New York Mets pull the plug on Luis Rojas

It was inevitable. As the New York Mets continued to slide down the standings, falling further and further out of the playoffs, the whispers became a roar. Manager Luis Rojas, who had a team option for 2022, was likely gone, a victim of failing to meet ownership’s high expectations.

On Monday, that inevitability came to be. Rojas was let go by the Mets as they declined his option for the upcoming season.

New York Mets pull plug on Luis Rojas

Two months ago, Rojas seemed to be safe. The Mets held a five game lead in the NL East at the end of July, and with the additions of Rich Hill and Javier Baez, it was expected that they would return to the postseason this year.

Instead, the Mets completely fell apart down the stretch. They posted a miserable 19-37 record to close out the year, dropping all the way down to third in the division. There was even a time when it seemed that the Rockies might be able to pass them in the standings, further underscoring how far from grace they had fallen.

Maybe Rojas could have survived if the late season collapse was the only issue. After all, the roster was decimated by injuries, and the loss of Jacob deGrom essentially put the nail in the coffin. However, after the players began booing the fans, and he claimed to have zero knowledge of what was happening on the diamond, his fate was sealed. No matter how respected he may be in the organization, he just could not return to the bench next season.

This will be part of the total overhaul of the Mets. Owner Steve Cohen is set to rip through the front office in an attempt to change the culture and mindset, so it makes sense that the manager and coaching staff would change. However, this will now be the Mets’ fourth manager since the end of the 2017 season, further showing the lack of continuity in the organization.

Maybe this time the Mets will get it right. Maybe they will find the answer for the front office and on the bench, getting the people in position to allow the team to fulfill Cohen’s wishes. But there is a lot of work that will need to be done.

The New York Mets have pulled the plug on Luis Rojas. While that move was not unexpected, it is another sign of a lack of stability in the organization.