PORT STREET LUCIE — David Stearns has deftly navigated two worlds and, in his words, “threaded the needle” in running the Mets’ baseball operations.
He said his first priority in the first year of his administration will be to prioritize the big picture, learning the capabilities of young players while not putting pressure on long-term salaries and roster spots. Still, Coach Stearns insisted that the team aims to win as much as possible within the constraints and hopes to advance to the playoffs.
“You should be able to do both at the same time,” Stearns said.
For a top executive running a team, Stearns has been surprisingly transparent and consistent in his approach. He did what he said he would do, whether you liked his plan or not.
Two steps in that plan have already been taken – the theoretical part that he proposed hiring Steve Cohen as president of baseball operations, and the offseason execution to assemble the roster. But we are already in the third part, “Adaptation”.
Stearns and Carlos Mendoza arrived with fresh eyes, as did much of the staff. They now have first-hand experience with the players. That’s just an appetizer, with Stearns in particular downplaying the importance of the spring game when it comes to decision-making, instead prioritizing all the information the club is gleaning from backgrounds and meetings, and recommending, for example, the introduction of new elements. Are considering. Pitching and batting approaches. And Stearns has shown a history of perseverance to more fully evolve his strategy.
Nevertheless, before signing with the Athletics on Friday, the club’s interest in suddenly free agent J.D. Davis felt like more than just caution, with Stearns promising to be persistent in seeking an upgrade. Rather, it’s as if the new administration had watched Brett Batty and Mark Vientos for several weeks and had the same concerns as the scouts who covered the team regularly in the spring: that neither of them could handle third base. It resonated with me as if it were not possible. The Mets should have at least considered a plan B that wasn’t Joey Wendle. Wendle’s OPS+ dropped from 108 in 2021 to 85-50 last season, the worst performance of any major leaguer with at least 300 plate appearances.
Had the Mets decided to change direction by May 15, for example, Davis could have been able to raise the bottom three to around league average. According to sources, the Mets were a finalist, but Davis chose the Athletics largely because he would be a free agent after this season and wanted guaranteed regular time. The Mets’ lack of guarantees reflects that Sterns is sticking with the plan and wants more information and certainty regarding Batty and Vientos.
Stearns didn’t mention specific player additions, but generally said, “We’re looking at certain decision points, and will that tip the scales in one direction or the other?” [what’s good now vs. what is good in the big picture]Do you think that’s too biased one way or the other? These are judgment calls that we as an organization constantly discuss.? ”
Stearns held a briefing session with reporters Friday, about halfway through the spring game, and said there was no magic date, number of at-bats or number of pitches pitched to abandon or stick with his original plan. Told. In another interview, he said that he tends to break the season into three parts (54 games) and evaluate them at that point, but he doesn’t even believe in that. He said “feel” is important and that individual and team results will determine the path.
But for now, Stearns said his “feeling” that the Mets are a 2024 playoff team has only been strengthened by the month of camp because of what he’s seeing on and off the field. Stearns is considered to be a level-headed manager, but he was especially enthusiastic about Edwin Diaz’s return to the NALCO on Monday and his return to the mound with three batters and three strikeouts, calling it “the best spring training I’ve ever seen.” “One of the coolest moments.” ”
For validation, one scout who had never seen Diaz in person said, He was electric. ”
When asked why things didn’t go as expected, Stearns mentioned the tightness in Kodai Senga’s right shoulder. But other than that, he was happy with the potential pitching depth that has been revealed so far this spring. It was part of the overall positive vibe favoring the Mets with less than two weeks until they open the season against their old team, the Brewers.
If Stearns is correct about what’s been put together, then 2024 will be a priority in his two-pronged approach, with the prospect of a deal aimed specifically at that, re-threading the needle. I wondered if this could lead to.
“The more information we have about this season, the better we can adapt to it,” Stearns said. “That might include being aggressive this season. There’s nothing stopping us from doing that.”
