AP Photo/Frank Franklin II
The New York Mets announced Monday they have declined the 2022 option on manager Luis Rojas.
“The entire Mets organization is grateful for the dedication and devotion that Luis has exhibited over the last two seasons as manager,” team president Sandy Alderson said in a statement. “He has shown a great commitment to the Mets over many years in multiple capacities. These decisions are never easy, but we feel a change is needed at this time.”
Rojas went 103-119 across two seasons as manager of the Mets, including a 77-85 record in 2021. The team spent much of the year in first place in the National League East until a late-season collapse that included a 21-37 record from August through October.
The struggles down the stretch led to a historic milestone for the squad:
Anthony DiComo @AnthonyDiComo
I have seen this statistic in several places today, and there is no better summation of the 2021 Mets:<br><br>No team in Major League history has spent as much time (103 days) in first place and finished with a losing record. The Mets are mathematically guaranteed to become the first.
It also marked the franchise’s fifth straight season without a playoff appearance.
New York had high expectations in 2021 thanks to an aggressive offseason that included a trade for Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco. The team signed Lindor to a 10-year, $341 million extension before the start of the season.
The team also signed catcher James McCann and pitcher Taijuan Walker, who earned an All-Star selection thanks to his hot start. Adding these players to a rotation led by Jacob deGrom and a lineup featuring former All-Stars Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil was seemingly a recipe for a contender.
It didn’t work out as planned as injuries and inconsistent production doomed the pitching staff, while the offense finished just 27th in the majors in runs. The midseason addition of Javier Baez also wasn’t enough to jump-start the squad.
Rojas was initially elevated to manager ahead of the 2020 season after Carlos Beltran was fired following his connection to the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal. Including Beltran—who never managed a game with the team—the Mets will now seek their fourth manager since the start of the 2018 season.
It will be part of a busy offseason for the organization, which will also look to hire a new president of baseball operations while making tough decisions on pending free agents Noah Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman, Michael Conforto, Baez and more.
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