On Wednesday afternoon, Bo Bichette was introduced to the local media and fans. Usually, Bichette would be the exclusive center of attention. But on this day, it was Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns.
Happy David (photo courtesy FanSided)
David Stearns stole the show by engineering the Freddy Peralta acquisition by trading Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat.
And just like that, he redeemed himself after what appeared to be a horrible offseason for the Mets, with Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz leaving as free agents and Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil being traded.
If we’re being honest, though, the Mets baseball boss has had a great offseason. He has signed Jorge Polanco, Luke Weaver, and Devin Williams. Along with getting a frontline starter, he acquired Marcus Semien and Luis Robert Jr.
We can bemoan the losses of Alonso, Nimmo, and Diaz, but Stearns clearly had a better idea of how this team would be run in 2026. That explains why he was okay with stalwarts leaving. He wanted a roster change, and he got it.
Graphic courtesy Facebook
It could have been easy for Stearns to stay the course. But he obviously had reservations, determined to remake the roster in his own way. If nothing else, the Mets will be a lot more interesting this year.
For starters, acquiring a frontline starter was a must. For the Mets to be a playoff team and win the NL East, they had to get that guy. Kodai Senga flopped after coming off the injury list with a hamstring injury, and Sean Manaea struggled this past season.
The team needed a stopper to end a losing streak. They needed an ace that they can trust every fifth day. They found that guy in Peralta. Yes, they gave up Sproat, but that’s the price they had to pay to get a frontline starter. They addressed a need.
To say the Mets did not win much with Diaz, Alonso, Nimmo, and McNeil is wrong. They actually went to the NL Championship Series just two years ago. That said, they may have reached their ceiling here. Maybe getting new guys can make a difference.
Stearns clearly wanted to change the locker room and have character guys who are about winning. A guy like Polanco can be a great influence in the clubhouse, serving as a bridge between Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor, who struggled to connect all season. If anything else, there’s going to be curiosity about how this all works.
Stearns expressed frustration with the lineup’s heavy reliance on home runs. But I think too much has been made about the offense. Pitching let the team down in the stretch last season.
Stearns felt this team needed guys who could grind out at-bats. That is where Polanco, Bichette, and Semien will benefit this team.
His critics, such as myself and WFAN’s Joe Benigno, should have given him the benefit of the doubt here. We thought he would build a team like a small-market general manager would do in searching for a bargain-basement move. It turned out we were wrong after he acquired Robert on Tuesday and Peralta on Wednesday.
The Mets played it smart in addressing their needs. They did not overpay for Kyle Tucker’s services. It would have been stupid since he is a complementary player at best. The new Dodger will be fine playing behind Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman. That would not be the case here if he had to be the guy. Signing Bichette at a reasonable cost turned out to be a smart move.
Stearns has done a fine job building organizational depth since he arrived as the Mets’ baseball boss. Players such as Carson Benge, Jonah Tong, Nolan McLean, A.J. Ewing, and others could contribute to the Mets this season. There is something to be said about building a team with homegrown talent. This team could use young guys who can provide energy and spark to the veterans. Depth is going to matter in a long season.
Mets are not done. You figure Stearns will keep making some moves. He does have Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, Senga, and others as trade bait. We can mourn the losses of the Mets’ stalwarts, or we can move forward and see what this team can do.
Stearns did his part to ensure the Mets are in it to win it in 2026. He also made it easy for all of us to move forward rather than looking back.
