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David Stearns coming again to New York to grow to be president of baseball operations for the Mets was about one of many worst-kept secrets and techniques in baseball. The Mets requested to speak to him after he stepped down from his put up in Milwaukee and had been denied entry after final season, however it didn’t take a cocaine-addled non-public investigator to determine what would occur when his contract with the Brewers ran out. And so it got here to be, because the Stearns might be operating the baseball operation for Steve Cohen come the top of this season.
There’s no query Stearns is available in with a fairly impeccable resume, making a multi-division profitable staff with one of many decrease budgets within the sport with the Brewers. Although fleecing that model of the Marlins for Christian Yelich and being in the correct place on the proper time when the Cubs simply determined to abdicate their throne within the Central might have been achieved by nearly anybody prepared. However past that, Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, Josh Hader, Devin Williams, Freddy Peralta, and one or two others had been produced by Stearns both by signing, draft, or commerce. And he actually benefited from attending to make use of Craig Counsell as supervisor, arguably the very best within the sport. There’s a whole lot of followers in locations like Milwaukee that want they’d had Stearns.
Stearns’s hiring in New York is being in comparison with Andrew Friedman’s hiring in L.A., the parallel being a younger exec who needed to dance by the raindrops with a small-market staff and producing constant winners whereas doing so will now be given the F1 automotive that’s the finances of one of many greatest groups within the league (hopefully Stearns can hire fewer abusers!). It’s not fairly as linear as that although. Friedman moved west from Tampa after the Dodgers had already grow to be an influence and had been on the again of two straight NL West titles. Whereas the Mets gained 101 video games final yr, there aren’t fairly as many issues in place because the Dodgers had (i.e. Clayton Kershaw). Friedman actually didn’t arrive with the staff having freshly simply executed a sell-off as Stearns has.
Definitely, there are a few long-term items in place, or hopefully so. Francisco Alvarez seems to be to be set behind the plate for a superb decade or extra. Mark Vientos has struggled on the plate in The Present, however tore AAA aside sufficient to be within the combine at third and DH subsequent yr. Drew Gilbert may arrive subsequent season as nicely, and Ronnie Mauricio’s instruments are nonetheless tantalizing sufficient to wonder if he might declare second base or a nook outfield spot.
That doesn’t imply there aren’t points. One, the Mets are type of outdated all over the place else. Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, and Edwin Diaz will all be over 30 subsequent season. Pete Alonso might be 29 and in addition heading into his final season of arbitration. The Polar Bear may be Stearns’s greatest resolution as quickly as he sits within the chair behind the larger desk than GM Billy Eppler’s obtained. Alonso is likely one of the sport’s premier sluggers, however today when hitters get into their 30s is often after they begin to roll down the opposite aspect of the hill. Alonso might deliver again a pair youthful items in a commerce from a staff that thinks he’s the ultimate piece (one wonders if Stearns hasn’t already known as Jed Hoyer and the Cubs about it). However he’s additionally not simply changed, and Stearns must determine if he desires to commit a whole lot of years and a whole lot of {dollars} to a participant who will get all of them in his 30s.
Lindor remains to be a 5-WAR participant, and isn’t prone to drop off a cliff subsequent yr, although his days of contending for MVPs are most likely over. Nimmo most likely can’t deal with heart for much longer and has seen his strikeouts climb, extra worrying whenever you see how a lot he’s whiffed at fastballs this yr over final (13 p.c to 19 this yr). Shifting him to a nook will get tough with what number of gamers the Mets have already got making an attempt to try this (Marte, Mauricio, both Baty or Vientos may need to, and on we go) McNeil may already be beginning to odor humorous.
Furthermore, the Mets don’t have a rotation for subsequent yr. The one pitcher signed is Kodai Senga, together with no matter Tylor Megill or Jose Butto may be (which isn’t a lot, no matter it’s). Stearns is fortunate in that each Cohen and Eppler made it very public that the Mets had been in a reset, which suggests expectations aren’t urgent for 2024.
Doubly good, as a result of subsequent yr’s free agent class is extra flea market than Rodeo Drive. There’s the hope of Shohei after all, although he gained’t assist the rotation in 2024. Past that, Cody Bellinger may clear up the Mets’ centerfield issues, or their first base issues in the event that they commerce Alonso, or each. So far as pitchers go, Sonny Grey at 35? Aaron Nola? Eduardo Rodriguez? It’s a superb factor that Cohen gained’t be urgent to place a juggernaut on the market in ‘24, and that is yet one more space the place a commerce of Alonso may be alluring, if Stearns can wrangle younger pitching in return. The Mets simply don’t have a whole lot of pitching within the system anyplace shut.
Stearns could run into the issue of no matter he can herald below the floor might be prepared for Queens proper when Lindor, Nimmo, McNeil, and Diaz have gone off the boil, equalling out and maintaining the Mets proper the place they’re. Or that Vientos, Mauricio, and Baty simply by no means discover MLB-level offense. It looks as if it ought to be a sweetheart job, given Cohen’s open pockets and versatile outlook. And it nicely could flip into that in a pair years. However getting there gained’t be as simple because it was in L.A. for Friedman, and the persistence and luxury he present in Milwaukee gained’t be anyplace to be present in New York.
Observe Sam on Twitter @Felsgate and on Bluesky @felsgate.bsky.social
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