The New York Mets have (fortunately) struck out with Theo Epstein. There are reports they are not going to be able to lure Billy Beane away from the Oakland Athletics. Historically speaking, the Milwaukee Brewers have never let anyone interview David Stearns because they don’t want him ever leaving the organization.

To wit, this means the Mets are at the stage of trying to find someone other than the superstar they hoped to land. It didn’t work last offseason, and it left them having Sandy Alderson operate in the role with a general manager (or two) working under him. It worked so well the Mets are back at the drawing board a year later.

When assessing who to hire, the first place you usually go to is the Tampa Bay Rays. It is an organization which just keeps churning out top of the line baseball executives. When the Los Angeles Dodgers hired Andrew Friedman away, Chaim Bloom became the superstar over there. When Bloom left for the Boston Red Sox, Erik Neander became the main man.

Neander was once thought of as a top target for the Mets. However, with his being promoted to president of baseball operations, he is effectively off the table. That leaves the Mets in a bit of a position of trying to decide where to go. Perhaps, the Mets should stick with investigating the Rays front office. In doing that, the big name which comes to mind is Peter Bendix.

Bendix, 36, was one of the trio of Rays executives who took on a larger role once Bloom departed for the Red Sox. Bendix has spent his entire career with the Rays since being hired as an intern in January 2009. He has worked in a myriad of roles. Prior to his current position as Vice President, Baseball Development, he served as assistant of baseball operations and coordinator of baseball research and development. In some ways, that’s the roles served by both Bloom and Neander before their promotions.

Over time, Bendix could be said to have become the proverbial right-hand man of Neander. Once James Click moved on to take over the Houston Astros, it was Bendix who was given an expanded role in the organization taking over the research and development staff. As MLB Trade Rumors noted when Neander took over for Bloom, Bendix was “responsible for making ‘effective connectors between perspectives,’ in addition to “bigger picture strategic thinking’ and broad ‘player personnel’ input.” Put another way, he has had his hand in everything.

Prior to the 2020 World Series, Erik Waxler of ABC Action News did a feature on Bendix wherein Bendix described his role with the Rays organization. Bendix described one of a collaborative and multi-faceted approach. On that, Bendix said, “A lot of the skills I bring are synthesizing and explaining information. Not necessarily just stats. Stats help. But so does the expertise of people who have been doing it for 30 years. So does watching video.”

One interesting story about Bendix was how he even got to the Rays. As written by John Tomase of Tufts, Bendix has always been trying to blend scouting and advanced data, much like he does in his current role. Bendix founded the Baseball Analysis at Tufts program as an undergrad. Also, while an undergrad, he did a research article on Leo Mazzone’s impact on the Atlanta Braves pitching staff, and he forwarded it to Bloom, who then recommended him for his original intern position.

Having started so slow and being with the Rays for so long, Bendix has had his hands in everything. That includes managing and expanding that database which was the story of legend during the Friedman days. When speaking of his roles and what it takes to get to where he is, Bendix said, “If you really want to make this work, you’re probably going to have to make some sacrifices along the way. If you love it, these are worthwhile sacrifices.” It’s clear Bendix loves the job.

When you look at Bendix, he thrives where the Mets are lacking. He knows better than anyone the marriage of data and scouting. Better yet, he knows how to analyze, interpret, and share information in an effective manner for coaches and players. He has had his hand in player development, and his role with the Rays is only increasing.

While you may deem him a bit raw or not quite yet ready, which may not be fair, this is where Sandy Alderson comes as a benefit. Alderson can act not just as a mentor, but also a shield when needed.

Overall, the Rays have very clearly not worked just because of one man. When Friedman left, it was Bloom. With Bloom gone, there’s Neander. It’s clear Neander isn’t the end-all, be-all for the Rays organization because that’s not how that organization operates. They get insanely talented and smart people, cultivate them, and they help them become great baseball executives. Looking at the organization, Bendix appears to be next in line, and that’s exactly why the Mets should be giving him a call.