A weathered New York Mets tarp covered the mound, another one encircled home plate. Mendoza was a huge hit last year in his debut and remains under contract through 2026 with a club option for 2027. “Right now I think everyone’s pretty damn motivated to get going and ensure that we can do better,” Stearns said. Stearns indicated the Mets might also consider making changes to their core group of position players in order to improve their run prevention. “I think we have to be open to everything,” said Stearns, adding he could be more proactive than previously.