David Stearns says he believes Mets owner Steve Cohen still backs him after Carlos Mendoza firing

Carlos Mendoza was fired by the Mets on Friday after the club opened the season with a 34-47 record, and the front office response quickly became part of the story. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns addressed the moment publicly, saying he believes he still has the support of owner Steve Cohen.

Stearns’ comments arrive at a tense point in a baseball calendar where managerial changes can affect everything from clubhouse communication to day-to-day bullpen usage. While dismissals often lead to questions about who is responsible for results, Stearns framed the decision as consistent with the way the organization plans to move forward, emphasizing the continued backing of the owner.

The Mets’ season context matters because a 34-47 start is not simply a rough stretch that can be explained away by variance. Over roughly the first third of a schedule, teams that fall behind in both run production and prevention typically face escalating urgency for change, particularly when there is pressure to remain competitive in a division and throughout a playoff chase.

Within that backdrop, Stearns’ belief that Cohen still supports him is notable. The president of baseball operations typically holds broad responsibility for team-building, including staffing decisions and the organizational approach to roster construction. A manager’s removal is therefore often interpreted as a sign of wider dissatisfaction, making Stearns’ insistence on continued owner support a direct answer to that interpretation.

It is also a reminder that baseball governance is not limited to the dugout. The Mets’ chain of command runs through baseball operations and the owner’s office, and managerial leadership is one visible element of that system. Stearns’ message suggests that, at least as of now, the owner is not indicating a rupture with the baseball operations leadership that produced the current environment.

What to watch next is how the Mets handle the transition from here, including how quickly the club stabilizes its approach and whether the change in leadership translates into more consistent fundamentals. In the short term, the next manager or interim plan will influence messaging and game-day decisions, but the broader test for Stearns and the organization will be whether the results begin to align with the direction the owner is backing.