Boone Backs Fired Mets Manager Mendoza After 34-47 Slide

Q: Is GM David Stearns next after Mendoza's firing for the Mets' disastrous $380 million season?

David Stearns is under real pressure, but he does not appear to be next in line to be fired immediately. The case against him is strong. This Mets collapse is not just about Carlos Mendoza’s in-game management. Stearns built much of this roster, oversaw a sweeping offseason overhaul, and many of the headline moves have backfired. The Mets entered 2026 with one of baseball’s biggest payrolls, around $380 million, yet sat at 34-47 after six straight losses. Analysts including ESPN’s Jorge Castillo and David Schoenfield have said Stearns should be on the hot seat, and critics have pointed to the failed roster construction, injury risk, and the departures of core players such as Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz. At the same time, the reporting points the other way in the short term. Owner Steve Cohen specifically targeted Stearns, waited to hire him, and gave him a long-term deal through 2028. Multiple reports say Cohen still trusts Stearns and has given him at least some assurance that his job is safe. That makes an immediate dismissal unlikely, even after Mendoza became the fall guy. What is more likely is that Stearns gets the chance to hire the next full-time manager and reshape the club again. If the Mets continue to spiral after the managerial change, or if the next phase of roster decisions fails, then Stearns’ position could become much more vulnerable. For now, he is the central figure under scrutiny, but not the most likely next firing.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jun 26

Aaron Boone said he was "surprised, I guess, but not surprised" by the Mets firing Carlos Mendoza, adding he spoke with his former Yankees bench coach and said he is "in a good place."
A 34-47 record and a sixth straight loss on Thursday drove the move, with Boone saying the timing still catches you even if the Mets' struggles made a change understandable.
Boone called Mendoza a great leader, baseball man and good manager, saying the dismissal has not damaged his industry standing and that he expects him to get another opportunity.
Mendoza went 206-199 with the Mets, reaching the 2024 NLCS after an 89-73 season before the club's downturn stretched from last year's second-half collapse into 2026.