Steve Cohen backs David Stearns after Mets’ managerial move, saying the president of baseball operations job is “safe”

The Mets’ front office has entered a second-wave transition after the organization dismissed manager Carlos Mendoza, prompting immediate questions about whether ownership would expand the shakeup beyond the dugout. In the middle of that uncertainty, owner Steve Cohen made a direct message about the future of David Stearns, indicating Stearns will remain at the top of the baseball operations structure.

According to Yahoo Sports, Cohen said Stearns’ job is safe and underscored the point with a blunt line in response to speculation: “It won’t be David.” The remark, framed as an owner’s declaration to the media, was the clearest attempt yet to define the boundary of the change, separating the managerial decision from broader personnel questions in the organization.

Stearns, as president of baseball operations, is responsible for the Mets’ overall roster and team-building framework, including long-range planning and the decision-making apparatus that sits above day-to-day lineup and tactical management. When a manager is fired, it is common for fans and reporters to ask whether the person who oversees baseball operations bears responsibility for organizational direction. Cohen’s statement was designed to close that door quickly.

Carlos Mendoza’s dismissal itself indicates that the Mets were willing to act at the major-league level. Yet Cohen’s comments suggest that, whatever drove the managerial change, ownership views Stearns’ stewardship as separate. In practical terms, it implies the Mets may keep the same operational philosophy and decision chain even as they install new leadership in the clubhouse.

The timing also matters: a midseason managerial firing usually elevates the urgency of immediate performance and the next manager’s ability to get results fast. At the same time, Stearns is not a typical short-term hire or target. He is positioned as a stabilizing figure for the organization’s broader baseball strategy, and Cohen’s message indicates ownership wants continuity at that higher level.

For Mets supporters, the most meaningful takeaway is that the organization appears to be drawing a distinction between leadership on the field and leadership in the front office. Even with that clarification, there is still plenty to watch: who the Mets tap as the next manager, how quickly the team adjusts, and whether Cohen’s reassurance about Stearns translates into visible continuity in roster construction decisions.

In the weeks ahead, the operational question will be whether keeping Stearns in place changes the Mets’ appetite for further changes elsewhere, such as coaching assignments, player development oversight, or the internal evaluation process. Cohen’s comments may cool talk in the immediate aftermath, but any broader front-office changes would likely require their own clear report from ownership.