This week, as the Winter Meetings take place in Nashville, Tennessee, the MLB rumor mill reaches its peak (at least so far).
Fans are likely to get a clear idea of where their favorite teams are headed, including the New York Mets, who have appointed David Stearns as their first-ever president of baseball operations.
The two biggest offseason acquisitions made by Stearns so far have been one-year contracts, one for utility player Joey Wendle ($2 million) and one for former New York Yankees ace Luis Severino ($13 million) as a prove-it deal. The largest deals appear to be approaching. But after a dismal, postseason-less 2023, what will owner Steve Cohen and his vast fortunes want Stearns to do? Recall that Stearns stated in his press conference opening that his objective is to create “sustainable competitiveness” where the Mets can win championships on a regular basis.
16 agents participated in a survey by The Athletic, and they provided feedback on Cohen’s strategy. Letting Stearns make the decisions was the main theme of most of them. These are a few of the standouts.
“By permitting Stearns to act in any manner he pleases.”
“Sometimes you have to admit when an investment is a mistake and just stop losing money. In response, he hired new personnel to improve baseball operations decisions.”
“He must stop interfering so much and let the people he hired handle the work. Be a little faith-filled. The majority of wealthy teams with poor performance have meddling owners.”
“Cohen most likely discovered that having the best players in baseball does not guarantee success. More than any other baseball team, the Tampa Bay Rays have exemplified that behavior.”
Since leading Milwaukee’s baseball operations during his tenure, Stearns has established a reputation as a perceptive player assessor who creates depth. He now has an abundance of money at his disposal.