Juan Soto Called His Fired Manager to Say Thanks. The Message Says a Lot About the Mets’ Clubhouse.

Juan Soto didn’t have to make that call. Most players don’t.

When the Mets fired Carlos Mendoza on Friday after a 34-48 start to a season that was supposed to look very different, Soto picked up the phone. He called his now-former manager not to ask questions or vent frustration. He called to say thank you.

“I did. Um, not much, but you know, how much I really appreciate what he did for me, you know?” Soto told reporters Saturday. “And like, he was one of the guys who helped me to feel comfortable in this clubhouse and welcome me in the best way. So I was just thanking him for that.”

A personal connection made public

Soto signed that 15-year, $765 million contract back in December 2024 to become the face of the franchise. Mendoza was the guy who helped him settle into Queens. That matters when you’re the new superstar on a team with real expectations.

The timing of the call is worth noting. The Mets dropped Friday’s game to the Phillies 2-1, another frustrating loss in a season that keeps slipping away. But Soto’s first instinct after a managerial change wasn’t to talk about the scoreboard.

SNY Mets shared Soto’s comments on X, and the clip shows a player who clearly still respects the guy who just got fired. That doesn’t always happen in professional sports. Sometimes the clubhouse is relieved when a manager goes. Sometimes players shrug and move on. Soto went the other way.

What comes next for New York

Interim manager Andy Green now has the job of turning things around. The roster has talent. Soto is Soto. But the Mets have dug themselves a serious hole, and the next couple weeks will tell us whether this team can at least play competitive baseball down the stretch.

Soto’s comments also serve as a reminder that Mendoza wasn’t the problem in the clubhouse. The players liked him. They still do. That makes the firing feel less like a solution and more like a signal — the front office needed to do something, so they did it.

Now the response has to come on the field. Soto can call whoever he wants. What the Mets really need is a win.