NEW YORK (AP) - The New York Mets have abandoned their search for a president of baseball operations and will instead focus on hiring a general manager who will report to team president Sandy Alderson.

Alderson returned to the team Nov. 6 when Steven Cohen completed his $2.42 billion purchase from the Wilpon and Katz families and that day fired general manager Brodie Van Wagenen. Alderson said then he wanted to hire a president of baseball operations but said Monday he had been thwarted in attempts to gain permission to speak with officials on other teams and another possible candidate had family issues that prevented a move.

Alderson said Monday he will have a greater role in baseball operations than originally planned. He told Luis Rojas he will return for a second season as manager.

Alderson turned 72 on Sunday. He was the Mets' general manager from October 2010 until he left in July 2018 following a recurrence of cancer.

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