David Stearns’ quiet start is a shift from the flashy debuts of past Mets GMs
If you have a Mets fan in your life or if yours is, you know, a Mets life then you have surely heard (or uttered) the grumblings. Lets put it this way: David Stearns isnt yet having the kind of rookie year that Fred Lynn had with the Red Sox in 1975. He hasnt been Edward Norton, showing up an instant star in Primal Fear.
Its been well, again, honesty is the best policy: Its been quiet.
The Mets have made some additions, notably plucking a few familiar names out of the Yankees Alumni Association, Luis Severino and Harrison Bader. They signed Joey Wendle, a serviceable utility man. They made two minor league deals that might have been exciting in different contexts: Trayce Thompson (if the Knicks had gotten his brother, Klay, as part of the deal) and Jose Iglesias (if this was 2015).
There have been others. None of them caused a wraparound line to form at the Citi Field box office.
And, well, Mets fans, mostly I believe, are trying to give Stearns some breathing room. There is the logical part of their brains that reminds them: This is not a man without a track record. Mets fans would trade the past half-dozen baseball seasons with Brewers fans straight-up eight days a week.
4David Stearns took over as the Mets’ president of baseball operations following the 2023 season. Charles WenzelbergStill, these are fans. Fans are happiest when they arent forced to be logical. So here are the best observations Ive heard so far in reference to the Mets new baseball boss.
- Freddy Coupon Jr. (that one made me laugh).
- Dumpster Dave.
- Small-market Stearns.
- The Brewers are Shotz Brewery, one wag said. The Mets are supposed to be Heineken.
You get the gist.
Is any of that fair? Of course its not fair. Stearns hasnt been on the job long enough to have business cards. All Stearns has to do if he wants an idea of how fair the job can be is look across town, at Brian Cashman, who has been GM of the Yankees since 1998, won four championships on his watch, been to the playoffs in 21 of those 25 years and when you hear Yankees fans talk about Cashman its almost like theyre describing Connor Roy.
That is the beauty and the brutality of baseball and New York City. Right now, we have the Knicks and the Rangers to occupy our attention, and maybe St. Johns, and if were lucky maybe they can serve as diversions through the spring. But until proven otherwise, baseball is king in New York. Baseball matters in New York 24/7/365 (and, this year, 366) days a year.
So Mets fans well, theyre tapping their watches.
A lot of them are wondering: Is this all there is?
And part of that is perception. Theres been a litany of Mets GMs whove made immediately flashy moves. Omar Minaya was hired, and about five minutes later signed Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran; Brodie Van Wagenen waited 10 before dealing for Robbie Cano and Edwin Diaz. Jared Porter was barely on the job for half an hour and traded for Francisco Lindor, and though these were the results of Steve Cohen emptying a pocket of his vast vault even Billy Eppler can say the Mets signed both Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander on his watch.
4Omar Minaya, pictured in 2009, signed Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran shortly after becoming the team’s GM. AP
4Brodie Van Wagenen traded for Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz after becoming the Mets’ general manger. APStearns? Stearns has signed Sean Manaea.
Heres something to think about though: Two notable GMs in Mets history were a little more patient than that, believing the franchises foundation and infrastructure needed strengthening. One was Frank Cashen, who four years into the job still hadnt overseen better than a fifth-place team. One was Sandy Alderson, who in his first four years finished fourth, fourth, third and a distant second.
Patience prevailed in both those instances. Also, both those instances, the team was in a lot more dire straits than it is now.
There is no reason to believe it cant here, too. Cashen and Alderson had previously built champions in Baltimore and Oakland. Stearns built the only sustained success the Brewers/Seattle Pilots have ever had. It guarantees nothing. It should offer at least a sall benefit of the doubt.
4Billy Eppler signed Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander while the Mets’ general manager. ShutterstockBut this is baseball. This is New York. The Mets didnt get Shohei Ohtani. They didnt get Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Pete Alonsos status is uncertain. And freshest in the memory is the 75-87 calamity of 2024, which makes a fair chunk of the Mets portion of New York sound like theyre based somewhere between Kansas City and St. Louis, deep in the heart of Missouri:
Show me.
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