The Mets have settled on their next manager, reportedly tabbing Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza to lead the club in 2024. Reports yesterday indicated that the club was on the verge of deciding their next manager. It’ll reportedly be a three-year deal that pays around $4.5MM total, while the Mets hold an option for the 2027 season.
Mendoza, 43, spent 13 seasons as an infielder in the minor leagues with the Giants and Yankees before joining the Yankees’ minor league coaching staff in 2009. He last served as a manager at the minor league level in 2012, with the club’s Single-A affiliate in Charleston. From 2013 to 2017, Mendoza served as a roving defensive instructor in the Yankees’ organization before being promoted to the major league coaching staff prior to the 2018 season as an infield coach. He received his final promotion with the Yankees upon being named bench coach to manager Aaron Boone shortly after the 2019 season and has remained in that role for the past four years.
After 18 years with the Yankees organization, Mendoza now heads from the Bronx to Queens to take over for Buck Showalter as manager of the Mets. Mendoza will step into the role just as newly-minted president of baseball operations David Stearns steps into his own new role with the club after being hired for the role back in September.
The duo have inherited a Mets team coming off of a difficult season. After winning 101 games in 2022 and adding the likes of Justin Verlander, David Robertson, Kodai Senga, and Jose Quintana while committing more than $200MM to re-sign Edwin Diaz and Brandon Nimmo, the club fell well below expectations in 2023. Verlander, Robertson, and Max Scherzer were all traded away at the deadline as the Mets were rumored to begin looking toward 2025 for their return to contention. Ultimately, the club posted a 75-87 record in 2023, leaving them a whopping 29 games back of the Braves in the NL East and nine games out of the final NL Wild Card spot.
Though Mendoza has now landed in Queens, the Mets were far from the only team interested in him as a potential managerial hire this offseason. The Guardians reportedly had Mendoza as a potential favorite to replace Terry Francona in Cleveland before ultimately giving the job to Stephen Vogt earlier today, while the Padres reportedly interviewed Mendoza to replace Bob Melvin in San Diego earlier this week.
Just as Mendoza had other opportunities potentially on the table outside of New York, he was hardly the only candidate for the managerial role with the Mets. The club reportedly spoke to the likes of A’s manager Mark Kotsay and Cubs bench coach Andy Green, but much of their attention this offseason has seemingly been directed towards longtime Brewers manager Craig Counsell, who was widely regarded as the club’s preferred candidate and a potential favorite for the position due to his long-standing relationship with Stearns before he ultimately decided on joining the Cubs in a surprise move this afternoon.
Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of the New York Post first reported Mendoza’s hiring. Andy Martino of SNY reported the salary terms.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Wow. This is a black eye for the Mets. Stearns and Cohen’s money couldn’t get Counsell to come to the Mets…and they fired Showalter.
Embarrassment aside (and, yes, this is a bit embarassing for Stearns), Mendoza has been a manager-in-waiting for a while, so I think he will be a good hire eventually.
How’s this a black eye then? Can’t we just wait and see how things go before we immediately judge the situation? I hope Carlos and the Mets do well except when they play my Pads.
Meta fans falsely thought they had a legal right to Counsel.
Well, it DOES look bad if they gave him the most money and he said no, given that’s what he seems to want.
Dark Side I don’t think he was after the most money period. He mentioned wanting to set the market but it sounded like he was wanting to set the market for smaller market teams. He may have also just been trying to gain leverage with the Brewers.
Joe
Except report is that Counsel left Brewers
my 6th amendment! no!!!!
Manny apparently he was leaving the Brewers. lol. Didn’t see that coming.
Wrigley is an hour and 45 minutes from his home in Whiefish Bay Wisconsin. Counsell gets the money of a big city team and doesn’t have to uproot his family. Best of both worlds. Kudos to Craig!
nope, they didn’t
Joe, I would have agreed, but now that we know he just signed for $40MM, I think we can say money mattered here.
Yes, that is surprising
LordD if I would have waited about 15 minutes before posting I could have saved myself some embarrassment. I got proven wrong pretty quickly on that one but I never did think he was really going to the Mets.
No embarrassment, Joe. We’re all just riffing in real time here. The Cubs news is the real surprise none of us saw coming, including David Ross!
We save money on manager to use towards players. Smart! Counsell ain’t won nothing. Get mendoza a veteran bench coach and good staff and get will be great. Hopefully this helps signing rodriguez
K-Rod? Is he still pitching?
Joely? Please, NO!
