David Stearns dismantled the Mets in December. Facing extreme levels of discontent and pressure, the team’s president of baseball operations was confident he had the time and resources to retool the team into a winner.
After weeks of questions and uncertainty about whether he would be able to pull it off, this was the week that saved the Mets offseason. By January, Stearns re-assembled the roster into a legitimate contender.
Stearns put the exclamation point on what was already a celebratory mood in Queens when he completed a major trade that addressed their biggest concern of the offseason. The Mets on Wednesday night acquired right-hander Freddy Peralta from the Brewers in exchange for two top prospects in right-hander Brandon Sproat and infielder Jett Williams. New York also received right-hander Tobias Myers in the deal.
That’s a generous haul for Peralta, who is ultimately a rental. The 29-year-old righty will become a free agent after this season, and an extension with Peralta has not yet been explored, according to sources.
Peralta’s addition came hours after the Mets formally introduced new infielder Bo Bichette in a news conference at Citi Field on Wednesday afternoon. Bichette’s introductory conference came hours after the Mets traded for All-Star center fielder Luis Robert Jr. on Tuesday night. Bichette’s agreement with the Mets, a three-year contract worth $126 million with player options after years two and three, also became official late Tuesday night.
So, in the span of roughly 24 hours, the Mets made three significant upgrades — really, the finishing touches — to a roster that looked depleted and unplayable just one month ago. The Mets addressed their biggest needs for a starting pitcher, an impact bat, and a quality outfielder.
“Look, I’ve been clear. My preference would be to add a starting pitcher,” Stearns said at Citi Field on Wednesday, hours before finalizing the deal for Peralta. “It doesn’t mean it’s a certainty that we’re going to do it, but that would be my preference.”
It was difficult to envision the Mets entering the season without a significant upgrade to their rotation. It was no secret they were one of the teams desperate to add a front-end starting pitcher. The Brewers fielded multiple competitive offers for Peralta, who is owed just $8 million this season. They had plenty of leverage to get a prime package from the Mets, or any other interested team. Giving up a pair of highly-ranked prospects was the price Stearns had to pay to acquire an ace in a thin starting-pitching market.
Peralta, whose 2.70 ERA ranked seventh among all MLB starters last year, enhances a Mets rotation that will include Nolan McLean, Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes, Kodai Senga, and David Peterson, with Jonah Tong and Christian Scott serving as depth pieces. Bichette, who will take over for Brett Baty at third, is an excellent right-handed hitter that significantly boosts a Mets lineup that struggled with inconsistency last year. Robert is a low-risk, high-reward center fielder with a ceiling of 38 home runs, which he produced in his 2023 All-Star season.
In total this winter, the Mets have added 10 players: Peralta, Bichette, Robert, Jorge Polanco, Marcus Semien, Jorge Polanco, Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, Luis Garcia and Myers. The result? A strong offseason and an impressive pivot.
Stearns needed exactly six weeks to reshape the team and plug the holes he created. After the Mets’ $340 million roster couldn’t win more than 83 games last year, and couldn’t even surpass the Cincinnati Reds for a ticket to the playoffs, Stearns was prepared to take drastic measures.
First, he indifferently dispatched outfielder Brandon Nimmo, previously the longest-tenured Met, in a trade with the Texas Rangers that sent second baseman Marcus Semien to New York. Then closer Edwin Diaz left town for the back-to-back world champion Dodgers. There was no turning back after Dec. 10, when slugger Pete Alonso bolted from Queens to accept a long-term pact with the Orioles. The Mets didn’t even make an offer to Alonso. Last year during the first baseman’s free agency, Mets owner Steve Cohen had to step in to get a one-year deal done with Alonso after spring training had already begun. Stearns might as well have put up a billboard in Times Square saying he was never interested in bringing Alonso back.
Juan Soto, Brett Baty, and Francisco Lindor should be excited about the team’s offseason additions. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
In the end, he was hardly interested in bringing any longtime position players back, unless they were signed to long-term deals (Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor) or still under team control (Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, Francisco Alvarez, and Ronny Mauricio). Infielder Jeff McNeil, another longtime Met, was traded to the Athletics last month. The demolition of the Mets core seemed years in the making.
Two years and three months after Cohen hired him to lead his baseball ops, Stearns can now say this is his team. He broke up the nucleus and remade the Mets in his own vision, complete with short-term deals and trade acquisitions.
Hours before the Peralta signing became official, Mets officials looked tired. Manager Carlos Mendoza said he had not yet had any time to mock up potential lineups. Stearns had some dark bags under his eyes. The Mets endured the most active offseason in the league. From ripping their core apart to quite swiftly building it back together, they will enter this season with a strong roster that’s built to go deep into the postseason.
Of course, the work is not done. As he enters Season 3 of his reign as president of baseball operations, Stearns will ultimately be judged by wins. Outside their remarkable 2024 postseason run, the Mets have won one playoff game since 2015. It’s been 40 years since they won a championship.
The Mets saved their offseason this week. It’s time to prove the pieces are in place to win the whole thing.
In the Big Picture, we contextualize key moves and moments so you can instantly understand why they matter.
Read the full article here
