Boys will be boys.

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FOX Sports had some fun at the expense of the New York Mets on Monday. It came during the pregame show leading into Game 3 of the American League Championship Series between the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros.

As you know, Red Sox legend David Ortiz and former New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez are mainstays on FOX Sports’ baseball coverage. And that led to this exchange with MLB insider Ken Rosenthal:

Ortiz: “Hey Kenny. The Dominican Rosenthal right here. Hey, a source from the Dominican told me that A-Rod might get the Yankees job. What do you know about that?”

(Side note: Ortiz is presumably talking about the Yankees manager job, with the club undecided on the future of Aaron Boone.)

Rosenthal: “Well, Papi, I’ve got a source in the United States telling me that the Mets want to interview you for their president of baseball operations. But, but, big but, FOX is declining permission.”

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Sure, Ortiz and Rosenthal can laugh about it, but the Mets’ front office search is no joking matter for owner Steve Cohen. He’s already struck out on his top three candidates: former Red Sox and Chicago Cubs general manager Theo Epstein, Oakland Athletics president Billy Beane and Milwaukee Brewers president David Stearns.

Of course, if things had gone different a year ago, this would’ve been Rodriguez’s problem to solve. He and former fiancee Jennifer Lopez submitted a bid to buy the Mets from the Wilpon family, but Cohen came in with the winning offer of more than $2.4 billion.

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Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com.