Mets owner Steve Cohen says club has been 'horrendous' but David Stearns will keep his job

TORONTO – Mets owner Steve Cohen lent vociferous support to his embattled president of baseball operations on a podcast Wednesday morning, saying that David Stearns will not only retain his job, but live out his five-year contract. By Wednesday afternoon, fans were watching one of Stearns’ most high-profile acquisitions implode on the mound – again.

In his first comments since Carlos Mendoza’s firing, Cohen expressed his deep dissatisfaction with the current Mets team, but said he wanted to give Stearns a chance to turn the franchise around. He confirmed reports of a divide between Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto last year, adding that it has since been resolved, and described Mendoza’s firing as “a mercy shot.”

Stearns “knows what he’s talking about,” Cohen told “The Show” podcast, noting he’s only two and a half years into his contract.

“Does he get any credit for ’24?" Cohen said. "Does that not count? We almost made it to the World Series and that was just two years ago. It’s a mixed record. I’m not going to say it’s going great, OK? But it’s too early to make evaluations and I feel really strongly that if we’re going to burn and churn, that’s a terrible place to be. Every time you burn and churn, guess what – the next time, nobody wants to come. Is someone going to put their career in your hands if you’re going to be short-term oriented. I have a contract. It’s a five-year contract and we’re going to live that contract out.”

Stearns, who was in Toronto with the Mets, declined to comment. His boss, though, had plenty to say.

“It’s just horrendous,” Cohen said. “There’s no sugarcoating it. This isn’t anything close to what I expected and it’s really disappointing – wildly disappointing.”

As if to further prove the point, the Mets went on to lose to the Blue Jays, 9-3 at Rogers Centre, matching their low-water mark of 15 games under .500 – something that’s made them sellers more than a month ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline.

To make matters worse, the main perpetrator is also their biggest potential trade candidate: Continuing a season-long trend that has greatly undercut his midseason value, Freddy Peralta allowed five runs and seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts over just four innings.

Cohen believes that the on-field product is a result of a confluence of events – underperformance, injuries, numerous off-season changes, and perhaps an underestimation of the human element of the game. Those last two, at least, may fall on Stearns, who overturned the roster, replaced nearly all of Mendoza’s coaching staff, and relied on players like Bo Bichette and Peralta, who have struggled to adjust to their new environment.

“It’s easy to put it down on paper, but these are human beings and a lot of them are in contract years, and a lot of them have perhaps never played with another club before,” he said. “I think coming to New York matters. There’s more pressure in New York.”

To wit, after his performance Peralta, who has a 4.81 ERA acknowledged that this has been the most trying stretch of his career.

“I don’t feel good,” said Peralta, who was visibly frustrated in the dugout. “You just try to come back and make the adjustment...between every start, and I do what I have to do and I try my best.”

Cohen added that he fired Mendoza to essentially give him a break, as Cohen didn’t intend to renew his contract at the end of this year. Similarly, of Stearns, he said, “Listen, if we get to Year 5 and our performance continues to suffer, at that point everything is fair game…We’re going to figure out what changes need to be made, but the change that’s not going to be made is moving David out at this point. I’m just not going to do it.”

Cohen also touched on the Soto-Lindor relationship, adding he didn’t envision moving either player.

“Frankly, I think that’s a story that was last year’s story, and I’ve actually been told really strongly that these guys are getting along much better,” Cohen said. “I just don’t see that as an issue anymore. I’m lucky enough to have two high-quality players like that, and with the elimination of whatever issues there were last year, I’m thrilled that they’re on the team.”

Interim manager Andy Green said he saw no indication of strife between the two who, because of various injuries, have played just 14 games together this year.

“I think those guys are getting along quite well now,” Green said. “I can’t speak to past history not being here, but when I’m walking through the clubhouse and seeing guys interact, it’s authentic interactions and guys enjoying each other and guys focused on winning baseball games.”

By Laura Albanese

laura.albanese@newsday.com@AlbaneseLaura

Laura Albanese is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. She's been covering MLB since 2014 after starting at Newsday as an intern seven years earlier.