NY Mets' Carlos Mendoza firing was necessary, but it doesn't solve the real problem

On Friday morning, the New York Mets made the decision to fire manager Carlos Mendoza and designate Andy Green as interim manager for the remainder of the 2026 season. The move comes after a six-game losing streak, including the humiliating Wednesday doubleheader against the Cubs in which the Mets allowed a combined 20 runs and committed six errors in the infield.

At 34-47 at the midpoint of the season, the Mets become the third team this year to fire their manager, joining the Boston Red Sox with Alex Cora and the Philadelphia Phillies with Rob Thomson. The decision was inevitable. What is not as clear is whether it solves anything.

The choice of Andy Green as interim manager is striking for what it says about Stearns' philosophy. Green, 48, has been with the organization since November 2023 as Senior Vice President of Baseball Development, and previously managed the San Diego Padres from 2016 to 2019, compiling a 274-366 record. What stands out is that the organization bypassed Kai Correa, the team's sitting bench coach, who was the natural candidate for any midseason managerial change. Correa, 36, had briefly served as interim manager of the Giants following the departure of Gabe Kapler in 2023, and was widely considered the logical in-house option. The fact that Stearns chose to bring Green in from the executive office rather than promote the existing bench coach suggests that the problem in the dugout went beyond the manager himself, or that Stearns needs someone close to him to make in-game decisions.

The firing was late, but Mendoza wasn't the real problem

David Stearns was politically careful in addressing Mendoza's departure, stating that "Carlos has led the organization with passion and grace and is beloved by everyone who works with him on a daily basis. His impact on our players, staff, and culture over these three seasons has been transformative. Unfortunately, we know we are falling short, and change is necessary to move forward." It is the kind of vague statement that acknowledges an operational reality without pointing to who is responsible. And that makes sense, because the reality is that Mendoza did not build this roster. Stearns is responsible for constructing a shallow, ineffective roster that was too dependent on injury-prone players despite a $380 million payroll. Mendoza ended his tenure with a 206-199 regular season record and an NLCS appearance in 2024.

The arc of recent months tells you the real story. The 2026 season began with a 12-game losing streak in April, and the organization never managed to recover. Players like Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto dealt with injuries, key acquisitions like Bo Bichette had a terrible start to the year, and rotation centerpieces like David Peterson and Kodai Senga disappointed on the mound. None of that falls within a manager's control. What does fall within Mendoza's responsibility is bullpen management, which drew consistent criticism throughout the season, and the team's inability to respond mentally after losing streaks.

Now, Andy Green arrives at a dugout that needs more than a managerial change can offer. Last year, Green turned down multiple opportunities to return to the dugout in order to remain in his player development role, which suggests this move was not his initiative but rather an emergency solution from Stearns. With the Mets far from first place in the NL East and equally far from the last Wild Card spot, the team appears headed toward a complete rebuild for the 2027 season. Green will have to manage a team in full sell mode ahead of the trade deadline while maintaining a culture of competitiveness in a clubhouse that has been in freefall for more than a year. It is a thankless mission. The real work of reconstruction begins this winter, and that responsibility falls on Stearns, not on the man in the dugout.

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