The Mets’ missing the playoffs has already sparked plenty of chatter in the clubhouse. Well, a $340 million payroll is way too steep to come up empty in October. And amid this, Mets announcer Gary Cohen has put it straight. “One of the most disappointing years that the Mets have ever suffered through their 64-year history.”

Expectedly, fans and insiders are demanding answers, and manager Carlos Mendoza has already taken the blame. But now it feels like a race in the clubhouse to own up, with veteran Francisco Lindor the latest to step forward and share his thoughts. But just as Lindor opened up about what went wrong, he actually put the entire Mets clubhouse under the bus…

“A lot. I failed at the job, failed the mission. It was something that was on us, on me, and on the players to get it done, and we didn’t execute. We didn’t get it done.” Lindor went no-holds-barred after the latest loss against the Marlins.

But honestly, it’s odd to listen to Lindor’s “failed at the job” version.

Because the veteran just notched his second career 30-30 season. And that makes him only the second primary shortstop ever to pull it off twice, after Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr.

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On top of that, Lindor joins Juan Soto in the Mets’ own 30-30 club this year, and that’s rare territory. They’re only the third set of teammates in history to do it in the same season, following Howard Johnson and Darryl Strawberry with the Mets back in 1987, and Dante Bichette and Ellis Burks with the Rockies in 1996.

While Lindor might have been expected to do better, failure might sound too rude. But could the same be said about the Mets’ clubhouse?

Just look at their latest loss to the Marlins, and you get the full picture of the Mets’ clubhouse right now. The Mets went quietly, going 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranding 10 men on base. Yes, Mendoza tried a bullpen game, but Sean Manaea lasted just 1 ²/₃ innings, and by the fourth, they were already staring at a four-run hole they couldn’t climb out of.

Result? A $340 million roster crumbled against a $67 million lineup!

It’s time for the Mets to look beyond

2025 is done and dusted for the Mets, and it’s time to invest the time before the offseason in scaling up the team for the next year. “We have everything we need,” Juan Soto said about their off-season targets. But there are still gaps…

The Mets are stuffed on the corners. They got Juan Soto patrolling right field and Brandon Nimmo holding down left. But center field? That’s another story. They got Cedric Mullins, who is heading into free agency. And while Tyrone Taylor brings value, he’s best suited for a fourth outfielder role. Then there’s Jeff McNeil, who can handle spot duty in center, but the Mets probably want to preserve his ability to move around the diamond rather than tie him down to one spot.

And that makes adding a true center fielder a priority this offseason.

Next year, with Soto anchoring the lineup and a payroll built to compete, the Mets should be right in the thick of the NL East race in 2026. Honestly, they have a legitimate superstar in Soto and the financial muscle to fill in roster gaps. Hence, the Mets have every opportunity to put together a team capable of going toe-to-toe with anyone in the division. And maybe beyond.