NEW YORK -- The Mets are retaining the longest-tenured member of their front office in a newly created position. The team announced Tuesday that assistant general manager John Ricco will shift into the role of senior vice president and senior strategy officer. Ricco will report directly to chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon, rather than general manager Brodie Van Wagenen.
Valued for his administrative skills, Ricco will continue to oversee the baseball operations department's budget and arbitration responsibilities, and he will also take on business duties outside the purview of baseball ops.
"This new role will give me the chance to broaden the scope of my executive experiences, while remaining a contributor to the operations areas I know and enjoy," Ricco said in a statement. "I am intrigued by the possibilities and excited about the challenges ahead."
Ricco, a New Jersey native, joined the Mets in 2004 and earned a promotion to assistant GM in 2006. In that role, he served under three GMs: Omar Minaya, Sandy Alderson and Van Wagenen.
Ricco becomes the latest executive to change roles since the Mets hired Van Wagenen in October. The first was Alderson, whose contract the Mets did not renew; he signed on Tuesday as an advisor with the A's. One of Alderson's top lieutenants, J.P. Ricciardi, also left to take a job with the Giants. Ricco stayed, all while the Mets hired two additional assistant GMs: Allard Baird, who boasts a strong background in scouting, and analytics specialist Adam Guttridge. The Mets also hired David Wright as a special advisor, and made several other hirings and promotions.
Minaya rejoined the Mets as a special assistant for Alderson and remains in that same role under Van Wagenen.
Ricco also served as interim GM when Alderson took leaves of absence to address his health issues and played a role in the interview processes for both Alderson and Van Wagenen.
"John has been invaluable to this organization for many years," Wilpon said in a statement. "I'm extremely grateful that he's remaining with us. He brings a wealth of knowledge on a variety of topics, and we know he will have a lot of success in his new role."