Cubs Rout Mets 10-3 as Swanson Belts 2 Home Runs

Q: With a high payroll and dismal record, what is David Stearns' next move to save the Mets' season?

David Stearns’ next move is to wait a little longer, then decide by the trade deadline whether the Mets are buyers or sellers. That is the clearest path because Stearns has already signaled he is not ready to make a definitive deadline call and wants to judge the club on its June play. After a 10-3 loss to the Cubs dropped New York to 34-46, the pressure is obvious: this is a high-payroll roster that has underperformed, but Stearns still believes the Mets have enough talent to recover if key players rebound and injured contributors return. The evidence cuts both ways. The offense has been the bigger problem, hurt by Juan Soto’s calf injury and poor production from important bats such as Francisco Lindor and Bo Bichette. At the same time, the pitching has been more competitive than the record suggests, with useful work from Clay Holmes, Freddy Peralta and Nolan McLean despite thin depth and season-ending injuries elsewhere. That argues against a panic teardown right now. So the practical move is to keep backing Carlos Mendoza, push for healthier and more productive at-bats over the next few weeks, and use the stretch before Aug. 3 as an evaluation window. If the Mets close ground in the wild-card race, Stearns can target offense at the deadline. If they keep sliding, he will have to pivot and move short-term pieces rather than spend more prospect capital on a flawed team. For now, patience — not a dramatic shake-up — is Stearns’ most likely play.

3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Jun 24

Dansby Swanson drove in seven runs with two homers, powering Chicago past New York 10-3 at Citi Field for the Cubs' third straight win.
Chicago erased a 3-0 deficit with a three-run fifth, then broke the game open in the sixth on Swanson's three-run shot before his four-run homer in the eighth sealed it.
Michael Busch also hit a two-run homer and Michael Conforto doubled home a run as the Cubs improved to 43-37 and stayed seven games behind Milwaukee in the NL Central.
New York fell to 34-46 and extended its losing streak to five games, dropping 14.5 games behind Atlanta in the NL East.