Mets hiring Carlos Mendoza as new manager after Craig Counsell push
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Mets went 10 miles across town to find their new manager.
Carlos Mendoza, who spent the last four seasons as the Yankees’ bench coach, was hired Monday by the Mets for their managerial vacancy, according to major league sources, ending the search for Buck Showalter’s replacement.
The hiring followed a courtship with Craig Counsell, who surprised the baseball world Monday by accepting a five-year contract worth $40 million from the Cubs, who removed David Ross from the job to hire the former Brewers manager.
Counsell’s new contract is a record for an MLB manager.
Counsell received a significantly lower offer from the Mets, according to an industry source.
Counsell also didn’t give the Mets an opportunity to match the offer he received from the Cubs.
Mendoza, 43, also interviewed for managerial openings with the Guardians and Padres.
He spent the last 15 seasons with the Yankees in a variety of roles.
He joined the Yankees’ major league staff in 2017 as the team’s infield instructor and has an extensive background in player development — regarded as an asset as the Mets try to build the organization through their farm system.
As a player, Mendoza, a Venezuela native, spent 10 seasons in the minor leagues with the Giants and Yankees and got as far as Triple-A with both organizations.
Mendoza will be just the latest Mets manager with Yankees coaching ties.
In addition to Showalter, who spent four seasons as Yankees manager in the 1990s, the Mets hired Willie Randolph from the Yankees coaching staff in 2005.
Dallas Green, Yogi Berra and Casey Stengel all managed the Mets after tenures in the Yankees dugout.
Showalter was fired by the Mets in the final weekend of the regular season, allowing new president of baseball operations David Stearns the latitude to select his own manager.
The Mets received permission to speak with Counsell before his Brewers contract expired on Oct. 31, but also had a candidate list that included former Padres manager Andy Green and Athletics manager Mark Kotsay.
Stearns oversaw Milwaukee’s front office during most of Counsell’s managerial tenure and there was strong belief within the industry that relationship and owner Steve Cohen’s deep pockets would bring a reunion to Queens.
But the Cubs offered Counsell an opportunity to remain near his Midwest roots while managing another large-market team with deep resources.
With a manager selected, the Mets can begin formulating a coaching staff.
It’s expected the team will search for a bench coach with previous major league managing experience to complement the rookie Mendoza.
Possibilities could include Phil Nevin, Gabe Kapler, Ross and Andy Green (should he not be retained by the Cubs following Counsell’s hiring).
Eric Chavez, who served as Mets bench coach last season, is under contract for another year and could be reassigned if he doesn’t leave for another job.
Pitching coach Jeremy Hefner has two years remaining on his contract and could be on firmer ground for a return given his reputation within the game and the fact Mendoza is a first-time manager who hasn’t had his own pitching coach previously.
A club searching for a new pitching coach contacted the Mets recently about speaking to Hefner, but Hefner told Mets brass he planned to wait until a decision on his fate was reached by the new managerial hire before he potentially sought another job.
Others under contract on whom Mendoza and Stearns will have to decide include hitting coach Jeremy Barnes, assistant hitting coach Eric Hinske and catching instructor Glenn Sherlock.
Dom Chiti, who served as the Mets bullpen coach last season, recently accepted a player development job with the Angels.
In addition, third-base coach Joey Cora, first-base coach Wayne Kirby and information coach Danny Barnes are without contracts.
