What kind of job has baseball executive extraordinaire David Stearns done since arriving to help set the Mets in a perennially contending ballclub after some painful up and down years? For his first season all looked to be good with a fine winning season that led to playoff ball in October which is a cherry on top for a first-year record.
However, during the lackluster start of the 2024 season people were beginning quietly to question some of the moves made with the roster. As a refresher, the first big acquisition was Luis Severino who was coming off poor performance and injuries while playing for the Yankees. At a $13 million contract for a single year to make good Severino delivered, not at an All-Star level but finished with a respectable 11-7 record and a 3.91 ERA which was approximately matching his career 3.92 mark. That’s middle of the rotation stuff and he parlayed it into a new FA deal with the the now Sacramento-based Athletics to the tune of $67 million (assuming he exercises his player option in the last year).
Later that same month the Mets made a trade with Stearns’ former employer to bring second tier pitcher Adrian Houser and reserve outfielder Tyrone Taylor to New York. Houser finished with a 5.84 ERA. Taylor delivered electric defense but struggled as he always had with hitting. He finished 2024 hitting .248 which was a career high water mark but in 2025 backslid to just .223. Hmm...not exactly a glowing transaction.
His next major acquisition was center fielder Harrison Bader for more than $10 million for a career .247 hitter who managed to deliver 11 points below that as a Met. He added Sean Manaea on a two year deal with an opt-out after year one. He was better, going 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA. In fact, he did so well that he felt the opt out would lead to greater riches. It did. Stearns signed him again for 2025 through 2027 at $25 million per year. This past year between injuries and ineffectiveness he finished with a 5.64 ERA...not exactly $25 million (oops, $75 million value).
Now no one is going to criticize the effort to bring in baseball’s highest paid hitter in Juan Soto. If you have $765 million to toss around then you can acquire pretty much whomever you want. However, the rest of the 2025 acquisitions pretty much blew up on Stearns.
First was the deal for sub-Mendoza hitter Jose Siri. He was later followed by sub-Mendoza hitter Cedric Mullins. In between they gave out contracts to Frankie Montas (thankfully DFAd on Tuesday), Ryan Helsley, Gregory Soto and other under performers. From April to July Stearns did nothing to address the flaws in the roster and with the exception of Tyler Rogers the July late changes did not work.
The Clay Holmes conversion to starter was decent and with more innings on his arm he may exceed his 2025 record of 12-8 and 3.53 ERA. Of course, if he allows Edwin Diaz to leave it’s possible Holmes may wind up being the new Mets closer. The Jesse Winker and Ryne Stanek moves did not pan out due to injury and ineffectiveness.
So the question becomes what kind of job has Stearns done with the parent ballclub? I will give the man credit for revamping the farm system but at the major league level 2025 was painful to watch after the quick start by the team with nothing being done to address it until late July. I’d give Stearns an A- for 2024 and a generous C- for 2025. That averages out to a B- in his first two Mets seasons. Is this the level of performance Steve Cohen had in mind?
14 comments:
You're being kind to Stearns here. You're giving him credit for the Doto sign
D+.
So basically, the only decent moves that were made in 2 years was:
Severino and Holmes. Manaea was a good signing until he gave him an opt out and turned a decent signing in a shit show.
For those who say Canning (forgot his name already), he was already pitching back to his norm by the time he got hurt.
Soto was a Cohen deal, not his.
Anyone else in baseball would have been fired already. So Tom, your D+ is being generous.
He may be a good executive, but so far, he sucks as a GM.
And
So was Mendoza
To not get this overpaid team to the playoffs last year was criminal and at the very least he should be wearing an ankle monitor and be watched closely.
Make or break year for Mendoza.
Did I miss the wonderful Frankie Montas signing?. Anyway, I think that so far he has been average but he was brought in to be great.
Give him credit for the minor leagues as it has gotten a lot better prospect wise.
What I don't understand is why he continues to try to find diamonds in the rough instead of just bringing in proven players when that's what the level of players the team needs.
For a 300+ million team, it has way too many holes in the rotation, the BP and still one in CF.
Viper, totally agree. That's why I said he was a good executive. He has transformed the organization, from the penny pinching Wilpons.
He has overhauled the farm system, the pitching and hitting labs, brought in proper executives.
Now he has to show he is a capable GM
I don't think people give him enough credit. Under Stearns we have seen the talent pipeline increase exponentially. He brings in players to fill roles without blowing up our prospect pipeline. The Holmes, Manaea, and Severino acquisitions were all solid. Some of the other acquisitions like Helsley should have been huge successes but the players did not perform - not Stearns' fault. No GM's tenure is 100% successful, so he has had his misses (like Mullins) too.
Paul, Paul, Paul...sorry but I can't agree with you on this one.
You say no GM is 100% successful, but last year Stearn's success rate was around 10%.
While the talent pipeline has improved, most of the talent was not drafted by Stearns.
He also gave away 12 prospects for 4 TURDS.
Holmes and Severino were good acquisitions (not great). Manaea was good until now it sucks. I have one word for you...MONTAS.
Like I keep saying, I like him as an executive, he has done a very good job of bringing the organization into the 21st century. But as of now the jury is still out on the GM portion of his job.
Last year was a disaster at the mlb level & a home run in the player development level.
Next year MUST be better at the mlb level. Period. Abt residual from The turmoil of the first three cohen years / last few Wilpon years now fully belongs to David Stearns. The mlb pressure is on - that’s why he is looking to clean house & why he can’t totally go youth next year. Big time tight rope IMHO. My money is on him.
This may make zero sense, but if Pete goes, how about a 30 y/o lefty first baseman who hit .282 last year and has a better glove there, in Dominic Smith. He provides a serviceable 1B against tough righties, and could play up there part time until Clifford or Reimer could step in. For obviously less WAR than Pete, you spend $30 million less in a single year contract…and don’t get the multi-year risk. Vientos, Baty and Mauricio give them a cheap foursome, then spend with complete abandon elsewhere.
We need to find out what we have in Vientos, Mauricio and Baty then adjust from there. Why is Mauricio not playing winter ball as a CF?.
Viper, perhaps Ronny’s last disastrous winter injury made them not let him. Maybe the Mets want to trade him, and if he got hurt again….
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