Mets president teases future big moves after underwhelming offseason

New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns hinted to Tyler Kepner of The Athletic that he and team owner Steve Cohen know that fans want the club to pursue big-name free agents following a rather underwhelming offseason for the organization. 

"At some point, we’ve got to take our shots — and we will," Stearns explained. "This organization has done it under Steve previously, and we will again. But they need to be very well thought out. They need to be well calculated. And we have to understand we can’t do it all the time." 

Stearns wasn't yet employed by the Mets when Cohen signed off on last summer's fire sale that included the club acquiring younger talents for co-aces Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer ahead of the 2023 trade deadline. However, Stearns and Cohen later failed to land two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto in free agency before the Mets concentrated mostly on adding depth pieces ahead of spring training. 

"Where big-market clubs historically have gotten themselves into long-term trouble is by making repeated big mistakes in the luxury aisle of the supermarket," Stearns continued. "So we’re going to shop in that aisle, but we have to do so intelligently, and we have to do so when it makes sense for the overall direction of our franchise." 

Cohen essentially confirmed recently that All-Star Mets first baseman Pete Alonso will test free agency after the upcoming season. While it's unknown if Cohen will pay the fan-favorite slugger later this year, the Mets have also repeatedly been linked with New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto. Like Alonso, Soto is on track to reach free agency this fall. 

Before he officially joined the Mets this past October, Stearns served as an executive with the Milwaukee Brewers from the fall of 2015 until he moved into an advisory role with that club after the 2022 season. He's hoping what he learned during his Milwaukee tenure coupled with Cohen's fortune will help the Mets become a sustainable winner that also routinely convinces top-tier free agents to relocate to Queens.

"I also think it’s important for me to realize that this is a fundamentally different job that I’m doing right now — primarily, although not exclusively, because of the resources that are available," Stearns added. "Every avenue of player procurement is available to us, and that is not the case in a place like Milwaukee. So that is something that is an adjustment, and ultimately should be an advantage for us." 

As of Tuesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Mets' over/under win total for 2024 at 81.5. Stearns grew up rooting for the Mets and may soon get some harsh reminders that paying customers won't tolerate the club having many so-called "rebuilding years" with Cohen theoretically able to outspend all other owners for free-agent talents.