To what extent do we currently trust David Stearns?
We were aware that the New York Mets would function differently after David Stearns was hired. Did we anticipate it to be this different?
The offseason hasn’t been very exciting so far. The league as a whole pretty much agrees on this. Apart from the crosstown rival New York Yankees’ trade, the Mets were an atomic bust at the MLB Winter Meetings. However, nobody should be alarmed just yet.
You’re not alone, though, if you’re not entirely sold on Stearns starting to dance around your head like sugar plum fairies. Even if Stearns will face charges for his actions during the offseason, the prosecution has not yet made up its mind. Fans should keep their faith in Stearns for these two reasons. These other two, however, are good causes for some skepticism.
Have faith in David Stearns, as this process takes longer than a year.
Stearns will get a pass this season. It’s almost built in. He gets a mulligan thrown at whatever the end result may be. Those strong believers of his may sway if the Mets become a total disaster. Moves like trading away or not keeping Pete Alonso at all will completely change the tides of how many feel about the front office star.
Call it a little bit of unquestioning faith in Stearns’ ability to analyze baseball. This process takes longer than a year. Trust is earned to some extent only. Everything else depends on reputation.
We’ll need to give Stearns a year to get everything figured out before he can earn the trust. He hasn’t taken any actions that could cause obstructions. The Mets are trying to make improvements to the team without having a significant impact on them after 2024, so they are holding steady while taking these steps.
This year, the benefit of the doubt is with Stearns. For how long will fans put up with it?
It never did result in a championship in Milwaukee, so doubt David Stearns.
Despite all of the accolades he receives, he never led the Milwaukee Brewers to a championship. They made it to the postseason several times, and they were just one victory away from going to the World Series.
Not many things unify Mets fans. One thing they all agree on is how important it is that they win the World Series soon. The timeline for Steve Cohen has already been changed. Stearns is the man this ball club should be led by. Why, precisely, will the situation in New York differ from that in Wisconsin?
Milwaukee’s much smaller budget served as a convenient justification for the Brewers’ inability to consistently compete and prevail. This is not how things should be in New York. Stearns has a wallet that will keep opening as long as he makes responsible purchases, supporting his baseball acumen.
We can almost liken Stearns to Buck Showalter in a limited capacity. Despite bringing a lot of hype to the Mets, this well-respected manager never ended up winning a World Series. With the Mets, he was unable to secure one out of two chances. Stearns might as well keep trying, just as the former Mets captain frequently did throughout his managerial tenure.
Have faith in David Stearns, as this has been the exact plan for months.
If nothing else, Stearns has fulfilled his promises. Thanks to Max Scherzer’s departure at the trade deadline, which opened up a can of worms, Mets fans were already preparing for a less competitive offseason. This is precisely what the Mets had planned to do even prior to Stearns’ official hiring, call it a recalibration or reset.
To strengthen the roster, the Mets aren’t assembling a group of veterans on short-term contracts. Right now, there isn’t a Justin Verlander, Eduardo Escobar, or Mark Canha that makes a lot of sense for them. They’ve already promised to consider offers for a number of bullpen arms. Luis Severino, their largest starting pitcher acquisition, indicates that they will likely continue to search for players with comparable skill levels but a few obstacles to overcome.
The Mets are positioned to discover who they are this season. It resembles a year of gap time between college and high school. Perhaps without a large payroll, they happen to make it to the postseason and become very successful. Perhaps they end up in some weird Scandinavian cult after getting lost while backpacking through Europe.
Arriving with the Mets with Stearns always meant a different approach. This offseason, his small market experience has taken the lead. He hasn’t acted carelessly. Perhaps we should have faith that he will wait to act wisely when the opportunity presents itself.
Doubt David Stearns because this process may take longer than anyone is willing to give him
For what duration will Cohen give Stearns a leash? Next season, empty seats at Citi Field might be more fashionable. Like most of his fans, Cohen has come to terms with it.
But what if 2025 proves to be a failure? There’s only so much “there’s always next year” that the fans can take before the Mets become a real contender again. This season is the target season. Even the most tolerant fans will start to doubt whether they will ever see another parade when we reach a 40-year World Series drought.
When Stearns took over as general manager, he tore the Brewers roster to pieces. They became relevant along the way thanks to some amazing moves. They reached the NLCS in only his third season as general manager. It was their first trip to the playoffs since 2011, the year they also, ironically, lost in the penultimate round.
Two years in a row without the playoffs is something Mets fans are accustomed to seeing. The stakes, however, are a bit higher than they were in past lean years. If the Mets miss the postseason again in 2024 and 2025, we will be looking down the barrel at a single trip and win after game 162 since Cohen took over.
Fans of Stearns will gladly take a two-year postseason absence. Where we finally draw the line is the question. Three or four? Stearns has assisted in revitalizing a number of teams. Would New Yorkers be tolerant if it takes longer than anticipated? Above all, for what length of time does Cohen continue to hold this position?