Mets ready to begin anew with Carlos Mendoza introduction
The latest rumors in a quiet start to the MLB offseason. Plus, how the Mets are ready to start fresh as they introduce their new manager today at Citi Field.
What’s Up with the Mets? 🍎
The Mets officially announced the hiring of manager Carlos Mendoza and will introduce him this afternoon at Citi Field
Mendoza’s contract with the club is for three years, $4.5 million with a team option for a fourth season
RHP Kodai Senga finished second in the race for NL Rookie of the Year behind Dbacks OF Corbin Carroll who won the award unanimously
C Francisco Álvarez did not receive a vote in the Rookie of the Year balloting
Rumor Mill 💭
RHP/DH Shohei Ohtani could sign in free agency by the Winter Meetings (Passan)
The Mets, Dodgers, Rangers, Blue Jays, Cubs, Giants, Red Sox and Mariners are all expected to be involved in the Ohtani sweepstakes (Passan)
The Rays have discussed OF Manuel Margot in trade talks with several teams (Morosi)
Mets ready to introduce new era with front office and managerial alignment ✍️
The New York Mets are ready to start fresh as they are set to introduce Carlos Mendoza as the club’s next manager this afternoon at Citi Field.
He may not have been the manager most people expected and the reaction to his hiring was certainly mixed among fans, but that is in no way an indicator to how successful or unsuccessful his tenure will be with the organization.
Regardless of if you liked the decision or not, this is a monumental time for this organization as for the first time in Steve Cohen’s time as owner, they finally have full organizational alignment.
Since Cohen took over, the Mets have never had their ideal candidates in the front office and as the manager at the same time. When Cohen first acquired the team, he hired Sandy Alderson to return to the club in order to help the sale go through and was unable to bring in a President of Baseball Operations as he desired. The Cohen regime also inherited Luis Rojas, who was only ever promoted in light of the Carlos Beltrán controversy, as their manager.
Then, after Cohen was unable to poach David Stearns away from the Brewers in the 2021-22 offseason, the Mets once again chose to wait and settle on making Billy Eppler the team’s GM and hiring Buck Showalter as manager. And despite a very successful regular season in which the team won 101 games a year ago, that pairing proved to be a mismatch, as well, with reports leaking after Showalter’s dismissal this Fall that Eppler was forcing certain players into the lineup that Buck didn’t want to play.
But now, for the first time since purchasing the team, the Steve Cohen Mets are operating at full organizational capacity. They got the President of Baseball Operations they sought out and patiently waited for over three consecutive offseasons, and now they’ve let him bring in a manager of his choosing that the franchise is clearly excited about.
Everything is officially in place for the New York Mets starting today, now they just have to go out there and do what it takes to win.
Hot Stove 🔥
Orioles SS Gunnar Henderson won the AL Rookie of the Year award unanimously
The Brewers are naming Pat Murphy as their new manager after losing Craig Counsell to the Cubs
The Padres reportedly have former Angels manager Phil Nevin as a finalist for their managerial opening