With the New York Mets losing 3-2 to the Washington Nationals on Sunday and the Cincinnati Reds defeating the Chicago Cubs 1-0, the Reds and Mets are tied for the third wild card spot in the National League. New York and Cincinnati both have an 80-76 record, but the Reds own the tiebreaker for the final spot at the moment.

The Mets no longer control its own destiny to make the playoffs. They once had a 45-21 record this season and have played extremely bad baseball over the last three months. One of the reasons why this team has been one of the worst in baseball is because of how poorly David Stearns has constructed this roster. Can this organization move on from him after this season or they can’t?

New York Mets David Stearns Has No Opt-Out in Five-Year Contract

When Stearns signed a five-year $50 million deal with the Mets after the 2023 season, many fans were excited with what he built in the past with the Milwaukee Brewers. Well, New York is on the verge of missing the playoffs in 2025 and a lot of it has to do with his roster construction. Many Mets fans want him fired, but owner Steve Cohen will probably keep him around for another season.

Even if this fanbase wanted to see Stearns gone, they are not going to get there wish. Stearns’ deal does not come with an opt-out. This organization is most likely stuck with him for the 2026 MLB season and maybe longer. A lot of fans may not like that he does not have an opt-out during the course of his five-year contract.

If they are going to miss the playoffs and keep him around, he is going to have to make better roster decisions with this baseball team. A lot of trades and signings were horrendous. Stearns didn’t even want to keep Pete Alonso around. Outside of the Juan Soto signing, this has been a year to forget for Stearns.

The Cedric Mullins and Ryan Helsley trades have backfired. If he is kept around for another year and not fired, he will have to spend money on starting pitching. They can’t just rely on the rookies they have on the roster. The Mets should have easily made the playoffs in 2025, but he will be remembered for his poor roster construction this season and that alone is a fire able offense.

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