Major job-security update for Mets' David Stearns emerges amid ongoing struggles

A report from early May indicated that New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns was safer in his job than Mets manager Carlos Mendoza. 

However, the fact that the Mets began Tuesday with a record of 32-40 has some wondering if team owner Steve Cohen could blow things up and show both Mendoza and Stearns the door sooner rather than later. 

During the latest edition of the "Baseball Tonight" podcast, MLB insiders Buster Olney and Jorge Castillo of ESPN discussed whether or not Stearns is in danger of losing his job. 

Mets more victims of bad luck than bad moves made by David Stearns?

"I think the Mets are just viewing this year as, 'We've had some really bad luck,'" Castillo said. "...I think Steve Cohen and David Stearns, their dynamic is fine. They're great. I think they're just viewing this as some really bad luck. David Stearns is fine. I don't think anything's going to change there. Steve Cohen trusts him. This is the guy he wanted. This is the guy he targeted for a while, brought him in, and I think he trusts him to figure this out."

While a noteworthy injury crisis has impacted the Mets throughout the spring -- New York went 3-12 without star outfielder Juan Soto in April and has been without star shortstop/unofficial captain Francisco Lindor since April 22 -- it can't be ignored that Stearns' dismantling of the team's core this past offseason has not produced desired results. Cohen may still trust Stearns "to figure this out," but Cohen should also realize that many of his paying customers don't share that optimism. 

One big reason David Stearns may not be going anywhere

Both Olney and Castillo said during the podcast that Cohen should offer Stearns a public vote of confidence sooner rather than later. 

"Stearns is under contract through 2028," Castillo continued. "So that's another reason why I don't think anything's going to happen here. And that always helps. Now, Carlos Mendoza might be a different story. He's not under contract beyond this year. And the Mets, if this goes really sideways here in the next couple of months, maybe a change happens there."

Neither Stearns nor Cohen has given any indication that Mendoza is a handful of losses away from losing his job. At this rate, Stearns and Cohen may wait until the offseason to make a change, especially if they decide to sell multiple players ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline.