Mets Managerial Shakeup: Accountability & Future Moves
Craig Carton and Tyrone Johnson discuss the Mets' managerial shakeup, accountability issues, and the future of key players in this engaging MLB news segment.
Video Transcript
Everybody's coming out to the support now of, Carlos Mendoza, the Met manager.
It's interesting to me.
Gary Cohen, the longtime play-by-play voice of, the New York Mets, quote, "He's probably the least culpable of everybody that has contributed to this morass of a season that the Mets are in But they had to do something.
This is the move that teams make."
Uh- Yeah like, then you have, Harry Rose, the longtime radio voice of the New York Mets in his last season as, play-by-play voice of the New York Mets.
stepping down after a great run.
"The Mets managerial change felt inevitable following Wednesday's doubleheader debacle, but please don't lose sight of the fact that however much blame he's charged with for this season, he deserves twice as much credit for the run in 2024."
All right.
Okay.
"He's a wonderful man and a pleasure to work with."
I'll say that about Carlos Mendoza, I've had him on my show many times, is a good guy.
But not to be cavalier about that part of it, so what?
Like, you're, So what, he's a good guy?
Like, he's gonna get paid, which is good.
No one's taking his money away from him.
He was an interesting choice when they made the choice back in the day to hire him, and there's a guy out there that I've long advocated for to be the- Who?
New York Mets manager who's actually back in New York, uh- Really?
managing an independent team now, that I would hire in a second.
And that's- Who?
Wally Backman.
I would hire Wally Backman, I would've hired Wally Backman to be the interim manager because Wally Backman, while I Look, the season's a wrap.
I'm not suggesting they make this miraculous second half run and get into the playoffs, they win a World Series, and, we treat him like we treat Mike Brown now as the Knick head coach and he walks on water.
But he would've straightened everybody out.
Now, I can't speak to- Who- m-, was it Andy Green who's taking over now as far as his temperament as a manager?
'Cause I honestly don't know, but I do know Wally Backman.
Wally Backman would've walked into that dugout to- today and said, "Playtime is over, boys.
Playtime is over."
Everybody- is now being held accountable, and that's what I love about Wally Backman.
Again, no guarantee of winning games, but I'm not even sure it matters anymore.
But you've got a bad atmosphere in that clubhouse, you've got a country club approach to playing baseball, and you need a guy to come in there and tear some people new rear ends, and Wally Backman- Now- would've did that.
Now how long does that really work though, Craig?
Like, we've seen that people try to old school- Interim manager for the next three months and then, and then not have them back for next season.
Well, I think depends on how the team responds to it.
You know, the other thing- See- about this is the guy that's now got the target on his ass, rightfully so, is the guy that hired Mendoza and the guy that put- Is- this direct together, and that's David Stearns- Yeah because- How does this translate though?
at the trade deadline last year, he was over.
He whiffed on- Right every decision he made at the trade deadline last year.
And remember, on- Mm-hmm June 18th, the New York Mets had the best record in all of baseball last year.
Yep.
In the second half, they had the worst record, and that's based on all the moves that he made, David Stearns, right?
Now you- Right fast-forward to this year, and I ask you this, I know you don't follow the Mets as much as I do, being a, you know, a Phillies fan.
Jorge Polanco, no good.
No.
Bo Bichette- No who the Phillies wanted to give a 10-year deal to.
They dodged that bullet.
Right.
They tried to sign him to play third base.
Yep.
Marcus Simeon, garbage.
Lubock- Yep hasn't played since early April, right?
Freddy Peralta- Yeah average at best, right?
So it's been one disastrous pick and signing after another, and that's the guy that really, should be on the hot seat, but I believe on good authority that David Stearns is coming back next year.
I do not think- Well, that's- David Stearns gets relieved of his duties.
Where's the accountability then?
Where's the accountability?
'Cause you just mentioned accountability for the players and having a tough interim manager, but if the GM's not gonna give that manager anything to work with, it's not gonna work.
And here's the thing about the Bichette move.
There were multiple players this off-season that the Mets were allegedly second on, and then the Phillies were gonna sign Bichette, and they signed him basically saying, "Well, we have to get somebody," and that was a disaster too.
That's not a GM with a plan.
For me, he's the one who should go now.
He clearly can't get it done.
We saw what happened in Milwaukee, so be it.
But here, he can't get it done in a big city, and that farm system, he's brought up 1,000 rookies, and alls they do is lose.
They don't have 1,000 more rookies to bring up.
How do you keep him long-term?
If you wanna keep him now through the end of the season, but how does he come back, Craig- Yeah and you look these fans in the eye and say that it's all good?
I, I, you're right, and here's the other part about it.
Like, he got a five-year, $50 million contract.
He makes $10 million a year.
Mm-hmm.
next year- Mm-hmm will be year four.
he's obviously coming back- Right for next year, and then the question is, you know, he becomes kind of a, a le- sta- lame duck, you know, general manager.
Yeah.
because if you're Steve Cohen, you're not extending him now.
No way.
he's gonna get year four, but you're not gonna extend him until you see what he puts together.
And I think they're gonna- start selling off whatever pieces they can sell off, and then the question's gonna be, A, who's gonna wanna come here, and B, who's available to come here?
