The Phillies have added a very familiar name to their coaching staff, and it comes with a twist: their new third-base and infield coach is recently fired former Mets manager Carlos Mendoza.
During Dave Dombrowski’s press conference, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported that Philadelphia had made the hire. Gelb wrote, "Dombrowski: The Phillies hired former Mets manager Carlos Mendoza as third-base and infield coach,".
Mendoza, 46, is joining a Phillies staff that is already undergoing change. Kevin Long and Bobby Dickerson are both out, and while the club still hasn’t announced a replacement for Long, it has now locked in the infield-side hire.
For Mendoza, the move comes after a rough end in New York. He was let go by the Mets in mid-season after they went 34-47 in the first half of the year. Andy Green took over there, and the Mets made him their new full-time manager just as Philadelphia brought back Don Mattingly in a full-time role.
Mendoza’s run with the Mets covered three seasons: 89-73 in 2024, 83-79 in 2025, and then that 34-47 start in 2026 that ended with his dismissal. The high point came in 2024, when New York reached the NLCS before falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games.
There’s also a different side to Mendoza’s résumé. Before managing the Mets, he spent 2018 through 2023 on the Yankees’ coaching staff. That background could make him a useful fit for a Phillies group looking for new voices and a steadier hand on the defensive side.
It may not be the splashiest move of the offseason, but it has a chance to matter. Philadelphia is clearly trying to reshape its staff, and Mendoza arrives with enough experience to make this a move worth watching.
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