Carlos Mendoza will return as manager of the New York Mets next season, after his high-priced team faded badly in the second half this year and missed the playoffs. At a news conference Monday to discuss the collapse, President of Baseball Operations David Stearns took responsibility and said Mendoza is definitely coming back. Anything else would have been a surprise, considering Mendoza was a huge hit last year in his debut and remains under contract through 2026 with a club option for 2027. Stearns says he still thinks Mendoza is “a very good manager” with “all the same traits and assets” he believed in when the skipper was hired.