Future Hall of Famer close with Juan Soto wants to be Mets' Carlos Mendoza replacement

The New York Mets confirmed news that many had expected for some time when they announced on Friday that manager Carlos Mendoza had been fired. 

While Andy Green was named the Mets' interim manager, one would think he may need to enjoy what would go down as a legendary run to ultimately win the full-time job. According to John Harper of SNY, an MLB icon and future Hall of Famer who is close with star Mets outfielder Juan Soto is already prepared to begin campaigning to become the Mets' next first-choice skipper. 

Albert Pujols wants to be the Mets' next manager?

"Heard from a source today that Albert Pujols, in recent weeks, had let friends know he'd very much want the Mets' manager job if and when they moved on from Mendoza," Harper shared on Friday afternoon. 

Harper added that Pujols managed Team Dominican Republic during this year's World Baseball Classic and "has a very strong relationship with" Soto. 

This past October, Rhett Bollinger of the MLB website noted that Pujols was considered a candidate for multiple big-league managerial vacancies last fall, even though he has no major league or minor league managing or coaching experience. However, the 46-year-old is considered one of the greatest hitters of the opening two decades of the 2000s, and he is widely respected around the league. 

"It shouldn’t be someday. He should be managing right now," long-time MLB manager Dusty Baker said about Pujols back in March, per Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic. "There are a lot of guys that are managing that don’t have the experience on the field of Albert Pujols. I didn’t have much (managerial) experience either. I coached for a while, and then I had experience in the fall league. There are a lot of guys in the game that don’t have the experience that Albert Pujols has, that don’t have the knowledge that Albert Pujols has or don’t have the respect from the players." 

Why closeness with Juan Soto may matter amid Mets' hiring process

Soto signed a 15-year, $765M contract to join the Mets in December 2024, has emerged as a clubhouse leader amid the team's awful season and won't be going anywhere anytime soon. Meanwhile, Danny Abriano of SNY mentioned that the Mets could "shake things up" drastically between now and March 2027. Abriano hinted that the Mets trading star shortstop Francisco Lindor may not be "off-limits." 

As Collin Ward of the New York Post and others pointed out, numerous candidates for the Mets' opening will be linked with the club over the next several months. One would think Pujols will eventually get at least an interview unless Mets owner Steve Cohen has already decided he wants to go in a different direction.