Mets clubhouse – After a doubleheader loss that exposed the Mets’ defensive collapse and left their clubhouse silent, manager Carlos Mendoza was fired less than 12 hours later. Inside the room, players questioned whether leadership was the real issue—or whether the bigger prob
NEW YORK — During a conversation this week in which a New York Mets player was granted anonymity in exchange for candor, one question landed and didn’t bounce back.
Is the Mets’ clubhouse leadership lacking?
The pause lasted long enough to feel loud. After about 15 seconds, it was clear the silence spoke for itself.
After losing both games of a doubleheader on Wednesday with a brutal season’s worst performance. not one player in the Mets’ clubhouse saw fit to call a team meeting. In the reporting of the situation, some sources were granted anonymity in exchange for candor. There had been some talks among small groups earlier in the week. and continued reflection before Thursday’s game. multiple players said. But nothing stood out as particularly memorable. As one player put it, “Yeah, not much.”.
What happened next wasn’t surprising.
“We went out and did the same thing again,” another player said, describing a 4-3 loss in which the Mets’ shoddy defense led to four unearned runs.
Less than 12 hours later, on Friday morning, the Mets fired manager Carlos Mendoza.
Even inside a team trying to cope with the whiplash of late June. conversations turned quickly to the idea that Mendoza may not have been the biggest problem—though people still described blame that reached back to him. Conversations with more than a dozen people within the organization spelled out how the state of the team reflects the danger of putting together a roster the way president of baseball operations David Stearns did. with so many new faces.
While multiple Mets people said the players are not bad guys. one club source went as far as to say that they didn’t have a full roster doing whatever it takes to win. Added another person affiliated with the Mets: “When you get new players. young players. old players. guys in contract years. their first year in New York. they’re not doing well — they’re focused on themselves.”.
The Mets’ troubles, players said, don’t start and stop with one manager.
The Mets’ predicament is the product of a player roster that failed for half a season. Injuries to key players and a lack of depth led to inconsistent hitting, then poor starting pitching and bad defense. It adds up to 34-48 and 10 games behind the final wild card after the Mets lost yet again on Friday to cap an all-around abysmal day for the organization.
“We failed Mendy,” star shortstop Francisco Lindor said. “I failed Mendy.”
That admission didn’t end the debate about what really broke. After subbing a core group of players for a batch of newcomers and changing nearly the entire coaching staff, did a lack of continuity contribute to the Mets’ poor performance?
“I certainly think it’s possible,” Stearns said. “When you have a first half like this, you play like this for a prolonged stretch, it’s never just one thing. It’s probably a variety of things, and that is possible.”
Before Stearns’ news conference started at 3 p.m. on Friday, he spoke inside the clubhouse. His point was that the Mets need to keep going; they aren’t where they want to be and time remains to turn things around. Players said that his sobering tone was appropriate and his message was fine, albeit unmemorable.
Andy Green, appointed as the interim manager to replace Mendoza, spoke next.
Green’s galvanizing voice resonated with the group. One player said. “Andy’s speech was very good.” Another player added. “He’s a straight shooter.” Green is set to return to the front office after the season as vice president for player development. but one of his first tasks in his temporary role went well. Players appreciated how complimentary Green was of Mendoza. They felt he cared about Mendoza. They liked how he talked about earning players’ trust. Mostly, they praised how Green came across as genuine.
Then the clubhouse did what it always does when the ground shifts: it looked for the next voice.
Who will be the next Mets manager?
At last, someone new stood before the group and said something noteworthy. (The name of the person mentioned in the clubhouse was Ken Rosenthal.)
Mendoza holds many strengths, including his ability to communicate with front-office members, coaches and players. He spoke in front of the team multiple times. But he was not a rah-rah personality.
As things quickly went downhill. Lindor and Juan Soto—two of the Mets’ best players—alternated between time on the injured list. Lindor displays some leadership qualities, but he isn’t inclined to operate as a vociferous speaker. Soto leads quietly, more business-like, through example or in private conversations.
Their conflicting styles and relationship were a major topic at the end of last season. But Friday marked just the 10th time this season that both their names appeared in the same lineup because of injuries. Their absences were a big part of the problem on the field. Their absences didn’t help off the field, either.
It’s awkward for others to address the team, especially early in a season.
Freddy Peralta and Sean Manaea are experienced, upbeat and inclusive personalities for the group, but pitchers generally aren’t seen as commanding voices since they don’t impact every game.
Do first-year Mets such as Bo Bichette and Marcus Semien risk speaking out of turn to a bunch of players they don’t know well yet? Even four months after the start of spring training, people within the Mets’ orbit still wonder just how comfortable players are with one another.
That uncertainty sits on top of the math of what the season has cost.
Some injuries and poor performances compromised the look of New York’s $369 million payroll, the game’s second-highest, per FanGraphs. The Mets roster features a handful of rookies and a smattering of journeymen, along with a few stars. Nearly half the players on the roster are on contracts that could expire within two years. Lindor, acquired in 2021, is their longest-tenured player.
Pitcher David Peterson formerly held the title of longest-tenured player until late Wednesday night when the Mets shipped him to the Chicago Cubs via trade.
Inside the Mets’ clubhouse, Peterson’s trade was met with some surprise. Peterson had underperformed, producing a 6.09 ERA. But as one player said. “It’s not like we have starting pitchers growing on trees here.” Still. most players accepted the notion that the front office wasn’t entering sell-mode just yet. that it would make sense to wait a bit longer. maybe until at least the All-Star break.
Quickly, after a horrid April and soft May, June emerged as a make-or-break point for the Mets. The competition looked stiff. The schedule featured key divisional matchups.
A couple of weeks ago, multiple players looked at the stretch of 23 games from June 12 to July 6 — including series against NL East foes Atlanta and Philadelphia — as pivotal to their playoff hopes. So far during the stretch, the Mets are 4-10, which includes their current seven-game losing streak.
Things started to look bleak when the Mets dropped the final two games of a three-game series last weekend in Philadelphia, with Peralta, expected to be the club’s ace, lasting just 2 2/3 innings and allowing 10 runs.
Then Wednesday’s error-filled, embarrassing doozy of a doubleheader served as the tipping point. Soon afterward, Mendoza was out.
When the clubhouse opened to reporters Wednesday night, a few players sat in silence, backs to the center of the room.
“It’s not good,” Manaea said when asked Wednesday night about the psyche of the team.
When Stearns called some players on Friday morning to inform them about the managerial change, at least a couple of them looked at their phones and wondered if they were getting traded before picking up.
“Crazy times,” a player said.
The scene later on Friday looked surreal for late June. especially for a team that entered the year with a baseline expectation of making the playoffs. Stearns showed up to Citi Field in a dark blazer, a white collared shirt and dark slacks. Owner Steve Cohen showed up fresh from a trip to Europe. talking to players and personnel around the batting cage before the game. And Green was back in uniform.
Beyond that, however, not much else immediately changed.
“It’s unfortunate,” Bichette said. “Mendy was good to me. I guess sometimes the manager has to take the fall for the team underperforming.”
The sequence of events left the Mets stuck with the same question their clubhouse tried to avoid: leadership might not be the only issue. but when the room goes quiet after a collapse. the roster’s instability and the injuries keep pressing in—until someone has to stand in front of the team and try to steady it.
New York Mets Carlos Mendoza Andy Green Francisco Lindor Juan Soto David Stearns Citi Field clubhouse MLB