Mets could bring back their former manager as bench coach?

The New York Mets could be bringing back the guy who managed Carlos Beltran and Johan Santana.

At his introductory news conference this week, new Mets manager Carlos Mendoza cited Willie Randolph as a major influence on his coaching career and someone whom he consulted with before taking the Mets job. Mendoza even left open the possibility of Randolph joining his staff in New York as a bench coach.

“We have a really good relationship and I consider him not only as a mentor but as a friend,” said Mendoza of Randolph, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post. “There’s a bunch of names that we’re considering right now [for bench coach] and we’ll see where it goes.”

Sherman later asked Randolph directly by phone about the potential of joining Mendoza’s staff, and Randolph also sounded receptive to the idea.

“All I said [to Mendoza] was to do whatever you need to do, get your family to New York, get yourself comfortable and know in the back of your mind if you need me, I’m here for you,” Randolph was quoted as saying. “I am a Carlos Mendoza fan.”

Randolph, a five-time World Series champion as a player and coach for the New York Yankees, managed the Mets from 2005-08. The team was solidly successful under Randolph, going 302-253 (.544) with a division title and an NLCS berth in 2006. But Randolph was still fired midway through the 2008 campaign (and under odd circumstances).

As for Mendoza, a first-time manager who is just 43 years old, he needs all the mentorship that he can get at this point. The now 69-year-old Randolph would be a good candidate to lead Mendoza’s coaching staff, especially with some key player issues for the Mets to handle in 2024.