The New York Mets have decided not to pick up the option on manager Luis Rojas’ contract. Frank Franklin II/Associated Press
Luis Rojas was let go as manager of the New York Mets on Monday after two losing seasons.
The team declined its option on Rojas’ contract for 2022, making the announcement a day after finishing third in the NL East at 77-85 in Steve Cohen’s first year of ownership. The move was no surprise, the first of several significant changes coming again this offseason for a club in constant turmoil.
“I want to share such heartfelt gratitude to so many in the Mets organization for not only the last two seasons as manager, but for the last 16 years in a variety of roles,” Rojas said in a statement released by the team.
“We live in a results-oriented business, and am deeply disappointed for our staff and fans that we didn’t reach our goals this season,” he said.
The Mets said Rojas has been offered the opportunity to remain in the organization in a role still to be determined. The club said decisions about the coaching staff will be made in the next several days.
MERCHANDISE: Mookie Betts and the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers had four of the top 10 selling jerseys in Major League Baseball this season.
Betts’ No. 50 uniform claimed the top spot for the second straight year after he was acquired prior to the 2020 season from the Boston Red Sox. He’s joined in the top 10 by teammates Clayton Kershaw at five, Cody Bellinger at six and World Series MVP Corey Seager at eight. Kershaw and Seager are set to become free agents.
Betts was followed at No. 2 by Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr., who signed a $340 million, 14-year deal to remain with San Diego prior to the season and then played his way into the thick of the NL MVP race.
ATTENDANCE: Major League Baseball drew 45.3 million fans this year as fans gradually were allowed to return, down from 68.5 million over 2019 in the last season before the coronavirus pandemic.
The Los Angeles Dodgers led the major leagues in home attendance at 2.8 million. They did not start selling full capacity until games in mid-June.
This year’s MLB season averaged 18,901 for 2,397 dates, the commissioner’s office said Monday.
Atlanta was second at 2.3 million, followed by San Diego at 2.2 million, Texas and St. Louis at 2.1 million and Houston at 2.07 million.
The New York Yankees drew 1.96 million, Boston 1.7 million and the Mets 1.5 million in Steven Cohen’s first season as owner.
The Blue Jays played home games at their spring training ballpark in Dunedin, Florida, and then their Triple-A ballpark in Buffalo, New York, before returning home on July 30 to the Rogers Centre, where capacity reached a maximum of about 29,000 in late September.
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