Inside The Mets

Insider suggests Mets should take this strategy with Carlos Mendoza

An MLB insider thinks that a welcome change should be in store for New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza.
Grant Young|
Feb 27, 2025; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (64) walks on the field against the Houston Astros during the fourth inning at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Feb 27, 2025; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (64) walks on the field against the Houston Astros during the fourth inning at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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When the New York Mets hired Carlos Mendoza to be their team's manager on November 13, 2023, the decision wasn't met with universal adoration.

The Mets went from the legendary Buck Showalter — who is a four-time Manager of the Year award winner with 1,727 MLB wins to his record — to a guy who had never managed an MLB team before and had zero managerial victories to his record.

And when the Mets had a 24-34 record after their June 1, 2024 home defeat to the Arizona Diamondbacks, this managerial decision didn't seem to be bearing fruit.

Read more: Insider reveals Red Sox exceeded Mets' Juan Soto offer

Soon after that, however, Mendoza helped the team around to the point where they were arguably MLB's hottest team in the second half of the season, which they carried to the NLCS, where they ultimately came up short against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

But it was still a fantastic season for New York and for Mendoza, who did more than prove his place leading this team.

Now expectations are high for the 2025 season. But before the 2025 campaign begins, New York Post MLB insider Jon Heyman made the case in a March 6 article that deserves a raise.

He noted that Mendoza is currently making $1.5 million per season, and suggests that he's deserving of a two-year extension at $3.5 million per year. Heyman also notes that New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (who Mendoza coached under for five seasons) earns $5 million per year, so $3.5 million for Mendoza shouldn't seem egregious.

Given all the additions the Mets have made to their roster in preparation for the 2025 campaign, perhaps Mendoza's deal has become an afterthought. Heyman seems to think it's time for that to change.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Mets and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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