Former Mets GM Points the Finger in Disastrous Collapse

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kristie Ackert | Last updated Sep 29, 2025 10:10 AM ET

The Mets’ season ended on the bitterest of notes Sunday, eliminated on the final day with a shutout loss to the Marlins. Hours later, former Mets GM Steve Phillips, now hosting his show on SiriusXM, turned the spotlight onto the man now in charge of the front office.

On the field it was obvious the Mets did not have the pitching to carry them to the playoffs.

The Mets finished ninth in runs per game and third with a 114 OPS+. Scoring wasn’t the problem. September exposed the real flaw: a paper-thin staff that couldn’t hold up. They went 10-15 that month, giving up at least five runs in seven of their last 11 games. That’s not an offense problem — that’s a front office problem.

Phillips argued that David Stearns’ roster-building approach doesn’t fit New York. He pointed out that Stearns has historically been reluctant to chase top-tier starting pitchers, a philosophy that may have worked in Milwaukee but, in his view, doesn’t translate to the demands of Queens.

Kodai Senga (hamstring), Griffin Canning (Achilles), and Tylor Megill (Tommy John) all went down by midseason, wiping out the rotation’s depth. Sean Manaea never looked right after his spring oblique injury.

The Frankie Montas deal? A disaster that most New Yorkers could have seen coming. (Just ask Yankees fans.) He just had UCL surgery, and the Mets will eat $34 million for 38 ⅔ innings of 6.28 ERA. Meanwhile, Clay Holmes and David Peterson, who were stars early on, both cratered in the second half, Peterson especially.

During Stearns’ years with the Brewers, the organization thrived on shuffling arms, relying on flexibility, matchups, and bullpen dominance to stay competitive.

But in New York, the pressure is different, and the expectation is that an ace pitcher anchors the staff. Without that, the Mets’ margin for error shrank until it collapsed altogether on the final weekend.

Phillips’ criticism reflects a growing sentiment around the team’s collapse. The Mets’ lineup has talent, their bullpen has had moments, but the lack of a frontline starter left them vulnerable when the season came down to high-stakes games. The gamble to bypass the ace market failed, and the organization now enters the offseason facing hard questions.

Unfortunately, GMs generally do not take the blame alone.

Late Sunday night SNY’s Andy Martino reported that manager Carlos Mendoza was safe but there could be staff changes coming. No pitching coach could fix Montas, Stearn’s signing, or kept Canning and Megill healthy.

For Stearns, year two in New York ended with a playoff miss and sharp outside scrutiny. If the Mets want to stop reliving late-season heartbreaks, he has to learn from his mistakes. Stearns cannot shop in the knockoff section for pitching this winter; he needs to invest in an ace.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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