Steve Cohen, or David Stearns with the blessing of the Mets owner, needs to fire Carlos Mendoza or provide a no-wiggle-room vote of confidence for a period of time to the manager. To Memorial Day. Or to the All-Star break. Or for the season.

Because we have entered a realm between uncomfortable and cruel in which the highest-ranking Mets official who speaks publicly daily is having to answer before and after every game questions about the status of his job. Can you imagine being a lawyer or a plumber or a teacher and twice a day having to comment on keeping your job or not?

I would agree there are probably times in which inquiries go too far. Not here. This is not about the reporters. This is about the Mets.

They brought Mendoza back after an unpardonable collapse last season. They decided not to give the protection of picking up his 2027 option. They have followed with the second-worst 31-game start in franchise history. Then two others with their profile of mega-Northeast, huge payroll/expectations teams off to atrocious beginnings already have fired their managers in Boston (Alex Cora) and Philadelphia (Rob Thomson).