MLB · 1 hour ago

ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Mets: “They’ve just made bad moves. It’s as simple as that.”

Bo Marchionte

Host · Writer

Mets Problems Run Deeper Than Dugout
Jeff Passan's Verdict - The Problem Isn't the Dugout

If there was any doubt about where the blame belongs, ESPN insider Jeff Passan erased much of it during his appearance on The Stephen A. Smith Show on SiriusXM.

Passan described a franchise that simply isn't built well enough to compete despite carrying one of baseball's largest payrolls. His criticism wasn't aimed at Carlos Mendoza. Instead, it was directed at the roster assembled under David Stearns.

Passan pointed to failed personnel decisions, a club that never came together and an organization caught in an uncomfortable middle ground. He noted that while Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor remain elite cornerstones, they can't carry an entire franchise by themselves.

Perhaps even more concerning, Passan questioned the Mets' path forward. He explained that the farm system has depth but lacks enough impact prospects ready to arrive soon, leaving the organization dependent on another expensive trip through free agency or trading away more young talent.

For a club spending roughly $368 million, that is a troubling place to be.

When national baseball voices consistently identify roster construction not the manager as the primary issue, the questions naturally shift to David Stearns and the front office.

Passan's Best Fastballs
- "This is a roster that's been put together and has not coalesced."
- "They've just made bad moves. It's as simple as that."
- "Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor... are going to be the centerpieces of this franchise, but is that enough? No, it's not even close."
- "Their system... doesn't really have a whole lot of high-impact guys who are going to be arriving anytime soon."
- "They're going to have to dip back into free agency or trade prospects... to improve this team."
These aren't the words of a frustrated fan. They came from one of ESPN's most respected baseball insiders speaking on a national SiriusXM platform. And together with former Mets GM Jeff Duquette's comments, they paint a consistent picture.

Stearns wouldn’t fire himself so the next domino to fall was Mendoza. It doesn’t change the roster that has left the Mets well below expectations.
Mets Problems Run Deeper Than Dugout
Mendoza is Scapegoat in Mets Debacle

The axe finally fell in Queens.

The New York Mets dismissed manager Carlos Mendoza, making him the latest casualty of a season that has unraveled despite one of the largest payrolls in Major League Baseball. While a managerial change often serves as a spark, former Mets general manager Jeff Duquette doesn't believe this move addresses the franchise's biggest issues.

Speaking on SiriusXM MLB Radio, Duquette offered a blunt assessment:

"This isn't going to change anything. It's a bad roster, we know it's a bad pitching staff. There's a lot of things wrong with this team right now. You can't change out the whole roster. Carlos Mendoza is a really good baseball man. He deserved a better fate."

Those comments capture the frustration surrounding the Mets. Mendoza inherited lofty expectations, but inconsistent offense, a struggling pitching staff, and a roster that failed to perform ultimately left him with few answers. His dismissal may change the voice in the clubhouse, but it doesn't erase the challenges that remain.

Andy Green now steps in as interim manager, tasked with stabilizing a club that has fallen far below expectations. Whether this becomes the beginning of a turnaround or simply the first domino in a larger organizational overhaul remains to be seen.

The Current New York Mets
- Carlos Mendoza was fired as Mets manager.
- Former Mets GM Jeff Duquette defended Mendoza on SiriusXM MLB Radio.
- Duquette blamed the roster and pitching more than the manager.
- Andy Greene takes over on an interim basis.
- The Mets still face significant roster questions beyond the dugout.
Mets Problems Run Deeper Than Dugout
Mets Fan Now Focus on Stearns

Firing Mendoza may satisfy the urge to do something, but it doesn't solve what many around baseball believe is the real issue.

Appearing on SiriusXM with Stephen A. Smith, ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan didn't mince words. He questioned whether any manager could have succeeded with the roster David Stearns assembled.

"This isn't as much of a Carlos Mendoza issue as it is a roster construction issue."

Passan went even further, describing the Mets as an "extraordinarily flawed team." A club that was supposed to be built on defense instead struggled in nearly every phase of the game. The defense faltered, the lineup failed to consistently produce, and the pitching lacked both frontline talent and dependable depth.

Perhaps his most damning observation centered on the financial commitment. The Mets entered the season with the second-highest payroll in baseball, trailing only the Dodgers. Yet Passan noted the gap between the two organizations is enormous despite spending in the same neighborhood.

When respected voices like Jeff Passan and former Mets general manager Jim Duquette both point toward roster construction not the manager as the root of the problem, the focus naturally shifts upstairs.

Passan Throwing Heat
- "Roster construction issue," not simply a managerial issue.
- Called the Mets an "extraordinarily flawed team."
- Defense, offense and pitching all fell short.
- Second-highest payroll in MLB.
- Compared the organizational gap between the Mets and Dodgers as enormous.
Mets Problems Run Deeper Than Dugout
The Spotlight Belongs on David Stearns

If Carlos Mendoza is gone, why isn't David Stearns facing the same scrutiny?

Stearns arrived in New York with one of the strongest reputations in baseball. A Harvard graduate, he climbed through Major League Baseball's central office before helping build the Houston Astros' front office and later becoming the youngest general manager in baseball when Milwaukee hired him at age 30.

His track record in Milwaukee earned the opportunity to return home and lead baseball operations for the Mets after the 2023 season. He inherited one of the sport's wealthiest owners in Steve Cohen and the resources to build a contender.

