When a former player unloads on his old manager, the easiest reaction is to roll your eyes. It’s a tale as old as baseball: a veteran pushed out of the circle of trust airs his grievances on the way out the door, and the fanbase dismisses it as sour grapes. But Adam Ottavino’s recent scorched-earth comments on his Baseball & Coffee podcast regarding Mets manager Carlos Mendoza feel different. They don't sound like the whining of a disgruntled employee; they sound like a diagnosis.
Ottavino, who spent three seasons in Queens, didn't just critique Mendoza’s bullpen management; he eviscerated it.