Inside The Mets

Mets' Carlos Mendoza on Juan Soto addition, Pete Alonso returning

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza gave his reaction to the team adding Juan Soto as well as re-signing Pete Alonso.

Logan VanDine

Dec 12, 2024; Flushing, NY, USA; New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto poses for photos with manager Carlos Mendoza during a press conference at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Dec 12, 2024; Flushing, NY, USA; New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto poses for photos with manager Carlos Mendoza during a press conference at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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When the New York Mets pulled off the blockbuster signing of Juan Soto on a record-setting 15-year, $765 million contract, they were immediately deemed the offseason winners across the league.

The All-Star outfielder was coming off a career year in his lone season with the New York Yankees, as he slashed .288/.419/.569 with 41 home runs and 109 RBI in 157 regular season games. With his Mets career underway this spring, which has already seen him go yard in his first spring training at-bat, manager Carlos Mendoza spoke more about Soto's addition to the ballclub.

The second-year skipper joined the latest episode of the Meet at the Apple podcast and was asked about his reaction to winning the Soto free agency sweepstakes.

"I remember being in Dallas because we were getting ready to start the Winter Meetings. It was a Sunday night and I get the text and I was in my room and I couldn't believe it...I didn't know what to do," Mendoza said. "The phone just started blowing, it came out right away and I started walking around the room and I was like 'alright we got action here'. So excited, obviously."

Read More: David Stearns reveals 2-word reaction to Juan Soto signing

The Mets' signing of Soto to that record-breaking contract came the day before the Winter Meetings were slated to begin in Dallas, so Mendoza was, of course, asked about how long it took for him and Yankees manager Aaron Boone to communicate about the big news.

"I wanna say a couple of days, we had a dinner set up during the Winter Meetings with some of the other managers, we ended up going...so it was a good time," Mendoza said. "He understands and I understand it's a business, and I'm just glad that we were able to get him."

Mendoza also talks about Pete Alonso's return

Adding a generational player like Soto to a team that came within two games of an improbable World Series appearance last season wasn't the only big move the Mets were able to make. After prolonged offseason negotiations between the Mets and Pete Alonso, the two sidesagreed on a two-year, $54 million deal with an opt-out after this season. Mendoza was obviously thrilled to have his first baseman back for the 2025 campaign.

"I was super excited when I got the text," Mendoza said. "When I got the news, I texted Pete right away because we know what he means to the team, for the organization, his presence in the lineup, middle of the lineup, one of the best power hitters in the game that plays every day, and that's a good feeling for a manager."

With the addition of Soto and the re-signing of Alonso to go along with the likes of Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, and Mark Vientos, to name a few, Mendoza has already begun the process of thinking about how to construct their lineup this season.

"As soon as I got that text from David when we got Juan, I was like right away 'Wow is he hitting second is he hitting third?' We're still a long ways away from that," Mendoza said. "Now that we're back and we got Pete, Lindor leading off, Soto second and then we'll see where we're at as far as facing righties, lefties, how's the bullpen looking for the other team. The good thing is that we have some really good options."

This is certainly one of the deepest lineups the Mets have had in quite some time, and Mendoza expects to plug in his everyday players into the same lineup this spring around mid-March.

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Logan VanDine
LOGAN VANDINE

Logan VanDine is a contributing writer for On SI's Mets. Logan is a graduate of Rider University where he majored in Sports Media and minored in Sports Studies. During his time at Rider, Logan worked for Rider's radio station, 107.7 The Bronc as a sports host, producer and broadcaster, and for the school's paper: The Rider News. He began his time with The Rider News as a section writer for sports and was a copy editor for two years followed by being one of the sports editors during his senior year. Logan also placed third in the New Jersey Press Foundation Awards for sports feature writing. Aside from his work at On SI, he is also a writer for FanSided covering the New York Giants and Mets and also covers the Giants for Total Apex Sports. Give him a follow on X: @VandineLogan

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