Columbia Fireflies Manager Jose Leger has been hired by the St. Louis Cardinals to be the organization’s Latin American Field Coordinator.  Leger leaving the Mets organization means the organization will be hiring their second minor league manager this offseason.

Previously, Tony DeFrancesco was hired to replace Pedro Lopez as the manager of the Las Vegas 51s.

The 2015 South Atlantic Manager of the Year has been a manager in the Mets organization since 2010.  In his eight year stint as the manager with the Mets, he has compiled a 389-368 record.  Replacing him will not be an easy task.

The 35 year old Leger was well regarded within the Mets organization, and with the Cardinals hiring him, it is apparent he was well regarded within baseball circles as well.  Leger was someone who prioritized player development, but he also had an analytical approach the game.

During his time in the Mets organization, he had a role in developing well known Mets prospects like Amed Rosario, Dominic Smith, Luis Guillorme, and Tomas Nido. It should also be noted players like 2016 fourth round draft pick Michael Paez showed significant improvement under Leger’s tutelage.

The Mets are now faced with the uneasy task of trying to replace a well regarded manager who has helped developed many of the team’s best prospects.  At this time, there have been no candidates mentioned to replace Leger.  Check back with MMN as the managerial search develops.

Shout out to the MMN readers to bringing this story to our attention.