Offseason to-do list for new Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns

After being linked to one another for seemingly more than a year, the New York Mets are hiring David Stearns as their first president of baseball operations in franchise history, per SNY’s Andy Martino. 

Stearns, a New York native, stepped down as Milwaukee's president at the conclusion of last season following a tenure that saw the Brewers capture two National League Central division titles. The 38-year-old will take the reins of New York's front office in October, and given how disappointing 2023 was for the Mets, Stearns has a crucial first offseason ahead of him.

Here are the three biggest items on Stearns’ to-do list for this winter.

Continue to strengthen the farm system, but rebuild the starting rotation

As it grew more apparent that the 2023 Mets weren't built to win the World Series, the front office expedited the rebuilding process. The Mets sold off just about every moveable asset they had with cash attached at the trade deadline to acquire high-end prospects, which resulted in their farm system being named the 11th-best in baseball in MLB Pipeline's midseason rankings.

Most of the talent acquired will make their major league debuts over the next two seasons, though the organization doesn't have any pitchers rated as top 100 prospects. Stearns will likely focus on building a team to complement New York's top prospects and could continue to trade some pieces to acquire young arms. Nonetheless, in the meantime, he'll have to utilize owner Steve Cohen's financial resources to revamp the rotation for 2024.

The ideal offseason target would be 25-year-old Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, as his age fits the timeline of the prospects New York has added over the last few seasons. Yamamoto will be one of, if not the most, sought-after pitchers on the market this offseason, and for good reason. In 20 games this season, the Orix Buffaloes ace has a 1.26 ERA with 145 strikeouts and tossed a no-hitter this past Saturday, the second of his career.

Although if Yamamoto signs elsewhere, stop-gap options like Wade Miley, Lance Lynn or Michael Wacha could be worth considering for the 2024 rotation while the Mets continue drafting arms and await the call-ups of their top prospects.

If manager Buck Showalter steps down, target these two options to succeed him

GM Billy Eppler will remain with the team in his current role, but Fantrax's Michael Marino reports that Mets executives and others around the league are unsure whether Showalter plans to manage in 2024. Marino adds that some believe Showalter has entertained the idea of resigning as manager. If that's the case, two names stick out as potential replacements: Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell and former All-Star outfielder Carlos Beltrán. 

Counsell, who has been with Milwaukee since 2015 and is the winningest manager in franchise history, would likely be the front-runner for the job. However, with his contract set to expire after the season, USA Today's Bob Nightengale wrote Sunday that Counsell might take time off from managing to focus on his family. Of course, now that Stearns is in Queens, the situation could quickly change. 

Beltrán would be a particularly intriguing option that fans would likely support. The former Mets outfielder was hired as the team's manager in 2019. However, he never managed a game after mutually agreeing to part ways with the organization due to his involvement in the 2017 Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal.

Even so, New York brought Beltrán back as a special assistant to Eppler in February, and his relationship with Mets brass could put him on the shortlist of managerial candidates. 

Extend first baseman Pete Alonso

New York reportedly did its due diligence at the trade deadline and held discussions with Milwaukee around the three-time All-Star. While Alonso would fetch a haul, if Stearns wants to make a strong first impression, he should avoid trading away the franchise's most talented homegrown position player since David Wright and instead aim to extend him. 

Since debuting in 2019, no player has hit more home runs (190) and recorded as many RBI (485) than Alonso. Except for the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Alonso has hit at least 37 homers and driven in 94 runs each year in the majors. Not too many people can consistently produce a 40-home run season, which is why New York stands to lose any deal involving the “Polar Bear." 

Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom is still catching heat for the 2020 trade that sent superstar outfielder Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Should Stearns do the same with Alonso, the ever-impatient New York fan base would be calling for his head before the 2024 season even begins.