Things change. New York isn’t looked at the same way. High taxes, rampant crime, hollowed out downtown post pandemic ect ect. I surprised Counsell went to Chicago which is worse than NYC crime wise. To each his own I guess.
♫Does anyone know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?
The searchers all say they’d have made Whitefish Bay
If they’d put fifteen more miles behind her♪♫
North side of Chicago Wrigley area is not the crime ridden Chicago area you see in the news.
NYC doesn’t have rampant crime. Its safer in the worst areas than cities like St Louis, Detroit, and Baltimore.
Chicagoland has some of the safest cities in America making up its metro area. Wrigleyville is safe. All of north Chicagoland is.
Try visiting the area instead of believing what they tell you on Fox and Newsmax.
Very witty, Manny! Cheers bub
You have no idea what you’re talking about lol
Ok, good talk sport. Thanks for educating me on how I have no idea what I’m talking about Mrs. metlvt17?
Lol
@MannyBeingMVP: Everyone has a legal right to COUNSEL. It says so in the Constitution.
But Craig COUNSELL is a baseball manager.
@Boxscore: Our various downtowns are not “hollowed out,” whatever that even means.
Do you have a clue what it means?
Well; it takes a bat & balls to live anywhere including NY or Chicago-where there is high crimes and misdemeanor. 20 years from now – the landscape will totally look like., Disney Land.
You’re clueless. There are many neighborhoods that are quite beautiful and safe to live in.
Where I live in Brooklyn, I have gone out for several hours and forgot to lock my door. Everything was fine when I got home.
“Well the South side of Chicago
Is the baddest part of town
And if you go down there
You better just beware
Of a man named Leroy Brown” Jim Croce
Great song from a great musician.
@Gwynning, this was supposed to be Stearns first big move. The media and fan assumption was Counsell to NY. So to have his first big move end up being a non-move is not a good look. His former employee turned his back on him, and even Cohen’s money couldn’t close the deal. Fans can disagree, but I think it’s very bad optics. Black eyes do heal though.
If you read less into the media, then you wouldn’t have these expectations and ensuing disappointment. Media is gonna media esp. in NY. The Brewers granted him early permission to interview early while still under contract and they were under no obligation to do so. They did Counsell a favor. Nobody knows how much or if the Mets even made an offer yet.
So the team needed to do it just because people assumed the team was gonna do it?
How on earth does that make sense?
no bad optics at all, that was all fan speculation because they worked together. no harm no foul
@relect, of course not, and of course I didn’t say that.
FANS thought hiring Counsell was going to be Stearns first big move. Mendoza hiring was announced before Counsell’s decision. Stearns had other ideas apparently.
Counsell was the lynchpin to a number of manager moves. The dominoes fell once he informed the other teams of his intent. It’s no surprise that Counsell, Vogt and Mendoza were all revealed on the same day and so close together. In fact, the teams coming in second in the manager sweepstakes, absolutely want to announce first.
Most of us were expecting Stearns and Counsel to the Mets. I can’t believe the Mets didn’t make it happen. Wow!!
@YankeesBC, I think it’s quite clear that the Mets and Stearns wanted Counsell. So the question now is was the $40MM five-year deal a bridge too far even for the Mets, or was Counsell using the Mets to push his contract as high as possible but really didn’t want to manage in NY? I don’t believe for one second that Counsell wasn’t Stearns’ preferred choice.
@RobM That has been what the media has been reporting. Perhaps Mendoza was his primary target and it was a subterfuge strategy using Counsell to get him to sign up for the manager job. Who knows?
This is a bit of an exaggeration. We don’t actually know if Counsell was their number 1 choice. Given Counsell’s recent comments about resetting the market, I’m thinking he wasn’t given the Mets could pay him more.
Don’t know that this is a black eye or embarrassing for the Mets. Counsell is a Midwest guy and is a hot ticket/able to choose his landing spot. Chicago is not a small market by any means, but doesn’t have the intense limelight of NYC.
not a black eye at all, Brewers couldn’t keep him either. you can’t force someone take a position
Counsell was only going to be using them to get a higher salary offer from the Brewers.
Oops, I see that he went to the Cubs. Well, maybe he didn’t want to leave the area.
The mendoza in the link is some 23 year old A ball player lol!
It’s the Mets. Won’t they be looking for a new manager in 1 to 3 seasons anyway? Maybe even a GM. That’s how they’ve operated for a while now.
So much for the Mets/Stearns/Counsel tampering conspiracies!