Instead, the Mets sit 13 games under .500 despite carrying the second-largest payroll in baseball.

Managers can only play the roster they're given. Front offices build that roster.

If respected baseball analysts believe Mendoza managed an impossible situation, then the criticism has to shift toward the executive who assembled the club. Championship expectations were met with a roster that has underperformed in virtually every area.

Stearns Resume
- Harvard graduate.
- Worked for MLB, Cleveland and Houston.
- Youngest MLB general manager at age 30 (at the time).
- Turned Milwaukee into a perennial contender.
- Hired by the Mets after the 2023 season to lead baseball operations.
Mets Problems Run Deeper Than Dugout
Money Spent Doesn't Equal Success

Steve Cohen has never been afraid to spend.

The Mets again entered the season with the second-highest payroll in Major League Baseball, committing roughly $368 million to the roster. Only the Dodgers spent more.

But baseball isn't won by writing the biggest checks.

It's won by assembling the right roster, and that responsibility belongs to the president of baseball operations.

The Dodgers have paired elite spending with elite player development, pitching depth, organizational stability and roster balance. The Mets have paired similar spending with inconsistency, defensive struggles, unreliable pitching and a team now sitting 13 games below .500.

Mendoza paid with his job.

The bigger question is whether Stearns should face the same level of accountability.

If baseball insiders are nearly unanimous that the manager wasn't the primary problem, then ownership has to determine whether replacing the man in the dugout fixes anything or whether the architect of this expensive disappointment deserves far more scrutiny than he has received.

The Numbers Don't Lie
- Approximately $368 million payroll.
- Second-highest payroll in MLB.
- Team sits 13 games under .500.
- Multiple national baseball voices blamed roster construction.
- The biggest decision now belongs to Steve Cohen: Is changing managers enough, or does the front office deserve equal accountability?
Mets Problems Run Deeper Than Dugout
Jeff Passan's Verdict - The Problem Isn't the Dugout

If there was any doubt about where the blame belongs, ESPN insider Jeff Passan erased much of it during his appearance on The Stephen A. Smith Show on SiriusXM.

Passan described a franchise that simply isn't built well enough to compete despite carrying one of baseball's largest payrolls. His criticism wasn't aimed at Carlos Mendoza. Instead, it was directed at the roster assembled under David Stearns.

Passan pointed to failed personnel decisions, a club that never came together and an organization caught in an uncomfortable middle ground. He noted that while Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor remain elite cornerstones, they can't carry an entire franchise by themselves.

Perhaps even more concerning, Passan questioned the Mets' path forward. He explained that the farm system has depth but lacks enough impact prospects ready to arrive soon, leaving the organization dependent on another expensive trip through free agency or trading away more young talent.

For a club spending roughly $368 million, that is a troubling place to be.

When national baseball voices consistently identify roster construction not the manager as the primary issue, the questions naturally shift to David Stearns and the front office.

Passan's Best Fastballs
- "This is a roster that's been put together and has not coalesced."
- "They've just made bad moves. It's as simple as that."
- "Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor... are going to be the centerpieces of this franchise, but is that enough? No, it's not even close."
- "Their system... doesn't really have a whole lot of high-impact guys who are going to be arriving anytime soon."
- "They're going to have to dip back into free agency or trade prospects... to improve this team."
These aren't the words of a frustrated fan. They came from one of ESPN's most respected baseball insiders speaking on a national SiriusXM platform. And together with former Mets GM Jeff Duquette's comments, they paint a consistent picture.

Stearns wouldn’t fire himself so the next domino to fall was Mendoza. It doesn’t change the roster that has left the Mets well below expectations.
Mets Problems Run Deeper Than Dugout
Mendoza is Scapegoat in Mets Debacle

The axe finally fell in Queens.

The New York Mets dismissed manager Carlos Mendoza, making him the latest casualty of a season that has unraveled despite one of the largest payrolls in Major League Baseball. While a managerial change often serves as a spark, former Mets general manager Jeff Duquette doesn't believe this move addresses the franchise's biggest issues.

Speaking on SiriusXM MLB Radio, Duquette offered a blunt assessment:

"This isn't going to change anything. It's a bad roster, we know it's a bad pitching staff. There's a lot of things wrong with this team right now. You can't change out the whole roster. Carlos Mendoza is a really good baseball man. He deserved a better fate."

Those comments capture the frustration surrounding the Mets. Mendoza inherited lofty expectations, but inconsistent offense, a struggling pitching staff, and a roster that failed to perform ultimately left him with few answers. His dismissal may change the voice in the clubhouse, but it doesn't erase the challenges that remain.

Andy Green now steps in as interim manager, tasked with stabilizing a club that has fallen far below expectations. Whether this becomes the beginning of a turnaround or simply the first domino in a larger organizational overhaul remains to be seen.

The Current New York Mets
- Carlos Mendoza was fired as Mets manager.
- Former Mets GM Jeff Duquette defended Mendoza on SiriusXM MLB Radio.
- Duquette blamed the roster and pitching more than the manager.
- Andy Greene takes over on an interim basis.
- The Mets still face significant roster questions beyond the dugout.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Mets: “They’ve just made bad moves. It’s as simple as that.”

Jeff Passan's Verdict - The Problem Isn't the Dugout

Mets Fan Now Focus on Stearns

The Spotlight Belongs on David Stearns

Jeff Passan's Verdict - The Problem Isn't the Dugout

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