players’ health and performance. She will keep her job in the ESPN booth.

While immediate impact of the hirings remains unknown, it can’t hurt to have former players and current analysts helping out with scouting and evaluating talent. The moves show a few things. First, that Leiter and Franco have maintained great relationships with the Mets after their playing years. Second, that Brodie continues to leave no stone unturned with the hire of Jessica Mendoza. She didn’t play baseball, but clearly has demonstrated enough to the Mets brass that she is capable of analyzing and understanding the game. Finally, Brodie shows that he isn’t afraid to surround himself with people that know the game better than he does, keeping a system of checks and balances. While confident, Brodie still understands there’s aspects of the job to learn. Yes it’s still the offseason, but our newly appointed GM continues to take the road less traveled when approaching his front office duties.




Nick Giacone
Nick Giacone

Author




Also in The 7 Line Blog

May 9th Pregame In The K Korner
May 9th Pregame In The K Korner

by The 7 Line April 30, 2025

Swing by the K Korner on Friday May 9th before the Mets take on the Cubs. If you're sitting with us or not, you can enjoy exclusive specials on Montauk draft beers by rocking T7L merch to the bar.

Read More

T7LRC RUN DC FUN RUN
T7LRC RUN DC FUN RUN

by The 7 Line April 20, 2025

We're kicking the day off on Saturday April 26th with some miles around DC. Start your morning off on a positive foot, then sightsee or do whatever else you have planned before the Mets/T7LA pre-game party. We picked a slightly shorter route than our usual fun runs. JOIN US! 

Read More

Pregame With The 7 Line Army In The K Korner!
Pregame With The 7 Line Army In The K Korner!

by The 7 Line April 18, 2025

Swing by the K Korner on Tuesday April 22nd before the Mets take on the Phillies. If you're sitting with us or not, you can enjoy discounted Montauk draft beers by rocking T7L merch to the bar.

Read More

1