David Stearns, the president of baseball operations for the New York Mets, says the team isn’t taking a punt on the MLB season despite what Dan Martin of the New York Post called a “underwhelming offseason” earlier this month.
“We should be competing for a playoff spot,” Stearns told SNY MLB insider Andy Martino (h/t Danny Abriano) during the latest edition of the “Mets Hot Stove” program. “We should be building a team that has the ability to make the playoffs. And that’s certainly the expectation for our team. I believe we’ll be able to meet that expectation. And we should have exciting baseball in September and October for our fans to be proud of.”
Before team owner Steve Cohen approved a pre-trade deadline fire sale that included acquiring prospects for co-aces Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, the 2023 Mets failed to live up to expectations throughout the spring and summer. Subsequently, New York lost out on signing Japanese sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto and two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani in free agency. Rumor has it that the team may pursue popular All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso prior to or during the 2024 campaign.
“There are going to be times where we’re going to make big splashes,” Stearns explained. “Steve has certainly proved that as an owner he’s very capable and willing to do that. And there will be times in the future where we’re very capable and willing to do that. And to this point this offseason, we’ve taken a slightly different route, but I think it’s one that sets us up well.”
The Athletic’s Will Sammon and Tim Britton revealed last week that some Mets players “think they’re competitive for a postseason spot” as early as this year and aren’t “pessimistic” about 2024. DraftKings Sportsbook had the Mets’ over/under win total for the upcoming season at 82.5 as of late Wednesday morning.
“…My job is not necessarily to win headlines or win the offseason,” Stearns added. “My job is to win baseball games and to put teams together that can win consistently. Every move we make, that’s what we’re trying to do.”
On Tuesday, MLB website insider Anthony DiComo, a Mets insider, disclosed that he thinks the team will hang onto Alonso until the 29-year-old hits free agency at the end of the season. Such a story suggests that, despite what some may think of the team’s offseason, Stearns is serious about the Mets contending through and beyond August.