Former Guardians coach just become more important to Mets after Carlos Mendoza firing

For two years, Kai Correa was a staple on the Cleveland Guardians coaching staff. After joining Stephen Vogt’s staff as the team’s major league field coordinator, the Guardians promoted him after the season to their director of defense, baserunning and game strategy. 

That ended up being his last promotion within the Guardians, as he left them in the offseason to join the New York Mets as Carlos Mendoza’s bench coach. At the time, it seemed like there was a chance Correa could be in an opportunity to become the team’s manager if Mendoza was fired. 

And that firing came on Friday when the Mets finally let Mendoza go after their rough start to the season, though they named Andy Green as the interim manager instead of Correa. But just because Correa wasn’t put into the top spot this time doesn’t eliminate him from the running for the spot once the season ends. 

Kai Correa could become more important to Mets after Carlos Mendoza’s firing 

The biggest knock against Correa is that he doesn’t have any big league managerial experience, which seemed to limit him last offseason. And, while it looked like the Mets were the perfect spot for him, their sluggish play likely hasn’t endeared him to anyone in the front office. 

He made a name for himself for his infield defense, but the Mets entered the weekend with 53 errors (the third-most in baseball). 

While part of the reason for that is because the Mets have continually rolled out an infield filled with subpar defenders (namely Bo Bichette at third base), the stink of this year is likely on everyone in the Mets dugout. 

If anything, Mendoza’s firing shows how spoiled Guardians fans are when it comes to stability. Yes, the team’s front office and leadership aren’t perfect, but the Mets implosion is a reminder of how bad it can be when a team is divided in the way it's built. 

When David Stearns took over as the Mets president of baseball operations, the assumption was that he would be able to combine his small-market magic with Steven Cohen’s deep pockets to create a winner. 

Instead, he’s built a team that has the same record as the lowly Los Angeles Angels. 

Has the Guardians run of play over the past couple weeks been disappointing? Yes. Should they be trailing the White Sox in the American League Central? No.

But Stephen Vogt has been able to help guide the Guardians to a winning record despite being handed a roster that had minimal upgrades and an abundance of rookies.

The Guardians are never going to be among the league’s top spenders, but they’ve built an organizational culture built around putting smart people in positions to succeed. For two years, Correa was able to benefit from that. Friday provided him with a stark reminder of how the other half lives.

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