Reese Kaplan -- What David Stearns Can Still Do for the Roster

One of the things people admired about David Stearns during his tenure in Milwaukee was his apparent ability to manage his payroll budget by finding hidden gems and avoiding long term commitments which traded roster security for the financial burden of being stuck paying for someone who in years 5, 6 or later may not perform at the same level he did in years 1 through 4.

Upon coming to New York where the stage and budget were far larger people were not really sure what to expect. Some of his early moves were head scratchers like the one year deal for career mediocre hitter Harrison Bader and end of his career DH J.D. Martinez, but others worked out well in the short term like Sean Manaea and Luis Severino. 

As the club moved into 2025 after a short run in October in 2024 they ad,ded the big fish in Juan Soto for a per-year salary north of $50 million and a term of fifteen years.  All of the sudden the issue about lengthy contracts was out the window, though to be fair Soto was still young enough and good enough that it was understandable.

After jettisoning the core roster of Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, Brandon Nimmo and Edwin Diaz, it seemed as if Stearns was finally pushing aside what he’d inherited that did not work last year and was beginning to put his stamp on his own people moving forward.

Somewhere lost in his roster construction and deconstruction are the myriad of transactions that did not work out as anticipated. Whether it is small fish like Paul Blackburn, larger deals like Ryne Stanek, huge pay to Sean Manaea’s return, new Baders in Jose Siri and Cedric Mullins, and the last gasp failed relief pitchers, his thinking hasn’t always worked as anticipated.

Now with the major reconstruction underway we keep hearing familiar refrains about short term deals, modest investments and finding hidden value.  Gone from these narrative tidbits is accountability for what has not worked and with so much left undone it’s difficult to evaluate if the additions of players like Marcus Semien and Jorge Polanco are patchwork options or part of a truly cogent strategy.

The issue with improving the starting rotation is running smack into that conundrum of pay rate and long term commitment.  Most often we hear about Framber Valdez being the top of the free agent heap given his career solid numbers and good health, but at age 33 for the upcoming season a commitment of 5 or more years seems to run counter to everything said and done with the exception of Juan Soto.

The other avenue heard again and again are trades for possible top end starters from other clubs who have just a year or two of payroll obligation, but obtaining the likes of a Freddy Peralta, Nick Pivetta or others of that ilk would not only require acceptance by the teams controlling those players and it would take a hefty payment in player resources from the unused major league roster and/or top level prospects from the suddenly appealing minors inventory of appealing names.  While it is certainly good to have future hitters and pitchers that other clubs find desirable in trade talks, that’s a well you can only visit just so many times without rendering your lower level rosters bereft of young top talents.

The one name we have not heard much associated with the Mets in their quest to improve their rotation is Japanese starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai.  While not heralded at quite the same level as some of the others who migrated across the Pacific, his numbers are indeed impressive.   

Over the past several seasons he’s pitched with high velocity to a sub 3.00 ERA.  He is not eye popping with all of his numbers (including subpar control), but striking out about 1 per inning and pitched with good run prevention.  Rumor has it the initial deal sought is $16 million per year over four years.  That’s in the Kodai Senga price range for someone who finished 2025 at age 27.  This addition to the roster wouldn’t require the sacrifice of any minor league prospects nor would it provide a crippling long term blow to the payroll. 

Food for thought.