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By Nelson Espinal
Contributing Sports Reporter
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New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza addressed rumors of potential locker room issues in the clubhouse last season.
The Mets started the season really well, looking like a National League contender, but the second half saw a shocking drop in results and performance, leaving the team without even a wild-card bid.
In the aftermath of the disastrous play from the Mets in the fall, the New York Post reported that a falling out had happened between Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil during the season, and the relationship between Lindor and big-money signee Juan Soto grew distant.
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Mendoza, during the MLB Winter Meetings, dispelled the notion that there were problems among the players last season.
“We had a professional clubhouse,” the Mets manager said. “Guys respected each other. Guys enjoyed being around each other. We just didn’t play well in the field, and that translated into whatever people call vibe, team chemistry.”
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The manager was also asked specifically about the New York Post report, though Mendoza ended up chalking it up to off-season chatter.
“I’m not going to get into what happens in the clubhouse; obviously, it stays there,” Mendoza said.
“The past few weeks, it feels like we were fighting pretty much every day. Nobody talked about our clubhouse when we got to the second week of June with the best record in baseball. We have the best clubhouse. And then we start losing and everybody is talking about, oh, some of the issues.”
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The Mets entered the season with big expectations, especially after breaking the bank for Juan Soto and team owner Steven Cohen investing in the entire roster.
The team fell well short of the owner's standards, though the winter offers the chance to restructure the roster and go again in the spring.
The Mets are linked to big-money free agents like Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger, while Pete Alonso's free agency looms over the franchise. The team could look quite different, and if the wins come next season, Mendoza should hear little about the locker room.
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