The Mets have had a disappointing season, and Carlos Mendoza won’t be around for the finish, as the New York Post’s Jon Heyman has reported that he’s been let go. Mendoza finishes his time with the Mets at 206-199.
Andy Green is taking over as the interim manager, per Heyman. Green had been the senior vice president of player development for the organization and was previously the manager of the San Diego Padres.
The combination of an anemic offense, poor pitching from several veterans, and a slew of injuries sealed the third-year manager’s fate. David Stearns had previously assured Mendoza’s position in the organization this season, but the Mets decided to finally cut the cord as the team holds a 34-47 record.
Stearns signed Mendoza, 46, to a three-year contract in November 2023 with a team option for a fourth year. He had been a Yankee bench coach for four seasons.
As a rookie skipper, he guided the Mets to an 89-73 record, rallying the club from 11 games below .500 to the playoffs. The Mets clinched a spot with a dramatic 8-7 victory in Game 161 in Atlanta, with Francisco Lindor hitting a go-ahead, two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning.
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The Mets then pulled off a Wild Card Series victory over the Brewers, capped by another dramatic road victory where Pete Alonso hit a go-ahead, three-run home run in the top of the ninth off of Devin Williams. The Mets knocked out the Phillies in four games in the NLDS before losing to the Dodgers in six games in the NLCS.
Mendoza earned one first-place vote for 2024 Manager of the Year, finishing third behind Pat Murphy of the Brewers and the Padres’ Mike Shildt.
The Mets signed Juan Soto to a record contract that offseason, raising expectations that they could compete with the Dodgers for the pennant in 2025. It looked like they could until mid-June.
The Mets were 45-24 on June 12 after beating the Nationals 4-3, but Kodai Senga strained his right hamstring covering first base in that game after leaping to catch a throw from Alonso.
In hindsight, that looks like it was a turning point for Senga and the team. From that point on, the Mets went 38-55 to finish 83-79. They were eliminated from the playoffs on the final day of the season. Senga missed a month with the hamstring injury, never found his form when he returned, and accepted a demotion to Triple-A during the stretch run. He has 10.08 ERA in seven starts this season and is now a member of the club’s bullpen.
