Former Mets hitting and third-base coach Eric Chavez has made his distaste for president of baseball operations David Stearns more than clear since his dismissal following last year’s collapse.
On “The EC3 Pod” Sunday, he pulled back the curtain even more, delving into numerous alarming philosophies that appear to be hindering the franchise much more than helping.
Chavez claimed that Stearns asked him to take a $30,000 to $40,000 pay cut when he changed his role from bench coach to hitting coach ahead of the 2024 season. Chavez then accused Stearns of ignoring his concerns and listening to “a Triple-A analytical hitting guy,” who wanted Mets prospects to focus on pull-side power, rather than hitting to all fields.
Perhaps the last straw for Chavez was what he described as a “lack of leadership, a lack of accountability, from the top down,” in the handling of superstar outfielder Juan Soto after he made his blockbuster move across town from the Yankees
“He struggled the first two months emotionally,” Chavez said. “I don’t blame him, a big move going from the Yankees. Maybe had a little bit of buyer’s remorse. In between innings, he would run from the outfield and go sit in the batting cage on the couch, and not be in the dugout with teammates. This isn’t a Juan issue. This is a lack of leadership, a lack of accountability from the top down. And we had an assistant GM who would sit there with him… and kind of coddle him, tap him on the shoulder, without saying ‘Hey dude, how about getting in the dugout with your teammates.’”
Chavez claimed he then went to Stearns with this issue, saying that it set a bad example for the younger players, to which Stearns replied: “Well, those players need to learn that they’re not Juan Soto.”
“This is not a backbone type of leader from a GM,” Chavez continued. “Because it trickles down.”
The Mets certainly do seem broken. They are the third-worst team in baseball this season despite having legitimate playoff aspirations in the spring. Stearns’ roster construction is the main reason why they sit in last place in the NL East, with things coming to a head on Friday with the dismissal of manager Carlos Mendoza.
“Despite all of our efforts, Mendy’s included, we haven’t been able to get this going this year. I take responsibility for that,” Stearns said on Friday. “Ultimately, everything that occurs in baseball operations, including our major-league record, is my responsibility. I also have a responsibility to push us forward, to look for solutions, and make difficult decisions, and change when I think it’s needed. I understand there’s no magic bullet, there’s no one change that immediately is going to turn this around. This is incremental, this is day-to-day, this is doing the work every single day to get us back on track.”
For more on Eric Chavez and the Mets, visit AMNY.com
