New York Mets owner Steve Cohen has no plans to part with president of baseball operations David Stearns amid the team's disappointing season.
"I'm going forward with David as our leader," Cohen said during an appearance on "The Show" podcast with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman of the New York Post. "Listen, there's no guarantees in anything. I'm gonna evaluate this as we go along. Listen, David knows that it hasn't worked out the way he thought it would work out, the way I thought it would work out. He'd be the first one to admit that he's made some mistakes. And this is a guy who's reflective. ...
"I'm doing a deeper dive, trying to understand like any owner would in a business when things aren't performing the way they're supposed to. ... And out of that, we'll figure out what changes (there are) that need to be made. But the change that's not gonna be made is moving David out at this point. I'm just not gonna do it."
The Mets entered 2026 with high expectations after an offseason filled with both turnover and high-priced additions. Stearns traded for Freddy Peralta, Marcus Semien, and Luis Robert Jr., and signed Bo Bichette, Jorge Polanco, and Devin Williams as free agents. Longtime Mets stars Pete Alonso, Edwin Díaz, and Brandon Nimmo, meanwhile, all moved on.
Instead of contending, Stearns' new-look Mets have fallen flat. The team entered Wednesday owning the NL's third-worst record at 36-50. The disastrous season reached a low point when the Mets' infield committed six errors in a loss to the Chicago Cubs. Two days later, manager Carlos Mendoza was fired.
Cohen said he decided to fire Mendoza before the season ended because the team had no plans to extend him.
"I describe it as a mercy shot, given where the club was," Cohen said. "And frankly, I watched that game where we had six errors, and the next day we had two errors. The club just wasn't playing well, and that's just the way it is. ... I don't know too many managers that are in that role forever, and that's just part of the gig. And sometimes you have to make a change."
But Cohen also preached patience with Stearns, who had a long track record of success with the Milwaukee Brewers before arriving in Flushing. He pointed out that even if the returns at this moment aren't bearing fruit, the team has experienced some recent success during Stearns' tenure. He feels the top executive deserves a chance to right this ship.
"We're two-and-a-half years into a contract. Everyone forgets - does he get any credit for (the Mets' 2024 NLCS run)? Does that not count? We almost made it to the World Series, and that was just two years ago," Cohen said. "It's a mixed record. I'm not gonna say it's going great, but it's too early to really make evaluations.
"And I feel really strongly that if we're gonna burn and churn, that's a terrible place to be. And every time you burn and churn, guess what - the next time, nobody wants to come. Is someone going to put their career in your hands if you're going to be short-term oriented? I have a contract (with David). It's a five-year contract, and we're gonna live that contract out."
