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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - APRIL 17: President of Baseball Operations David Stearns of the New York Mets looks on during batting practice prior to the game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on April 17, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

The New York Mets are at a crossroads. So is David Stearns.

So Buster Olney of ESPN named Stearns as one of the most pressure-fueled executives ahead of the trade deadline Aug. 3.

Stears, the Mets president of baseball operations, has been under fire due to the array of moves that haven’t worked. Despite winning a home series against the first-place Atlanta Braves, the Mets (32-40) are in last place in the National League East, with the third-worst record in the NL.

Buster Olney: David Stearns is ‘Under Pressure’ at the Trade Deadline

The Mets’ disappointing 2025 season was supposed to be a one-off, after they challenged the Los Angeles Dodgers for the National League crown in 2024.

But, of course, 2026 has been more of the same, which has left the heat back on Stearns with less than two months left until the deadline.

“Stearns came into this year under more pressure than anyone, following last season’s collapse,” Olney wrote, “and a lot of the team’s offseason moves haven’t panned out.”

The Mets signed Bo Bichette and Jorge Polanco and traded for Marcus Semien this offseason. Stearns threw caution to the wind

“Luis Robert Jr. and Jorge Polanco, two players with concerning injury histories before this year, have been, once again, out of action,” Olney wrote. “Before this month, infielders Bo Bichette and Marcus Semien struggled.”

Plus, Stearns’ big deal, trading for his former Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta, has been a dud. Peralta is 5-5 with a 3.90 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 83 innings, and with his expiring contract, could be used to fetch younger but major-league ready talent.

“Freddy Peralta, acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers, has pitched closer to a No. 3 starter than a No. 1,” Olney wrote. “There’s a lot of work to be done. Peralta could be Stearns’s biggest trade chip.”

The Mets are not Officially Sellers yet

The rival Philadelphia Phillies have surged back from the dead, and there is reason to believe the Mets could do the same.

Of course, the series win vs Atlanta was a start, and two years ago they were in similar territory before their Grimace-fueled run to the NLCS.

Still, Olney pointed out why owner Steve Cohen may eventually wave the white flag, especially surrounded by the Braves and Dodgers and the eight NL teams that are over .500 entering play Tuesday.

“If the Mets were in the AL, their chances to contend would be better,” Olney wrote. “But they are 14½ games behind the first-place Atlanta Braves and near the bottom of the National League, so they will have to surpass at least seven teams to win a wild-card spot.”

If, and when, the seller flag gets raised, Stearns’ deals will determine whether he’ll have a job with the Mets in 2027.

“If Mets owner Steve Cohen greenlights midseason trades, Stearns will have to land building blocks for next year and beyond, adding to the group of Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing and Nolan McLean,” Olney wrote.