I don’t think it’s that they can’t afford Counsell, it’s that Counsell is looking for a record setting contract and a new benchmark for managers. Yeah, we are the laughing stock of MLB but we need to get our finances aligned and stop overpaying anyone that shows interest in the team looking for that payday. Listen, certain players are worth the bag but not ancient relics, like Verlander and Scherzer for example and a manager isn’t the person we are looking to set financial records for.
Guess they were wrong about Counsell
Oh thank goodness it wasn’t Counsel!
They hired someone who’s background makes sense for how Cohen wants to win. A roster littered with big contract seasoned player personnel.
LOL…
NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! LOLMets is alive and well. No hope now until this Yankee clown is fired. Pissing away the next 3-4 years. You only hire a clown like Mendoza if you’re rebuilding.
I mean they are retooling. They said as much. That’s why Max left. Not a rebuild per se, but they’re a long way away from Atlanta and Philly. A retool makes sense.
With all due respect to the Phillies advancing further than the Braves the past two years, the Phillies are not in the same talent class as the Braves.
I never said they were. In fact, if you follow my posts, you see I say that often. The Braves are a top tier team. The Phillies are a 2nd tier team. The Mets are nowhere near either of them. That was my point.
The Mets were already passing away the next two seasons. It’s probably why Counsell never seriously considered them. Probably just used them for leverage to get the dollars elsewhere.
In reality, despite the Chicago surprise, every team got who they were likely to get. I just though Counsell would stay in Milwaukee.
WHOA!!!! I never would have expected this.
Lol Cohen’s Wallet got played once again
I guess Eric Chavez will be leaving any day now as he was the manager in waiting under Buck and Beltran what about you?
Beltran? He should be banned from baseball, not sure who he is in line waiting for besides stealing more signs. Without Beltran the entire sign stealing scandal wouldn’t have happened, he is the worst thing to ever happen to the sport of baseball. Makes me sick how he would tell people he spent all his time in the film room teaching players to pick up on things, when all along he was teaching players how to steal signs.
Stealing signs has been part of the game since the game has been played. Runners on second decoding signs and relaying them happens in every game and is legal. Batters pick up on movements that tip pitches, also legal. Learning how to do both is part of the game and those who can teach it are good for the game.
Relaying signs using electronics or trash cans is not legal in mlb.
Beltran happens to have skill at teaching both the accepted art and the dark side art of sign stealing.
He has value to teams that want to tap into the accepted legal art.
Mets should have just waited a minute for Counsell to reject them, find out where he was going first and then they could have hired David Ross who actually has MLB managerial experience. Lol Mets
To the Padres as hitting coach. Melvin didn’t want Troy Snitker 2 years ago when Preller tried to hire him and they haven;t had a hitting coach since.
LOLMets
So then Counsell will either go to MIL or HOU? I can’t see him walking into the Armageddon that is ANA.
Stearns has a lot of explaining to do…
He can start by scheduling every Mets fan for multiple rounds of primal scream therapy. First the disastrous season, and now this.
Great, another affirmative action hire like Rojas.
Cowtipper
When a Latino or Caribbean player is signed, do you conclude that is an affirmative action hire?
Easiest coaching job ever now. *Draws a line in the sand. ”now nobody hit below this!”
Well played
The Mendoza Line has been drawn!
Good news is that he’s not the Mendoza who the line was named after! I looked it up when his name initially came up.
Why do people care so much about managers? Weird
I hope Cousnell goes to the Cubs. Rossy was a decent manager but he made very odd decisions the entire season. Some worked others not so much.
He did!
you fired Buck for this?
Mets Mendoza Line begins in Queens.
Buck showalter got fired for this?
Showalter got fired for the pathetic season the Mets had in 2023. That kind of money should provide a winner, but Showalter lost control of the team and too many players like Scherzer, Verlander, Cookie and others underperformed.
Stearns wants his own guy and 4 years as a bench coach with the Yankees means Mendoza is familiar with the NYC limelight and he has the experience working with the type of analytics staff that Eppler started building for the Mets and Stearns will undoubtedly add to.
Think the Mets couldn’t get Counsell to commit, or do you think they liked Mendoza better?
@oscar gamble Steve’s wife certainly did
do you know steve’s wife? because you sure seem to be focused on what you think she likes.
Good move by NYM. All the options that had been reported seemed good moves. Mendoza seems to be a NY guy.
Why are the hyperlinks always wrong on these? Just spend an extra 1 minute making sure you pull up the correct Baseball Reference page
Counsell to the Cubs!!! Holy cow
This hire proves David Stearns doesn’t understand NY
He was only born and raised in Manhattan so what does he know?
