MLB insider on Mets backing Carlos Mendoza, rising hot seats and MLB trade buzz

This has been one of the weirdest and wackiest starts to a baseball season that I can remember. I was asked before Opening Day when the first manager would be fired, and my answer was 3/4 of the way through the season. Whoops.

With Alex Cora and Rob Thomson out in Boston and Philly, what should we make of the New York Mets’ outlook considering their struggles? And what other jobs could open up? How about an early look at the trade deadline? We dove into that and much more with Sports Illustrated’s Stephanie Apstein on The Baseball Insiders.

Mets backing Carlos Mendoza, but a missed postseason could change that

I’ve gotten this question a lot, and my feeling is that the Mets intend to be patient with Carlos Mendoza. They like Mendoza. They believe in him, and so does the clubhouse. They want to let the season play out, have Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto play together for an extended stretch, and see if they can recover.

If the Mets miss the playoffs, then Mendoza feels like a candidate to be out in Queens. Perhaps even if they are out of contention late in the season, a change can happen. But there is not an obvious in-house solution in New York, nothing like Don Mattingly in Philadelphia, who the Mets can feel comfortable handing the keys to if Mendoza were fired. So I believe his job is safe.

Angels and Astros hot seats are heating up

The first one that comes to mind is the Los Angeles Angels, where manager Kurt Suzuki is on a one-year contract. The vibes there feel … weird. Jordan Romano had an extended conversation with Suzuki on the mound while being taken out of the game the other day. Then he was designated for assignment. And with both Suzuki and Perry Minasian on expiring contracts, perhaps the Angels could have change at both leadership positions after the season.

The other is the Houston Astros, where manager Joe Espada could be on the hot seat if the Astros’ struggles continue. Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier were expected to make a significant jump this season and to fill the loss of Framber Valdez. That has not happened, both are on the Injured List, and Houston is 11-19. This could be one to watch.

Rangers aren’t trading Jacob deGrom or Nathan Eovaldi

I was caught off guard by this question on the podcast: Would they trade deGrom or Eovaldi? Maybe it’s from a fan of a team hopeful it can acquire one of the two star pitchers. Don’t get your hopes up though.

The Rangers are absolutely still in the playoff picture and in a division that looks very winnable. They have the flexibility to move a starter after trading for MacKenzie Gore, of course, but this is a team that wants to win with its pitching. Right now, they feel much more likely to add a bat rather than subtract from the major-league roster, let alone moving one of their star pitchers. Let’s put this one to bed. I just don’t see it happening.

Don Mattingly is a short-term solution as Phillies eye a bigger hire

The Phillies have made it clear in their public messaging that Don Mattingly is the manager “through the 2026 season.” After that, all bets are off. But they will give him a chance to win the job outright and if the Phillies make a deep postseason run, they may have no choice but to make him the full-time manager.

The most likely solution, however, is that Mattingly is one and done in Philly. Alex Cora is the name that everyone is watching in Philadelphia right now. He turned down the job on Sunday, wanting to spend time with his family, but his ties to Dave Dombrowski are strong and he seems like the favorite to be the long-term answer for the Phillies.

Perhaps Mattingly could stay on as bench coach or in a different role in the organization if Cora is indeed hired. Or he could work alongside his son Preston, the teams’ general manager, in the front office. He will have many options regardless of what happens.

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