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Almost everything David Stearns has touched with the New York Mets has turned into you-know-what.
Stearns took over as the Mets’ president of baseball operations in 2024 and made it to the National League Championship Series, but after blowing the best record in baseball last year en route to an epic collapse and following up with a 36-50 record so far, Stearns is public enemy No. 1 in Queens.
The Mets fired manager Carlos Mendoza, who also joined the team in 2024, last week, but Mets owner Steve Cohen said Stearns will keep his position through his contract, which expires in 2028 (Mendoza’s contract expired after this season).
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New York Mets general manager David Stearns with New York Mets owner Steve Cohen during Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California on October 13, 2024. (Thomas A. Ferrara/Newsday RM via Getty Images)
“We’re two and a half years into a contract. Everybody forgets — does he get any credit for ’24? Doesn’t that count? We almost made it to the World Series. And that was only two years ago. It’s a mixed record,” Cohen told the New York Post’s “The Show” podcast.
“I don’t want to say it’s going well, but it’s too early to make evaluations. And I feel really strongly that if we’re going to burn and rumble, it’s a terrible place to be. Every time you burn and rumble, guess what, the next time nobody’s going to come. Is anybody going to put their career in your hands if you’re short-sighted?
New York Mets owner Steve Cohen defended the team’s deadline moves. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
METS FIRE CARLOS MENDOZA AMID NIGHTMARE SEASON DESPITE BASEBALL’S BIGGEST SALARY AT $330M.
“I have a contract. It’s a five-year contract. And we’re going to live out that contract.”
This was nearly impossible to predict because the Mets have the largest payroll in baseball at nearly $330 million, but a 12-game losing streak in April has been impossible to overcome. After last year’s collapse, Stearns reviewed the list, but none of it has worked.
The Mets let Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz walk in free agency while trading Jeff McNeil and Brandon Nimmo, and acquired Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert, Bo Bichette, Devin Williams and Luke Weaver. Polanco hasn’t played since April 14 and Robert since April 26, while Bichette is on pace for by far the worst full season of his career. Williams owns a 4.13 ERA after struggling with the New York Yankees last season, but Luke Weaver’s 2.00 ERA is a lone bright spot.
Juan Soto of the New York Mets walks back to the dugout after striking out in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, on June 16, 2026. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
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The Mets’ offense has the second-worst OPS in the league, at .673, and their starting pitchers’ 4.75 ERA is the fourth-worst mark. They also have the third-most errors in the league, despite Stearns opting for “run prevention” in the offseason.