Nothing apparently
He literally hired someone who coached in NY, as opposed to a manager who resides in the Midwest. Apparently he knows more than you do.
Just the opposite. Stearns hired a NYC type of guy. Mendoza has spent the last 4 years as bench coach of a team that all the fans expect to win the big one every season. That is the expectation the Mets want to engender with their players. An urgency to win. An expectation of winning.
They’re retooling. They don’t need to spend 8m per year on a manager right now. This isn’t a bad move.
With this signing, the Mets won’t get over the Mendoza line.
To quote Rainier Wolfcastle from the McBain series…….
MENDOZAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!
WTF ? Now is all the talk about Yamamoto false too, damn, an ex Yankee coach to manage the Mets
“We’re not saying we don’t intend to sign Yamamoto, but in the meantime we’ve locked up Kyle Gibson to add depth to the rotation.” I say this in jest, but I better knock on wood anyway.
Mets signed ex Yankees coach willie Randolph in the 2000s. Didn’t that work out?
Buck?
Glancing at the headline, I thought it said “Carlos Mencia.”
At least it wasn’t Jessica Mendoza. Not that we don’t admire her werk on SNB
We do?!?!?!?!
A rod as bench coach
I just threw up in my mouth a lil
Lol
Didn’t have enough moolah for Councell?
Please have the Yanks bring Buck in as a bench coach.
This is a stunner, this guy learned under Aaron Boone, wow…must had been league pressure or something to hire this guy…could have done better with Rojas, seems like Groundhog Day all over again. Fasten the seatbelts and see what this guy can do, at least give him a chance, but what free agent will want to play for this guy?
Free agents care about money not managers lol
Obligatory lolmets
Baseball Reference link takes you to a different Carlos Mendoza.
The gift of LOLMets keeps on giving.
They’ll probably keep him around for the transition year or two and then fire him when they are set to contend.
It’s fun to give the Mets crap but I think they made the right decision with Mendoza. I wanted him in Cleveland but am happy to see what Vogt can do. They need to stop with this high profile manager stuff. You dont need a high profile guy to win. You can build a manager to be that. I hope he does well as the Mets lose lots of games.
Uh…speechless. Greatly disappointed yet cautiously optimistic (??).
The Mets had a lot of key injuries to start the season. They never did establish a core of their starters. Still. I didn’t see where Buck kept them in contention.
I can’t wait until Ohtani signs with anyone OTHER than the Mets…
If Carlos Mendoza makes a statement, it is a Mendoza Line?
As long as the Mets win more than 20% of their gmes his job is safe.
Something worth noting:
– 4 of the past 6 World Series have been won by managers that were managing with their first franchise (Snitker, Roberts, Martinez, Cora)
– 4 of the past 6 World Series winners were managed by managers of a minority background (Baker, Roberts, Martinez, Cora)
– 3 of the past 6 World Series were won by managers with their first team among historically demanding fan bases with big budgets (Snitker/Braves, Roberts/Dodgers, Cora/Red Sox)
So, it’s pretty unfair and pretty stupid to suggest that because Mendoza is a first time manager with a big budget high expectation team, thst he was hired just because of his Latino background and that not hiring someone with experience makes the Mets somehow destined to fail. Please do your research first.
“Nah. Lolmets.”
-mlbtr commenters
Everyone is laughing or disappointed, but this is a great hire IMO. No fan wants to spend two years gauging the quality of the manager, prospects, players, but this is exactly what they need. A plan, and some stability. Last 5 managers never lasted longer than two seasons. Give Mendoza a shot and see where he takes the team. If he’s half decent and the prospects pan out, they could be surprising everyone in 2025.
Or Cohen could spend money on FA under 38 and they could be surprising everyone in 2024.
I wouldn’t call this a great hire, but a low risk, high reward hire. Eventually it could turn out to be a great hire, but not today
Counsel was a nobody manager until he wasn’t what’s to say Mendoza ain’t next big thing, nobody knows and time will tell only thing I seen was he was high on a number of clubs radars. Let’s see how it plays out.
Stupid move.
When did Mark Mendoza leave Twisted Sister?
The fact the Mets didn’t intend to pony the big money for Counsell speaks more to what Stearns probably viewed his value to be.
Well said.
I keep picturing a screaming McBane from The Simpsons, “MENDOZA!!!!”
Counsell doesn’t go to NY. Shocking.