Brodie Van Wagenen negotiated the contract he probably most wishes did not exist today.

Since these are the Mets take that as irony or comedy or tragedy — or all of the above.

Van Wagenen, while still working at CAA, represented his college roommate in extension talks that in August of 2018 produced a four-year, $12 million extension. That would be for Houston manager A.J. Hinch.

Now, that the Mets are officially looking for a new manager after firing Mickey Callaway on Thursday would anyone fit Van Wagenen’s visions of the job like his one-time Stanford teammate? Experienced. Accomplished. Bright. Confident. Media-savvy. Sturdy. Respected. He is exactly what the Mets need. Alas, he just completed the first year of the contract negotiated by the best man at his wedding — and I have been guaranteed Hinch is not going anywhere.

Besides the Mets couldn’t wait until potentially the end of the month as Hinch’s Astros pursue their second World Series title in three years. There are six other teams already pursuing managers and the Phillies could make it seven if they decide to detach from Gabe Kapler. We are talking about real competition: the chance to manage Mike Trout with the Angels and take on large payrolls in big markets with the Cubs, Giants and maybe the Phillies, not to mention the Padres, Pirates and Royals.

The Mets have something attractive. They are in a win-now position with a fine core of young, everyday position players and a terrific rotation. But the Mets also are going to have to do a sell job. That they have a future after looting a thin farm system to make go-for-it trades over the past 12 months. That dysfunction from ownership down is not insurmountable. That the money will be there to inflate payroll if a chance to win is possible.

What should Van Wagenen be pursuing in his first managerial search? Obviously, the tactical and interpersonal skills all managers need. Also this: The next manager of the Mets does not need to be from New York, but he must be of New York. Callaway, like, say, Art Howe, was not. He did not get the rhythm, intensity, pace, passion, sharpness. He was a manager out of water. Buck Showalter is from the same Panhandle region as Callaway and was of New York instantly as Yankee manager in the early 1990s, perhaps helped by a long stretch in the organization’s farm system.

Aaron Boone, Southern California raised, has the traits with his quick wit, shrewd reading of moments and the room.

Being of New York with the Mets also means the ability to withstand the worst instincts and tin ear of this organization, often from ownership. You know who would be ideal? Oakland’s Bob Melvin. The Billy Beane A’s once let Howe leave mid-contract to the Mets. I have been told the A’s would not allow their manager to bolt with two years left on his contract. But if I ran the Mets, I’d call anyway.

As for Van Wagenen, my guess is he prioritizes the ability to rally a roster to a cause. Not necessarily rah-rah, but charisma, leadership and comfort in taking command. Van Wagenen said he will peruse a “variety of different buckets,” but because of the win-now nature of the team, I suspect experience will be heavily weighted.

Van Wagenen can hire Showalter or Joe Girardi and know they can handle New York and the three hours of 162 games. But they carry a reputation from previous stops of not always working seamlessly with their bosses. I also wonder if this would be a hard step for Van Wagenen to become an obvious second fiddle in status — and a harder step for the Wilpons to pay big for this job.

Van Wagenen is said to have a good relationship with former Reds manager and CAA client Bryan Price. It may be hard for the Mets to go from one pitching coach to another as manager, so Price and John Farrell might not be fits. The Mets talked to Price about being a bench coach or pitching coach last year, but he decided he was not ready. Now he is working with Girardi, who is the manager for Team USA as it tries to qualify for the 2020 Olympics. So Van Wagenen will be able to get insight into Girardi from Price and could even bring in the duo together.

Hinch won’t be getting the job, but Van Wagenen trusts him, so he will know a lot about Astro bench coach Joe Espada.

Van Wagenen also has strong ties with former clients, including Robinson Cano, Jacob deGrom and Todd Frazier in his clubhouse. Cano is particularly influential and is a fan of Mets quality control coach Luis Rojas, who knows many of the young players from his time managing in the system. He also likes his former Mariners bench coach Manny Acta, who was a candidate before Callaway got the job and is an Omar Minaya favorite, too. Pirates third base coach Joey Cora is also well liked by Minaya.

Van Wagenen is close to former client Ryan Zimmerman, so could get insights on Nationals first base coach Tim Bogar, a one-time Met who worked in Boston concurrently with Allard Baird, who is a key Mets lieutenant. White Sox bench coach Joe McEwing is another former Met who interviewed and lost out to Callaway.

Espada, Rojas, Bogar and McEwing have never managed in the majors. Acta has, as have John Gibbons and Mike Scioscia. But I would think the Mets would not be anxious to enlist a manager not steeped in and committed to analytics.

Carlos Beltran, currently a Yankee executive, wants to manage and has been linked to this job. But his relationship with COO Jeff Wilpon is not good, so that is hard to see. Off the beaten road, though, are Sam Fuld, a Stanford alum who is the Phillies’ major league player information coordinator, Padres special assistant A.J. Ellis and Dodgers special assistant Raul Ibanez. In particular, Ibanez has all the qualities to excel at managing if he is ready to take on the role.

Van Wagenen said he already has an “extensive list” of candidates to succeed Callaway. Let’s state the obvious how vital the choice is — if this doesn’t go well, Van Wagenen’s chances to ever make a second Met managerial hire fade substantially.