Mets and Stearns’ Pitching Strategy

The longest contract given by David Stearns to a Mets starting pitcher was a three-year deal for Sean Manaea.

During his last offseason, Stearns didn’t fully utilize the trade market, instead opting for what he envisioned as a short-term arrangement with Clay Holmes, who performed well this season, along with Frankie Montas and Griffin Canning, both of whom had challenges, mostly due to injuries.

Before the offseason kicked off, he secured a one-year contract for Manaea and Luis Severino. The hesitation to commit to longer contracts for starting pitchers who might be prone to injuries was evident.

Stearns seemed unwilling to meet the asking price for top prospects, even losing out on Garrett Crochet during the winter. This year’s trade deadline passed without any rotation assistance, leading to issues in the second half of the season. Several starters underperformed, and sadly, the only reliable arm in the rotation was a rookie.

Stearns wasn’t ready to make commitments.

“We have to be open to everything,” he mentioned recently, emphasizing that support for their development infrastructure is key, particularly in nurturing starting pitchers, as that’s essential for success.

After encountering a shortage of aces this season, the Mets are now eyeing free agents like Flamber Valdes, Michael King, and others such as Zack Gallen. They are also exploring potential trades for arms like Freddie Peralta.

While they lack many sure-fire frontline starters, there’s a good amount of potential among the returning players, who could step up.

The current roster includes pitchers like Kodai Senga, Manaea, Clay Holmes, David Peterson, Nolan McLean, Brandon Sprout, Jonaton, and Christian Cott, who are recovering from injuries. Stearns noted his confidence in Senga, who is approaching his second All-Star game after hamstring issues earlier this year.

“I know the potential is there,” Stearns remarked. “We’ll do all we can to support him. But saying he’s guaranteed to make 30 starts next year? That feels a bit foolish.”

Regarding McLean, who stood out during his initial major league starts in 2025, Stearns expressed optimism for the younger players to contribute next year, though he acknowledged that McLean is making his own mark.

Stearns recently expressed some regret for not acting with more urgency to bolster the pitching staff, noting that trade prices for starting pitchers were steep at the deadline.

“If we had made certain moves, I believe our fanbase might have been more upset with us,” he admitted, referring to the decisions made under pressure.

The rotation he constructed proved to be lacking and ineffective until mid-June. However, as offseason preparations continue, he is hopeful for improvements in the pitching department.

“We need more innings from our starting staff, no doubt about that,” he stated firmly.