Carlos Mendoza to join Phillies coaching staff

Former New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza is the new third base and infield coach for the Philadelphia Phillies, team president Dave Dombrowski said Thursday.

Mendoza was fired by the Mets in June after an unexpectedly horrendous start to the season. He was 206-199 in two-and-a-half years on the job. Prior to that, Mendoza spent years coaching in the New York Yankees organization and was Aaron Boone’s bench coach from 2020-23. He led the Mets to a last-minute Wild Card berth and NLCS appearance in 2024, but that proved a high point. Despite poaching Juan Soto from the rival Yankees in free agency, the Mets struggled and were eliminated from playoff contention on the last day of the season.

But make no mistake, Mendoza’s failures with the Mets were only so much his fault. In an offseason when the team desperately needed pitching, owner Steve Cohen instead broke the bank to sign Soto. Nor could Mendoza control the front office’s decision to let fan favorite Pete Alonso sign with Baltimore, only for the Polar Bear to have the most productive season of his career with a 148 wRC+. Alonso also led the AL with 43 home runs and 113 RBI, nothing Mendoza could have foreseen nor controlled.

Which, in a way, is exactly why Carlos Mendoza is a perfect hire in Philly. Former Yankee Don Mattingly, 65, only signed a two-year deal after having the interim tag removed. The Phillies must also strike a hard balance next year: High-upside young talent like Justin Crawford and Bryan Rincon alongside aging veterans Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, and Bryce Harper.

What does this mean for the Phillies? Simple. Should Mattingly lose the clubhouse like predecessor Rob Thomson? Mendoza is the automatic in-house successor.

Granted, that isn’t necessarily a good thing. Mendoza struggled to navigate friction between Soto and Francisco Lindor. A clubhouse with Harper, who can also be moody like Soto, won’t be easier. Philadelphia’s flaws aren’t necessarily one a new manager can fix, but I digress.

At this stage, it looks like Carlos Mendoza booked his next managing job without actually doing so. Don’t be shocked if his time in the third base box is another stepping stone.