CHICAGO — The Mets’ slow start isn’t a reflection on manager Carlos Mendoza in his boss’ estimation.
David Stearns, the team’s president of baseball operations, on Friday defended Mendoza’s job performance, even as the team was stuck in an eight-game losing streak in which runs have been scarce.
“I think Mendy is doing a really good job,” Stearns said before the Mets faced the Cubs at Wrigley Field. “He’s putting our players in a position to succeed. He’s enormously consistent.”
Stearns was asked how Mendoza was putting players in a position to succeed.
“Both in terms of how he’s managing the clubhouse, how he’s getting guys the right pockets, whether it’s matchups out of the bullpen, the right matchups in games,” Stearns said. “I think he is doing a good job.”
Stearns, who overhauled the roster during the offseason, expressed his belief in the players and said he expects a turnaround.
“We haven’t hit and when you don’t hit you can look stagnant,” Stearns said. “I think we’re playing hard. I think our guys are preparing. But I also understand, even from my seat, when you don’t hit, when there’s not a lot of action on the bases, when you can’t get that double with runners on base, it can feel stagnant.”
Stearns touted “run prevention” as he rebuilt the roster.
To that end, he isn’t disappointed with what he’s seen.
“We’ve improved [defensively],” Stearns said. “We’ve certainly improved year over year. Defensively we have not been perfect, but overall, I can’t point at our defense and say that our defense has been a problem.”
Stearns also expressed confidence that Francisco Lindor, whose mental lapses defensively and on the bases have been pronounced over these initial three weeks, will get on track.
“He’s not perfect — no one is perfect,” Stearns said. “I don’t have a reason for it other than we’ve caught a three-week stretch in his career where he’s made some mistakes that he normally doesn’t make, and I don’t think we’re going to see that consistently.”
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