New York Mets hire Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza as manager

The New York Mets have hired Carlos Mendoza as their manager, replacing Buck Showalter. Mendoza, a former Yankees bench coach, takes over a struggling Mets team.

The New York Mets have made a significant managerial change by hiring Carlos Mendoza, the former bench coach of the New York Yankees. This decision was confirmed by a reliable source who spoke to The Associated Press. The Mets have not officially announced the move yet.

Mendoza, who has been Aaron Boone's bench coach for the past four seasons with the Yankees, will be taking over from Buck Showalter. Showalter was let go by the Mets at the end of last season after serving as manager for two years.

This hiring marks the first major move made by David Stearns, the new president of baseball operations for the Mets. Stearns, who recently took charge of his hometown team, is looking to make a strong impact.

At the age of 44, Mendoza's managerial experience has been limited to the Venezuelan Winter League and Class A in the minors. He now faces the challenge of leading a Mets team that finished fourth in the NL East this season with a record of 75-87. Despite having the highest payroll in MLB history under owner Steve Cohen, the Mets fell far behind the first-place Atlanta Braves.

Mendoza is the fifth manager for the Mets since Terry Collins' seven-year tenure ended in 2017. None of the previous four managers lasted more than two seasons. Carlos Beltrán, in particular, was let go without managing a single game due to the fallout from the Houston Astros' cheating scandal in 2017.

Initially, the Mets were reportedly interested in Craig Counsell, who had worked with Stearns in Milwaukee. However, Counsell, who led the Brewers to five playoff appearances in the last six seasons, including a division title this year, ultimately accepted an offer from the Chicago Cubs. He signed a lucrative five-year contract worth over $40 million.

Counsell also interviewed with the Cleveland Guardians, but they ultimately hired former All-Star catcher Stephen Vogt as their manager.

Showalter, who took over as Mets manager in December 2021, had a successful first season with a record of 101-61 and a playoff berth. He was even named NL Manager of the Year. However, the Mets were eliminated in the Wild Card Series by the San Diego Padres. During the offseason, the team made a significant addition to their pitching staff by acquiring Justin Verlander, a three-time Cy Young Award winner.

Despite starting the season with a record-breaking payroll of $355 million, the Mets struggled and fell out of playoff contention early on. As a result, they made several trades before the August 1 deadline, including dealing Verlander and Max Scherzer, along with other veteran players.

For more MLB news, visit AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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