After the Mets finished off their disappointing season on Sunday afternoon, they were left grappling with the reality that when they report to spring training next year, they will be greeted by a new manager.
Buck Showalter will not return for the final year of his contract, and his players grappled with the emotions of feeling as if they played a part in the decision.
"In my opinion, it all falls on us," Brandon Nimmo said. "I am a professional athlete who is supposed to motivate myself, and if I need help being motivated, that's a problem. So I don't really feel like Buck was the problem…Yeah, I do feel like we had something to do with him being fired."
Francisco Lindor also carried a sense of remorse after playing for Showalter one last time.
"I'm sad…it's a decision that comes from above," Lindor said. "It's out of my reach, in a way. I can't tell you right now if it's the right or wrong decision. Do I like it? No, it doesn't feel good, to have a man that you love and your family loves to be without a job. I hate seeing people lose their jobs.
"He let me be Francisco Lindor, and I appreciate that. He let my daughter run around and love on him, and I appreciate that."
The Mets will turn a page to a new era starting on Monday, but Pete Alonso was upset to have to say goodbye to the current era, and to his manager of the last two seasons.
"Really, really upset. He's an unbelievable manager," Alonso said. "I think he's a great mentor. He does a great job of understanding his personnel…he understands how each guy ticks on the roster as an individual. That's something that's out of my control. My experience playing under Buck, I think he's a Hall of Fame manager…I think he's had a tremendous impact.
"I feel really happy that it happened, as opposed to more upset that he's gone."
