NEW YORK (AP) - New Mets general manager Sandy Alderson plans to hire a new manager by the winter meetings and has added Ken Oberkfell to his list of candidates.
Having met with five candidates from within the organization to replace the fired Jerry Manuel, Alderson began speaking with outsiders Tuesday, beginning with Boston bench coach DeMarlo Hale.
Rangers hitting coach Clint Hurdle and new Toronto bench coach Don Wakamatsu are scheduled for Wednesday.
Oberkfell, the Mets Triple-A manager for the past six years, will be interviewed Thursday or Friday in the Dominican Republic, where he is managing in the winter league. One or two more candidates may be added.
"We certainly want to have a manager by the winter meetings" in early December, Alderson said Tuesday. "It would probably be helpful for us to have a manager by end of the month. Another sort of logical deadline is Thanksgiving. I'm not sure we're going to make that."
Hired to replace the fired Omar Minaya, Alderson already has interviewed Wally Backman, Terry Collins, Chip Hale, Dave Jauss and Bob Melvin.
"I think we've got some excellent candidates," Alderson said. "I've been very pleased with those conversations."
He hopes to complete initial interviews this week and hold second interviews next week around the business, general managers and owners meetings in Orlando, Fla.
Alderson expects the pace of trade talks to increase at the GM meetings
"Next week is probably the first time that most GMs are going to be talking seriously with other clubs," he said.
After that, attention will turn to the winter meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., which run from Dec. 6-9.