J.D. Martinez, Jose Iglesias' leadership loss won't affect Mets, says Carlos Mendoza

Despite losing respected veterans J.D. Martinez and Jose Iglesias in the offseason, New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza remains confident his team won’t skip a beat.

In March 2024, Martinez signed a one-year, $12 million contract with the Mets. He batted .235/.320/.406 with 16 home runs and 69 RBI in 120 games. However, the Mets chose not to bring him back for 2025. Meanwhile, Iglesias, who batted .337/.381/.448 with four home runs and 26 RBI in 85 games last season with the Mets, signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres.

During his appearance on the WFAN show, Mendoza was asked if losing both veterans affected the Mets' locker room in terms of leadership. After acknowledging the contribution of both, Mendoza said they have the guys who can handle tough times.

"We learned a lot from those guys," Mendoza said (2:39 onwards). "You know, they were a huge part of what we did last year—whether it was a guy like J.D., a guy like Iglesias. But the core group is still intact, and they learned a lot from the adversity we faced last year. "The guys we’ve got in that room are the perfect group to handle this storm. Myself as the manager, our coaches, and then some of our veterans—you know, they’ve been through it before, and they got through it. So they found a way, and they will this time too."

Who picks up veteran torch now that J.D. Martinez and Jose Iglesias have departed Mets?

Carlos Mendoza rightly said that the core group of the Mets has remained intact, which will help them weather any incoming storm.

Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso have been playing for the Mets for the last four years and the trio has won many games for the franchise. They have emerged as clubhouse leaders, leading the team from the front and also guiding the youngsters along the way with their wealth of experience.

Not to mention, Juan Soto's addition, who is still in his mid-20s, will probably leave the Mets after his record 15-year, $765 million deal is done.

The Mets are in a tough stretch right now. They are dropping games left and right on their way to a seven-game losing streak. They snapped their losing streak on Saturday after winning 11-4 against the Philadelphia Phillies. They are now tied for the top spot in the NL East division with a 46-31 record.

Edited by Neha