Key Takeaways
- • Stearns retention confirmed: Mets owner Steve Cohen publicly stated that President of Baseball Operations David Stearns will remain with the organization through the 2028 season, honoring his five-year contract despite significant underperformance in 2026.
- • Accountability acknowledged: Cohen conceded that Stearns' offseason roster moves have "almost all backfired," including the trade of Brandon Nimmo for Marcus Semien (.214 batting average) and the departure of Pete Alonso to the Baltimore Orioles, replaced by injury-prone Jorge Polanco (14 games played).
- • Organizational crisis context: The Mets entered July 1, 2026 with a 36-50 record in last place in the National League East, one year after missing the playoffs on the final day of the 2025 season, prompting management changes including the firing of manager Carlos Mendoza.
- • Strategic flexibility preserved: While committing to Stearns long-term, Cohen indicated willingness to make structural adjustments and evaluate performance going forward, stating "There's no guarantees in anything" and "We'll figure out what changes need to be made."
Summary
Mets owner Steve Cohen announced during an appearance on the New York Post's podcast "The Show" that David Stearns, the club's president of baseball operations, will complete his five-year contract through the 2028 season despite the organization's severe performance decline. Cohen's statement represents his first public comments since the franchise fired manager Carlos Mendoza on Friday, following an 36-50 start to the 2026 season and last-place positioning in the National League East.
Cohen's endorsement of Stearns was measured but definitive. "I'm going forward with David as our leader," Cohen said. "The change that's not going to be made is moving David out at this point. I'm just not going to do it." However, Cohen tempered this commitment by acknowledging systemic failures in roster construction and reserving the right to modify operational approaches. "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."
Stearns' offseason personnel decisions have proven particularly damaging. His trade of Brandon Nimmo to acquire 35-year-old Marcus Semien has backfired dramatically, with Semien batting just .214 in 2026 and continuing a decline that accelerated in 2024. Stearns' decision to allow Pete Alonso to depart in free agency, replacing him with Jorge Polanco, represents another significant miscalculation—Alonso has played every game for the Baltimore Orioles while Polanco has appeared in only 14 games due to persistent heel injuries. Luis Robert Jr., acquired specifically to serve as the everyday center fielder, has been sidelined since late April with a back injury.
The organizational context is critical: Cohen had explicitly stated before the 2026 season that making the postseason was the baseline expectation, making the team's current trajectory particularly acute. The commitment to Stearns through 2028 suggests Cohen believes the structural problems are correctable through roster modifications rather than leadership change, though the owner's acknowledgment that evaluation will continue "as we go along" preserves optionality should performance deteriorate further.
Cohen's endorsement of Stearns was measured but definitive. "I'm going forward with David as our leader," Cohen said. "The change that's not going to be made is moving David out at this point. I'm just not going to do it." However, Cohen tempered this commitment by acknowledging systemic failures in roster construction and reserving the right to modify operational approaches. "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."
Stearns' offseason personnel decisions have proven particularly damaging. His trade of Brandon Nimmo to acquire 35-year-old Marcus Semien has backfired dramatically, with Semien batting just .214 in 2026 and continuing a decline that accelerated in 2024. Stearns' decision to allow Pete Alonso to depart in free agency, replacing him with Jorge Polanco, represents another significant miscalculation—Alonso has played every game for the Baltimore Orioles while Polanco has appeared in only 14 games due to persistent heel injuries. Luis Robert Jr., acquired specifically to serve as the everyday center fielder, has been sidelined since late April with a back injury.
The organizational context is critical: Cohen had explicitly stated before the 2026 season that making the postseason was the baseline expectation, making the team's current trajectory particularly acute. The commitment to Stearns through 2028 suggests Cohen believes the structural problems are correctable through roster modifications rather than leadership change, though the owner's acknowledgment that evaluation will continue "as we go along" preserves optionality should performance deteriorate further.
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