The New York Mets are moving on from manager Luis Rojas after two seasons.
The organization announced that it declined Rojas’ option for the 2022 season. The Mets went 26-34 in his first season at the helm before going an underwhelming 77-85 in 2021, the first year under owner Steve Cohen. The team had a lead in the division as large as 5.5 games in August before imploding down the stretch.
“I want to share such heartfelt gratitude to so many in the Mets organization for not only the last two seasons as manager, but for the last 16 years in a variety of roles,” Rojas said in a statement. “In each and every position I held, striving for excellence was our daily mission. I will always hold the relationships and friendships, developed over the years, dear to my heart, and am forever grateful to have been able to wear the Mets uniform for so long. We live in a results oriented business, and am deeply disappointed for our staff and fans that we didn’t reach our goals this season.”
The Mets announced that Rojas has been offered a to-be-determined role with the organization.
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Rojas was elevated to manager in January 2020 to replace Carlos Beltran, who was let go without managing a single game in the aftermath of the Houston Astros’ cheating scandal. After coaching in the minors and building strong bonds with players like Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil, Rojas was seen as an ideal candidate to step in on short notice.
The pandemic-shortened 2020 season ended without a Mets playoff appearance, nor did a tumultuous 2021 season. The Mets could not escape the New York spotlight in 2021 -- whether it was injuries, losing streaks, the Mickey Callaway ban, tweets from Cohen or players giving thumbs down to fans at Citi Field.
“The entire Mets organization is grateful for the dedication and devotion that Luis has exhibited over the last two seasons as manager,” Mets 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.”
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Anderson and Cohen will be tasked with finally finding a new president of baseball operations, who will then be tasked with searching for a new manager.
