Mets Manager Addresses Alleged Juan Soto-Francisco Lindor Rift, Clubhouse Rumors

Amid reports about clubhouse drama and a rift between star Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor, New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza shut down the speculation.

He said the the idea of clubhouse disputes is "contrary to the reality."

"It's impressive that nobody talked about our clubhouse and in the last two weeks what we hear is that we were basically fighting every day when it's completely contrary to the reality," Mendoza said, per ESPN's Jorge Castillo. "It's a professional clubhouse where the guys respected each other, where the guys came to work and to compete day in and day out."

"It's completely a lie," he added.

The New York Post's Mike Puma reported last month on details about the Mets locker room. According to Puma, a "clubhouse source indicated that relations between [Francisco] Lindor and Juan Soto were chilly" during the 2025 season.

"Soto is very businesslike— all business, no fluff," the source told Puma. "He wants to come to the yard and work his tail off and win games. He's not into fashion or any of that stuff. Lindor is into that. It's just two different personalities."

Puma added that there were "questions over who exactly was leading the team," and Lindor "seemed to lose some of his grasp on the clubhouse."

According to Puma's report, the locker room split wasn't just between Soto and Lindor. He also noted that Lindor and second baseman Jeff McNeil got into a spat after a late-inning defensive mistake against the Philadelphia Phillies in June.

The Mets finished the 2025 season 83-79, missing the postseason after reaching the NLCS in 2024.

"What was the difference? We didn't win baseball games," Mendoza said. "Nobody talked about our clubhouse for the first two and a half months of the season when we had the best record. Nobody talked about the clubhouse. Two and a half months of bad baseball happened, and so now everyone is talking about the problems. It's completely a lie. But it's part of the market. It's part of what we live with in New York."