The New York Mets removed the interim tag from manager Andy Green by signing him to a three-year deal Tuesday afternoon.
Hours later, the Mets celebrated by nudging the Texas Rangers one step closer to focusing on next season instead of a wild-card series next week.
The Rangers will look to get back on track Wednesday night when they host the Mets in the middle contest of a three-game interleague series in Arlington, Texas.
Left-hander Cody Bradford (0-5, 4.19 ERA) is slated to start for the Rangers against Mets right-hander Nolan McLean (11-10, 3.18).
The Rangers fell out of first place in the American League West on Tuesday night, when Mets southpaw Sean Manaea and a trio of relievers combined on a three-hitter in New York’s 6-3 win.
The Rangers (78-79) have the same record as the Houston Astros, who blanked the Seattle Mariners 7-0 later Tuesday. But Texas must win the division outright because the Astros have the tiebreaker by going 9-4 in the season series between the clubs.
No team has ever made the playoffs in a full season with a .500 or worse record.
The Rangers looked like they might climb over .500 when Elias Diaz and Wyatt Langford hit sacrifice flies in the fourth inning to seize a 3-2 lead.
But Texas had just one baserunner the rest of the way and helped the Mets take the lead in the sixth with a pair of defensive miscues.
“To be completely frank, it was a bad showing on multiple fronts,” first baseman Jake Burger said. “Obviously, it sucks. We wanted to win this game but can’t really dwell on it anymore. I’ll put my head down on the pillow and focus on tomorrow.”
The Mets (72-85) unofficially have been focused on next year since at least June 26, when Green replaced Carlos Mendoza following a 34-47 start. Green initially said he didn’t want the job on a permanent basis because he wanted to focus on his family, including twin daughters who just began their senior year of high school.
But Green said Tuesday he began changing his mind around the trade deadline, when president of baseball operations David Stearns dealt seven veterans, and he discussed the possibility of pursuing the job with his family.
The Mets are 38-38 under Green, including 25-19 since the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
“I suppose late July, which is a tough time to say you started feeling more passion for being in the dugout,” Green said. “It was the trade deadline, we weren’t necessarily winning baseball games, there was a lot of tough conversations that had to be had with players to help walk them through different chapters. But I started thinking if I have such a passion for the hard times, I’m looking forward to the good times.”
Bradford didn’t factor into the decision in his most recent appearance last Thursday, when he tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings as the bulk reliever in the Rangers’ 4-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox. He has never faced the Mets.
McLean took the loss last Thursday after giving up one run over six innings as the Mets dropped a 3-0 decision to the Philadelphia Phillies. He didn’t factor into the decision in his lone start against the Rangers on Sept. 14, 2025, when he threw six scoreless innings in New York’s 5-2, 10-inning victory.
–Field Level Media
