With the Mets set to hire David Stearns as president of baseball operations, as The Post’s Joel Sherman confirmed, changes will no doubt be in store when the former Brewers’ executive takes over following the season.
While general manager Billy Eppler is expected to stay, the future of manager Buck Showalter is less clear.
Showalter has a year left on his contract and was asked before Tuesday’s game against Arizona at Citi Field if he expected to return next season.
Showalter said he hadn’t spoken to owner Steve Cohen or Eppler about his job status and added it wasn’t on his mind.
“I don’t think about those things,” Showalter said before the Mets’ 7-4 win over the Diamondbacks. “I worry about tonight and [Tuesday’s] game. This is not the time and place for my mind to be going there.”
Showalter’s team is staggering to the end of the season, trying to stay out of the basement of the NL East just a year after Showalter led the Mets to 101 regular season victories before a loss to the Padres in the wild-card round.
Cohen has been high on Showalter, but Stearns may want to make his own hire.
Potentially complicating matters is the fact Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell is set to become a free agent following the season after attempts at an extension have so far failed.
The 53-year-old Counsell is in his ninth year in Milwaukee and has the Brewers in first place again in the NL Central.
Regarding the uncertainty ahead — although the club isn’t commenting on Stearns’ hire, Showalter said: “You’re always trying to improve. You stay focused on what your job is. There are 26 players in that locker room we have a lot of confidence in.”
Showalter, 67, is finishing his second season in Queens and 22nd as a manager in the majors.
“We, as a staff, try to stay on task and things usually work out if you stay true to the game and what your job description is,” Showalter said.
Showalter added he tried to avoid “speculating.”
“It’s about the game and these nine innings and what these players need today,” Showalter said.
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