By Mike Steffanos
Despite having to dig out of the mess created by the 2023 Mets, David Stearns and the Mets cannot afford to kick the can down the road to 2025.
I had hip replacement surgery last week. Just reading those words on the page makes me feel old. I turned 65 last October. I'm not at death's door, but I understand that the clock is ticking and I won't be around forever. I know this is somewhat of a cliché, but time really does go by remarkably quickly. I woke up one day, looked in the mirror, and was surprised at the old face staring back at me. It doesn't seem so long ago that I was still a relatively young man.
I have a simple wish for my Mets fandom as I officially enter senior citizenhood: I want them to win at least one more title while I am both breathing and still holding onto my marbles mentally so I can truly appreciate the accomplishment. If I have to hear about a title from the person emptying my drool cup at an assisted care facility, that really won't do it for me.
As disappointing as the 2022 season ended, the dream of a championship seemed much closer in October 2022 than it does now. I knew there were major issues facing the club that offseason, such as the Jacob deGrom opt-out and the impending free agency of Brandon Nimmo and Edwin Díaz. Steve Cohen's Mets were in a position where they would have to spend prolifically and still could find themselves taking a step backward. When Cohen authored a historic spending spree last winter, it seemed that the Mets could at least tread water and make a second consecutive playoff appearance. Even despite the age of the club, it would take a cascade of injuries, underperformance, and just plain bad luck for the Mets to have a bad season.
As you know, the Mets stumbled into that worst-case scenario. There indeed were some miscalculations by the front office that gave the club less margin for error. Enduring a losing season while setting a payroll record makes second-guessing Billy Eppler's choices easy. While it still seems probable that Steve Cohen would have hired the finally available David Stearns even if Billy Eppler's club had enjoyed a much more successful campaign last season, Eppler's case certainly wasn't bolstered by the faceplant of the 2022 New York Mets.
But I harbor no residual ill will towards the former GM. Thanks to some of the work done under Billy Eppler, David Stearns is stepping into a much better situation than he would have if Brewers owner Mark Attanasio had set him free back in 2020 when the Mets first approached Stearns about the job. There is still a lot of work to be done, but the Mets have already come a long way as an organization these last three years, and even last season's disaster doesn't change that. And I'm heartened that David Stearns really seems to be the right guy to take the New York Mets to a more perenially competitive level.
Stearns may be the right man for the long term job but it's going to be a mighty frustrating way to consistent competitive play.
ReplyDelete65???
ReplyDeleteDeath's door???
You are approximately 15 years younger than me, Ray Savage, or Bill Metsiac.
You're a pup.
I too am hopeful that Stearns will build a sustainable winner. I am also impatient to see that outcome and those two goals are most likely inconsistent. Cohen seems to be surrounding himself with more strategic thinkers, which to me is the right move.
ReplyDeleteReese, I feel some of the frustration, too, but last year was such a clusterf*** that there was bound to be a correction that wouldn't be fun. I'm still hopeful that some of the prospects getting a real shot will offset the disappointment.
ReplyDeleteI'm a pup with enough metal in my body now to set off every detector in a 50-mile radius, but thanks, Mack.
Well put, Paul. I feel the same way.
Mike, I really enjoy your work. In fact, when I see a piece here from you, I usually save it to enjoy it when I have the peace of mind to process it. Today, I need to offer a different look on the importance of 2024. If in fact Stearns allows Vientos to DH and play third, and if Baty is able to get another chance at his position or at least show himself to be a MLB quality hitter, then the pitching gets closer and things look brighter. If, as I read today, he wants to bring in a DH such as Martinez, Turner, or whomever, we are back to square one of not having enough information about our kids.
ReplyDeleteI understand this isn’t a sexy thought, but the most important part of any building is what is in the ground and people don’t see. If it wasn’t for that, the stuff people see would topple over.
Cohen took one shot at buying a title and spent heavily for it, but saw that without a real bullpen and a consistent offense, he didn’t have a shot even if Verlander and Scherzer stepped up. So, he went to plan B. I hope he doesn’t treat plan B like he treated the team in 2021 when he traded PCA for two months of Baez. Hope he can contain himself and stop listening to the crying fans that will probably complain about everything and WFAN will have them on all day long because it spurs emotions and phone calls.
75 win seasons and super high payrolls will make fans cry.
ReplyDeleteTrue, but do we want to hear the crying periodically forever (like the Angels are oft to perform) or do we want to at least become a consistent threat?
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