New York Mets owner Steve Cohen says the team’s decision to fire manager Carlos Mendoza was made as a “mercy shot.” Cohen’s comments come after the Mets dismissed Mendoza on Friday, a move that multiple observers had been anticipating for some time. One outlet reports that the change was not sudden, noting that the dismissal followed a period in which many fans and analysts expected Mendoza’s job could be in jeopardy. Across the coverage, Cohen is presented as offering a rationale focused on the timing and impact of the decision rather than detailing a specific, single on-field incident. The reports agree that Mendoza’s dismissal occurs on June 26 and that Cohen discusses it publicly in the aftermath. The information emphasized in the sources centers on Cohen’s explanation of the firing and the broader context that the managerial change had been widely expected.