Eric Chavez, a former hitting and bench coach for the Mets, has emerged as a critic of President of Baseball Operations David Stearns.
Chavez, who was with the Mets between 2024 and 2025, highlighted an incident where Juan Soto chose to sit alone on a couch by the batting cage instead of mingling with teammates in the dugout during innings. He pointed out that Stearns didn’t intervene at all.
“This shows a lack of leadership from the top down, a shortage of accountability,” Chavez remarked on his podcast, “The EC3 Pod.” He noted, “There was an assistant GM there, and instead of encouraging Soto to join his teammates, he was just patting him on the back.”
Chavez brought this concern to Stearns, warning that such behavior could set a poor example for the team’s younger players. Stearns’ response was telling – he mentioned, “The players need to learn that they’re not Juan Soto.”
Interestingly, Chavez refrained from naming the assistant GM involved.
This isn’t the only red flag in Chavez’s view; he also mentioned being asked to take a pay cut and receiving emails asking minor league hitters to concentrate on power hitting.
Criticism of Stearns has intensified as he enters his third year with the Mets, especially after the team missed the playoffs in 2025 and struggled to a 35-49 start this season, all with a roster valued at over $320 million.
Now, Carlos Mendoza, the coach who bore the brunt of this season’s issues, has been let go, leaving Stearns with little to protect him.
The general manager position was recently filled by someone from the Brewers, who had previously shown talent for identifying promising players.
During the last two seasons, Stearns has led a significant roster overhaul, resulting in the departure of fan favorites like Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Edwin Diaz.
Juan Soto, a notable acquisition, signed a staggering 15-year contract worth $765 million in 2024.
