Carlos Mendoza Reflects on a Tumultuous Offseason with the Mets
Carlos Mendoza has had quite the offseason, much like the entire franchise. On Friday’s episode of the “Foul Territory” podcast, he opened up about the challenging months that kicked off with the Mets’ captain making significant coaching changes after a disappointing 2025 season.
During this restructuring, he let go of several key figures: pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, hitting coaches Eric Chavez and Jeremy Burns, bench coach John Gibbons, and third base coach Mike Serbo. Mendoza described this as “the toughest day” he’s ever faced in his career.
“Honestly, these were probably the hardest days of my professional journey,” he admitted.
In the aftermath of these firings, the Mets brought in Tony Snitker to lead the hitting program, along with Justin Willard as the pitching coach. They also promoted Jeff Albert, who was previously the hitting director, to oversee the hitting initiatives in Queens.
Mendoza mentioned the emotional toll of these decisions, especially since he spends more time with his coaches than his own family. “As you build those relationships, it’s really challenging to make these choices,” he reflected. “When I’m talking on the phone, it truly breaks my heart.”
However, things took a positive turn when the Mets made significant moves in January, notably signing Bo Bichette and acquiring Luis Robert and Freddy Peralta through trades shortly after.
Mendoza clarified that signing Bichette wasn’t a desperate move following the failure to acquire Kyle Tucker. He emphasized that the organization was well-prepared to pursue the two-time All-Star, having had two discussions with him prior to the signing.
“This wasn’t out of panic. We had already laid the groundwork,” he said. “We had meetings with him. It wasn’t a reaction to missing out on Tucker.”
Just days after Bichette secured a three-year, $126 million contract, the Mets moved Robert to the White Sox in exchange for Luis Angel Acuña and a minor league pitcher, Truman Pauley. Mendoza voiced approval of this trade but acknowledged the challenge of keeping Robert healthy, as he has been sidelined for 114 games over the past two seasons. The Mets’ medical team has reached out to him already.
“When he’s healthy, he’s truly one of the best players,” Mendoza affirmed.
Mendoza also mentioned he had a positive conversation with Robert shortly after the Mets traded Peralta for relief pitcher Tobias Meyers. Despite the recent roster progress, he stated that the team is still actively working on further improvements for the 2026 season.
“As a manager, I truly appreciate having owners like Steve and Alex Cohen who are committed to investing all their resources. That feels incredibly reassuring,” Mendoza expressed.
“We are optimistic about the direction we’re heading as an organization,” he concluded.
