SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Aaron Boone gave Carlos Mendoza plenty of opportunities over the last four years to manage the Yankees in games he got ejected — 24 to be exact.
But even though Mendoza’s MLB managerial experience is limited to that, Boone has no doubt that his former bench coach is equipped for his new job as manager of the Mets.
“The only thing you can say is he hasn’t been a big league manager,” Boone told The Post on Tuesday morning over the phone. “That’s something, right, he hasn’t done it. But his breadth of experience as a longtime minor league player, as a minor league manager, minor league coordinator, winter ball manager, WBC [bench coach], my bench coach here in New York.
“He’s so ready for this. He’s just earned it. He deserves it. I’m quite certain he’ll do really well at it.”
Mendoza, who was well-liked within the Yankees clubhouse, has paid his dues to get this opportunity with the Mets.
The 43-year-old Venezuelan spent nine years coaching in the minor leagues (including two as a manager and five as a coordinator) before joining Boone’s staff in 2018, the first two years as an infield and quality control.
That Boone is now losing his No. 2 is bittersweet for the Yankees manager, but he fully believes that Mendoza has all the qualities to be a good manager.
“I think the combination of intelligence, confidence and toughness — he has his own thoughts,” Boone said. “He’s his own man. But he’s very open-minded at the same time. And all of his experiences, his knowledge of the game, the new game, new information — he knows all that, he has all that, he’s seen all that. I think he’s definitely got the ability to relate to people really well.”
Of course, Mendoza isn’t going far, just across town.
“Hopefully we get to meet up at the end of October, [that] would be awesome,” Boone said.
Mendoza has interviewed for managerial jobs in recent offseasons but was a hot name in this cycle, interviewing with the Mets, Guardians and Padres.
Watching the process unfold over the past month, Boone thought it was only a matter of time.
“My sense and feeling and reading the tea leaves were that I knew all those organizations really saw what I know,” Boone said. “So I kind of felt like this day was coming, but still, you see Cleveland go off the board (hired Stephen Vogt). You still don’t know. But for him to get it is pretty exciting for him and his family.
“I’m absolutely gonna miss him. He and I have become like brothers over the years. I couldn’t have asked for someone better to get to do it with every day and just who he is as a baseball man and as a man. He’s reliable, he’s smart, he’s tough, he’s prepared, works his tail off. He and I communicated so well together, especially in the dugout. He knew exactly what I wanted. A great family, great person.”
And now there’s another hole to fill on Boone’s staff.
While James Rowson is expected to be named the hitting coach, as The Post’s Joel Sherman reported, the Yankees were beginning to start the process of finding their next bench coach.
Boone indicated that the Yankees would consider both in-house and outside candidates.
“That’s the crappy part of this now — but eventually, hopefully, the exciting part is somebody new in that role and seeing what they can bring,” Boone said. “But yeah, having to replace Mendy will be tough.”
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