The Mets fired manager Mickey Callaway Thursday afternoon:

Mickey Callaway’s shaky two-year Mets tenure ended Thursday with a pink slip. The manager was fired by the Mets, the team announced, allowing general manager Brodie Van Wagenen to pursue his own man for the job.

“We want to thank Mickey for his consistent work ethic and dedication over the last two seasons and I’m certain these characteristics will serve him well in his next opportunity,” Van Wagenen said in a statement. “A decision like this is never easy, however, we believe it is in the best interest of the franchise at this time.”

COO Jeff Wilpon and Van Wagenen flew down to Florida to tell Callaway face to face.

NYPost.com

There are a number of comments from unnamed sources that paint Callaway as a pawn of the front office. Callaway was supposed to improve the health of the pitchers, given his success in Cleveland:

One Mets pitcher indicated Callaway was generally well-liked, but expressed disappointment the manager wasn’t a bigger presence, after vowing early in his regime to spend time in the clubhouse communicating with players. Callaway often isolated himself in the manager’s office and delegated responsibilities to his coaches. The pitcher also believed Callaway’s pitching background would translate into more hands-on instruction with the pitchers, but that seldom occurred.

Sometimes people are better coaches than managers. Maybe Callaway gets another managerial job, but maybe he also goes back to where he found success, helping pitchers stay healthy.