At least one MLB executive believes the New York Mets must have had serious clubhouse issues last season after Pete Alonso walked in free agency and both Jeff McNeil and Brandon Nimmo were traded.
“What they’ve done tells you how big a s–t show their clubhouse was,” a rival executive told The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon. “The guessing is over. It was a disaster.”
A National League scout told Rosenthal and Sammon that it seemed obvious that president of baseball operations David Stearns was trying to change the culture, while someone within the Mets organization even admitted as much.
“We definitely tidied things up in our house,” that person said. “Now it is time to do more rebuilding.”
The McNeil trade may have particularly been made with the clubhouse in mind.
Mike Puma of the New York Post first reported in late November that “McNeil and Francisco Lindor had a heated confrontation last season following a defensive breakdown in a game against the Phillies on June 20. The two also feuded in 2021, leading to a physical altercation during which Lindor grabbed McNeil by the throat.”
The Mets have made no secret about wanting to improve defensively and have made splashy signings in the bullpen (Devin Williams, Luke Weaver) after losing Edwin DÃaz in free agency. But when three long-time members of the organization don’t return after one of the most expensive rosters underachieves to the degree the Mets did last season, it’s hard to ignore the possibility of clubhouse issues.