The New York Mets have a new manager, but not the one many expected.
Carlos Mendoza, the Yankees bench coach for the last four seasons, was hired by the Mets on Monday to replace Buck Showalter, according to multiple reports.
The Mets’ hiring of Mendoza comes after many believed former Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell to be the frontrunner due to his connection with new Mets president of baseball operations, David Sterans.
Instead, Counsell left Milwaukee to manage the Chicago Cubs.
Mendoza, 43, has been a coach in the Yankees’ organization since 2009 and will be stepping into his first managerial role with the Mets.
The hiring of Mendoza did not sit well with WFAN’s Sal Licata, however, as he sounded off on all the hype around Counsell only not to land him.
“Are you kidding me?” Licata said. “…I knew it Counsell, you bum. I knew it BT! All you guys sucked me into it. Counsell, Counsell, Counsell, Counsell. I knew it! He didn’t want to be here! … The Mets go with Mendoza? A Yankee bench coach? After Buck Showalter? That’s the hire you come up with Stearns? A Yankee bench coach? You’re selling him to a fan base that just had Buck Showalter for two years? You gotta be kidding me!”
Listen to Sal’s full reaction in clip above