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Almost everything David Stearns has played with the New York Mets has become 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 baseball's best record last year en route to an epic collapse and still going 36-50 so far, Stearns is public enemy number one 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 job for the duration of 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 our contract. Everyone forgets: Do you get any credit for 24? Doesn't that count? We almost made it to the World Series. And that was just two years ago. It's a mixed record,” Cohen said on the New York Post's “The Show” podcast.
“I'm not going to say it's going very well, but it's too early to really make assessments. And I firmly believe that if we're going to burn and shake, that's a terrible place to be. Every time you burn and shake, guess what, next time no one wants to come. Is anyone going to put their career in your hands if you're going to be short-term oriented?”
New York Mets owner Steve Cohen defended the team's moves at the deadline. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
METS FIRE CARLOS MENDOZA IN THE MIDDLE OF A NIGHTMARE SEASON DESPITE HAVING THE LARGEST $330 MILLION PAYROLL IN BASEBALL
“I have a contract. It's a five-year contract. And we're going to live 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 overhauled the roster, but none of it worked.
The Mets let Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz enter free agency while trading Jeff McNeil and Brandon Nimmo, and brought in Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert, Bo Bichette, Devin Williams and Luke Weaver. Polanco has not played since April 14 and Robert since April 26, while Bichette is on track 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 single bright spot.
Juan Soto of the New York Mets returns 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 the 4.75 ERA of their starting pitchers is the fourth-worst mark. They also have the third-most errors in the league, despite Stearns opting for “run prevention” in the offseason.
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