Cohen commits to Stearns through 2028 as Mets stumble at 36-50

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen publicly declared his support for president of baseball operations David Stearns on Thursday, stating the club will honor the remaining term of Stearns's five-year contract through 2028 - despite a 36-50 record, a recently fired manager, and a roster-wide collapse that has wasted baseball's largest payroll at approximately $330 million.

Speaking on the New York Post's "The Show" podcast, Cohen defended Stearns by pointing to the 2024 season, when the club reached the National League Championship Series in Stearns's first year on the job. "Does he get any credit for '24? Does that not count? We almost made it to the World Series. And that was just two years ago. It's a mixed record," Cohen said. He also warned against the organizational instability of repeated leadership turnover. "Every time you burn and churn, guess what, the next time nobody wants to come," he added. "I have a contract. It's a five-year contract. And we're going to live that contract out." The Mets fired manager Carlos Mendoza last week; Mendoza's contract had been set to expire at the end of this season. racing post greyhound predictor

The franchise's decline has been steep. After holding the best record in baseball for a stretch last season before a late collapse, the Mets entered this year with an overhauled roster. Free-agent departures included first baseman Pete Alonso and closer Edwin Diaz, while trades moved outfielders Brandon Nimmo and second baseman Jeff McNeil. The club signed infielders Jorge Polanco and Bo Bichette, outfielder Luis Robert, and relievers Devin Williams and Luke Weaver. Polanco has not appeared since April 14 and Robert since April 26. Bichette is producing well below his career norms. Williams carries a 4.13 ERA. Weaver, with a 2.00 ERA, is the roster's lone consistent bright spot. The offense ranks second-worst in the National League in OPS at .673, the rotation's 4.75 ERA is fourth-worst in the league, and the team has committed the third-most errors in baseball - a particularly damaging outcome given that Stearns identified run prevention as a primary offseason objective. A 12-game losing streak in April set a tone from which the club has not recovered.

With Stearns's position secured through 2028 and a managerial search now underway, the Mets face an immediate challenge: stabilizing a roster built around a payroll that has produced little return. Cohen acknowledged the results have fallen short without conceding the club's leadership structure will change. How quickly interim or newly appointed management can redirect the season - and whether any meaningful trades reshape the roster before the deadline - will define the franchise's trajectory for the remainder of 2026.