Update shares if Mets are close to firing Carlos Mendoza amid awful start

People within the New York Mets, such as president of baseball operations David Stearns, reportedly believed heading into Sunday that manager Carlos Mendoza "deserved more time" to try to save the team's season. However, that was before the Mets fell to 9-19 on the campaign after they dropped both games of a doubleheader versus the Colorado Rockies.

According to an update shared by Max Goodman of NJ Advance Media on Monday, Stearns may not yet be all that close to making a decision that some feel is inevitable. 

Mets not blaming Carlos Mendoza for team's awful record?

"As one source within the Mets organization explained on Sunday," Goodman wrote, "...it’s important to remember that Stearns isn’t very reactionary. He operates in more of a stick-to-the-process mindset. Stearns endorsed Mendoza just over one week ago in Chicago while the Mets were still enduring their lengthy losing streak. He singled out the way that Mendoza has been putting players in a position to succeed. Mendoza has also demonstrated a willingness to shake up his lineup and pitching plans. He hasn’t been complacent with rolling out the same group each day, expecting different results. Mendoza can’t control the wave of injuries this team has been hit with, nor who he has at his disposal on his lineup card. As closer Devin Williams put it last week, Mendoza doesn’t swing the bat and doesn’t throw the ball either."

In his first season on the job, Mendoza guided the 2024 Mets on an unexpected turnaround that featured the club playing in that year's National League Championship Series. The Mets then finished June 12 of last year at 45-24 before things fell apart for the club amid a painful collapse that ended with New York failing to qualify for the playoffs. 

This past offseason, Stearns dismantled the core of the Mets' roster via moves that were unpopular among many fans. Those transactions had nothing to do with outfielder Juan Soto missing weeks of action due to a right calf strain, and Stearns also can't be blamed for the fact that shortstop Francisco Lindor will likely be out of the lineup for the foreseeable future because of a calf issue. 

While Stearns has become an enemy in the eyes of some Mets supporters, Goodman noted that the executive is not "going to fire himself" this spring. Thus, Mendoza may quickly become a scapegoat if the Mets keep losing more than they win. 

Could Mets replace Carlos Mendoza with Alex Cora?

On Saturday, the Boston Red Sox surprisingly fired manager Alex Cora as part of an organizational house-cleaning. Some have suggested that the Mets could view Cora as a replacement for Mendoza, but Goodman said that "one league source predicted that Cora will take a job as a general manager." 

Meanwhile, SNY's Danny Abriano mentioned that "the players' preparation and readiness to perform is a reflection of the manager." That reflection may result in Stearns and/or big-spending Mets owner Steve Cohen showing Mendoza the door if New York continues to play like arguably the worst team in MLB through the first half of May.