Mets Manager Addresses Rumors of Clubhouse Dysfunction

These comments seemed to confirm what everyone had already believed about the 2025 Mets, and from there more rumors began to spiral. But the New York skipper has seemingly had enough of the speculation and took to "The Michael Kay Show" on Wednesday to provide follow-up comments pushing back against accusations of drama or dysfunction in the clubhouse last year.

“We don’t need those guys to be best friends," Mendoza said. "We want them to be themselves. They respect each other. And they want the same thing, which is to win a World Series... but as far as like they don’t like each other, I’m going to call that a BS.”

Carlos Mendoza Calls Out 'BS' Rumors on Clubhouse

Mendoza's comments seem to mainly target the widespread rumor that there was a rift between the club's two stars, Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto. It was originally reported by Mike Puma of the New York Post that their relationship was "chilly" and may have been at the center of the team's off-field divide.

However, when asked about his relationship with Lindor, Soto told interviewer Luz García that they "get along very well," saying "he’s a great ball player and a tremendous person, and a happy person in the clubhouse amongst everything else," as translated by @Masterflip_ on X.

When asked about the same topic, Mendoza was honest about the differences between his two superstars but dismissed the idea that there was ever a clash.

“There are completely different personalities," Mendoza said. "You know, one is very outgoing where everybody sees their smile... and the other one is super business-like, very meticulous about his preparation, about his routine. And a lot of times he keeps it to himself, you know."

While these differences in demeanor may not have caused any altercations, they certainly could have contributed to the "corporate" environment that Mendoza highlighted. He expanded on this idea with Kay, explaining that developing a deep friendship and care for each other may be the key to elevate his squad from good to great.

“The problem for me was that we didn’t shake hands at the end of the game enough. And when that happens, you know, then it becomes more of like I said it again not too long ago, it became like a corporate clubhouse,” he said. “Not that guys didn’t like each other, they respected each other, they got along.”

Camraderie in a clubhouse is not only hard to quantify or speculate on, but hard to predict. We are often told that a general manager's job is to put the best players on the field, which in many ways is true. But another, sometimes more difficult job is to make sure these great players mesh with each other and form a cohesive unit.

Some will say this is the manager's job to foster, which is also true. But David Stearns' complete roster overhaul is any indication, last season's squad may have had deeper issues than just baseball. Now with a new-look lineup but the same manager and superstars, the Mets will have a chance to reset and build something special in Queens.

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