The New York Mets didn’t just fire manager Carlos Mendoza on Friday. They also made a handful of roster moves that suggest the front office is still hunting for answers, even if some of those answers are coming from Triple-A.
Outfielder Tyrone Taylor is back from his rehab assignment and off the 10-day injured list. Left-handed pitcher Zach Thornton got the call from Triple-A Syracuse. To make room, the Mets sent right-hander Daniel Duarte and outfielder MJ Melendez down to Triple-A.
Taylor, 32, hasn’t exactly lit it up this year — .186/.210/.320 in his first 43 games. But the Mets are thin on outfield depth, so his return gives the team a warm body who can at least play defense. Whether he provides any real production remains to be seen.
Thornton is a different story. The 24-year-old southpaw has exactly one MLB appearance to his name, and that came in 2026. Between Double-A and Triple-A this season, he posted a 4.25 ERA across 12 outings (11 starts). He’s not exactly knocking the door down, but the Mets need arms, and they need them now.
This whole situation is kind of a mess. The Mets have talent — Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, a decent rotation on paper — but they’re 34-47 and sitting dead last in the AL East. Mendoza took the fall, but nobody in the organization thinks he was the only problem. The roster underperformed. The bullpen has been shaky. The lineup has gone cold for weeks at a time.
President of baseball operations David Stearns is now on the clock. He has to figure out whether this season is salvageable or if it’s time to start selling before the trade deadline. Friday’s moves feel like tinkering around the edges, but maybe that’s all you can do when the core isn’t clicking.
New York opens a three-game homestand against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night. First pitch is at 7:10 PM EST. It’s a chance to reset, or at least to stop the bleeding for a few hours.
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