Mets hire Mendoza from Yankees as next manager

NEW YORK -- Since Terry Collins resigned in October 2017, the Mets have lacked consistency in the dugout. The team has gone through six managers in seven seasons, none of them lasting more than two years on the job. During that period, the shortest tenure of a Mets manager was 76 days.

Team officials hope that in Carlos Mendoza, they have found a more permanent solution from a nearby talent pool. The team officially named Mendoza, most recently the Yankees’ bench coach, as their manager on Monday with a three-year deal that includes a club option for a fourth season. He takes over for Buck Showalter, whom the club dismissed in October.

“We are excited to begin this new chapter of Mets baseball,” Mets owners Steve and Alex Cohen said. “Carlos brings a wealth of experience to the Mets that includes more than a decade managing and coaching in the minors as well as serving as bench coach the last four years with our cross-town rivals. Carlos is full of energy, passion and it was easy to see he’ll have a great rapport with both our veteran and young players.”

The Mendoza news was part of a carousel of moves across the baseball landscape last week, with cascading effects on one another. In Chicago, the Cubs hired Craig Counsell, who had been a leading candidate for the Mets job. And in Cleveland, the Guardians tabbed Stephen Vogt to guide their team.

In New York, the job went to Mendoza, 43, who has served as bench coach for four seasons under Yankees manager Aaron Boone and was on their Major League staff for six years. The Venezuela native previously was a Minor League coach and manager, as well as a player in the Yankees and Giants organizations.

“I couldn’t be more excited to manage this tremendous franchise,” Mendoza said. “I want Mets fans to know that I will pour every ounce of energy into this job and we share a common goal of bringing a championship to Queens. I’m proud to represent Venezuela and the Mets and I’m grateful Steve, Alex and David gave me this wonderful opportunity.”

This will be the first Major League managerial job for Mendoza, who will also join Ozzie Guillen as the only Venezuelan-born, full-time managers in Major League history. (Two other Venezuelans -- Al Pedrique and Miguel Cairo -- managed on an interim basis.) His managerial experience includes a stint in the Venezuelan Winter League, as well as dozens of MLB opportunities filling in for Boone after ejections.

His hiring represents a stark departure from the 67-year-old Showalter, who came to the Mets with two decades of managerial experience. Time will tell how much of a departure in personality he will be. Voices around baseball described Mendoza on Monday as friendly and affable, but also capable of levying discipline if the situation calls for it.

It’s the first significant hire for new president of baseball operations David Stearns, who also interviewed Counsell, his former manager in Milwaukee. While Counsell ultimately took a new job, he accepted one just down the road from his full-time Wisconsin home. It is not clear how close the Mets came to hiring Counsell, but a source said the former Brewers manager did advance to multiple rounds of interviews. Others involved in the process reportedly included A’s manager Mark Kotsay and former Padres manager Andy Green.

As the 25th manager in Mets history, Mendoza’s charge will be to bring stability both to the dugout and the organization. Since Collins left, the Mets have gone through Mickey Callaway, Carlos Beltrán, Luis Rojas and Showalter as managers. The team has also employed six different heads of baseball operations since that time.