One of the things that continually frustrated New York Mets media and fans under previous administrations is their tendency to make a decision, stick by that decision, see the player acquired struggle yet continue to hold out hope to justify their own egos that they made the right move. How long, for example, should the Mets have waited for sumo wrestler, ummm, DH Daniel Vogelbach to be designated for assignment instead of designated hitter?
Everyone across baseball applauded when the Mets waited for their front office honcho David Stearns to become not only available but a part of Steve Cohen’s architecture for baseball success. It all sounded good on paper but most New Yorkers are a cynical bunch who have seen an awful lot that should have been fixed go unaddressed, so some of the enthusiasm was tempered by past history.
Going into the 2024 season the Mets were pretty active in free agency and a bit less so in making trades, but the lineup on Opening Day looked very little like the one that closed out the dismal 2023 season.
You needed starting pitching, so Peterson went out and landed Luis Severino, Sean Manaea and Adrian Houser.
You needed improved outfield defense so Harrison Bader (coincidentally a childhood buddy of departing free agent Pete Alonso) was signed. Tyrone Taylor was also new.
Backup infielders were not exactly falling from trees. The Mets started off with Joey Wendle and Zack Short.
The bullpen needed reinforcement so out went deals to acquire Jorge Lopez, Yohan Ramirez, Michael Tonkin, Shintaro Fujinami and Jake Diekman.
Having soured on the likes of watching Darin Ruf and Daniel Vogelbach, the Mets actually signed a real DH in J.D. Martinez. He is likely the only one for whom top shelf imported beverages were toasted.
Aside from Martinez, none of these other transactions were going to have you reaching for the champagne glasses. Some were players coming off bad seasons in which you hoped for a turnaround. Most were single year deals to keep roster flexibility at its maximum.
Now comes the interesting part. Of all of these players just named that were a part of the David Stearns influx of player talent, Luis Severino and Sean Manaea are still here among the pitchers. Harrison Bader and late arriving J.D. Martinez are it among the hitters. Think about that for a moment...Stearns took action to excise players from the roster who were not performing at an anticipated level.
Furthermore, there other players like Joey Lucchesi, Tomas Nido, D.J. Stewart and Brett Baty that he inherited who all no longer have lockers in the Citifield changing room. Many other minor transactions straddle the line between his guys and his previous regime roster, but the fact is that after giving ample time to prove yourself (or in Stewart’s case, the Vogelbach treatment), he will find an alternative who just might do a bit better.
So for the folks sitting at their breakfast tables wishing for something stronger than coffee to watch bigger name players go elsewhere while we “settled” for Phil Maton, Ryne Stanek, Matt Gage and Jesse Winker, remember that a lot of folks have been asked to leave. Theoretically these headline avoiding moves might be what the club really needs.
Of course as I schedule this piece there are still 12 hours to go on the July trading deadline whose importance is not just improving the final two months of the season but addressing who can be a part of an October roster if there is one. Fingers crossed either way it goes.
3 comments:
Stearns was slow on Stewart’s removal, but I laud him for his moves. He has been excising failures, in a way that previous administrations did not, in order to keep a positive vibe and fine tune. He is bringing in modest new pieces at modest prices to complement and eeepen the quality and positive vibe on the roster.
And they are 33-15 in their last 48 games to show for it. Despite the Edwin Sticky Fingers costly episode and all the pitcher injuries during that span. Remarkable.
Good article.
I think he was slow on Stewarts removal only because he didnt have a great alternative. Stewart also played well earlier in the year.
The team seems so much better run than it was with Eppler in just this shorter period of time.
Its crazy...but the Mets might actually be able to catch the Phillies. Imagine we win the division...I think their lineup is as deep as anyone now. I think the bullpen will be really good when we get back Nunez/Garrett/Reid Foley. The SP hasnt been the best but at least good enough to keep us in most games.
This article makes an important distinction between Stearns and previous Mets GMs. Stearns can admit and correct mistakes. Everyone knows that choosing players, either in the draft or via trade or via free agency is an educated guessing game. No one really knows how a player will perform in a different environment under different coaching direction. When some inevitably fail, they are often held too long as the folks that brought them in refuse to admit defeat. Often it takes the next regime to dispose of them. Not so with Stearns. He takes his best shot, and if it doesn't work, he takes another. Those that stick have added great value. I really appreciate this quality in him and it shows why he is among the best.
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