“I have a contract. It’s a five-year contract. And we’re going to live that contract out,” Mets owner Steve Cohen said, framing his response to the club’s struggles and explicitly tying that stance to David Stearns’ mandate in New York, Fox News reported. The owner’s remarks place the front office’s future squarely in the context of a multiyear plan even as the Mets navigate a difficult season.
“I’m not gonna say it’s going great, but it’s too early to really make evaluations…If we’re going to burn and churn, that’s a terrible place to be.” — Steve Cohen (as reported by Fox News)
What David Stearns’ contract and record show
David Stearns took over as the Mets’ president of baseball operations in 2024 and quickly oversaw a run to the National League Championship Series, a postseason appearance Cohen referenced in defense of the front office. That 2024 NLCS trip remains central to the organization’s rationale for continuity, according to Fox News.
Stearns is under a five-year contract through 2028, and Cohen explicitly invoked the contract’s length when describing the club’s approach. The owner framed the recent postseason success as part of Stearns’ record while acknowledging a mixed ledger since then: notable highs in 2024 and a difficult 2026 stretch that has put the front office under public scrutiny.
Where the Mets stand now
Fox News detailed the metrics fueling frustration around the club. The Mets are 36-50 this season, a mark that reflects underperformance relative to expectations for a payroll approaching $330 million. The team also endured a 12-game losing streak earlier in the season that compounded concerns.
Offensive and pitching measures illustrate the problems: team OPS sits at .673 and the starting staff’s ERA is 4.75, figures Fox News highlighted when describing why calls for change have grown louder. The club has also been credited with the third-most errors in the majors, and managerial turnover has already occurred — Carlos Mendoza was fired, a move the outlet noted as part of broader organizational responses.
Roster moves, injuries and missing pieces
Fox News reported several roster developments and absences that have reduced the team’s depth and effectiveness. Those facts, as listed by the outlet, include departures, trades and notable player unavailability that complicated the season’s outlook.
- Pete Alonso left in free agency.
- Edwin Díaz left in free agency.
- Jeff McNeil was traded.
- Brandon Nimmo was traded.
- Jorge Polanco has not played since April 14.
- Luis Robert has not played since April 26.
- Luke Weaver has a 2.00 ERA and is noted as a performance bright spot.
Those departures and availability issues, Fox News reported, help explain why an offseason overhaul has not yet translated into consistent results. The combination of lost veterans, traded contributors and players sidelined by injury or other reasons tightened the margin for error for the roster Stearns assembled.
What could change next
Cohen’s statement that the organization will “live that contract out” suggests ownership prefers stability at the executive level over an immediate leadership purge, according to Fox News. That stance narrows the set of likely short-term outcomes: adjustments are more apt to focus on the roster, coaching arrangements and in-season transactions rather than a front-office firing.
Realistic near-term options the front office can pursue include targeted trades ahead of the July deadline, promoting internal prospects to address holes created by trades or injuries, and adjustments to pitching usage or lineup construction to improve run prevention and offensive output. Fox News framed those alternatives as the sorts of moves a Stearns-led front office would consider while honoring the owner’s stated preference for continuity.
What fans should watch closely is the trade-deadline posture: whether the Mets seek to shed payroll and acquire younger, controllable talent or add veteran pieces in an attempt to stabilize the clubhouse. Those choices will signal whether the club is leaning toward a longer-term rebuild or an attempt to salvage the season within the current contract framework.
By the numbers
- 36-50 — Mets record (Fox News)
- 12-game losing streak — April slide (Fox News)
- OPS .673 — team offense (Fox News)
- ERA 4.75 — starting pitchers (Fox News)
- ~$330 million — payroll (Fox News)
Looking back to the 2024 NLCS run provides context for Cohen’s patience: that postseason success is the primary achievement proponents cite when urging time for Stearns’ vision to take hold. At the same time, the roster turnover and the current statistical slide illustrate the concrete challenges that will determine whether patience yields improvement or prolongs instability.
In short, Cohen’s public backing, as reported by Fox News, makes a front-office firing less likely in the immediate term. The more probable short-term path is a series of roster-focused moves, internal promotions and coaching adjustments that attempt to stabilize performance while the organization works within Stearns’ contract timeline.
Source: Fox News
