David Stearns on the Alonso/Diaz free agencies, pitching and defense, and more

Plus, the Mets are showing some early interest in Tatsuya Imai

What’s up with the Mets? 🍎

• David Stearns fielded questions from the media for over 20 minutes at the GM meetings on Tuesday and said the following:

  • Stearns said he would ‘love’ for Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz to return

  • Right now, Stearns expects top prospect Carson Benge to be vying for a job in the big leagues in spring training

  • Stearns also spoke on the immediate futures of Mark Vientos and Brett Baty, the path ahead for Jett Williams, the front office’s optimism about the wealth of prospect arms they’ve amassed, and more…without getting too specific, of course

  • Baty has earned an opportunity to play a significant amount at third base in 2026

  • Kodai Senga is currently a part of their 2026 rotation plan

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Rumor Mill 🔎

• The Mets have early interest in Japanese RHP Tatsuya Imai, but they might not mount an all-out pursuit (SNY)

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Where are the Mets with Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz, as well as their run prevention strategy? ✍🏻

The offseason is officially in full swing, and that means it’s time for the most exciting thing in the world: meetings.

Rather than attack you all with another dose of stat-nerdery, today I decided to provide some ‘instant’ reactions to a couple of key points from David Stearns’s media availability at the GM meetings in Las Vegas yesterday. He touched on some particularly hot topics and gave few firm answers, but I still think it was an informative event.

Here are some of my quick takeaways…

On the futures of Kodai Senga and Mark Vientos

When discussing what roles Senga and Vientos will play on the 2026 Mets, the answer(s) were a bit hazy, and understandably so. However, while Stearns didn’t seem particularly committed to either player as long-term pieces, it also didn’t sound like their departures were imminent.

Starting with Senga, when asked where things stand, Stearns said they see him as part of their rotation ‘right now.’ Given reports that teams are viewing Senga as a ‘buy-low’ candidate, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Mets hold onto him instead of settling for a less-than-favorable return, especially with a new pitching coach coming in. As Stearns said, the talent and desire are certainly there, and if the Mets don’t get an offer they like this winter, I think Senga is more likely to be part of the Opening Day rotation than not…though I also wouldn’t be surprised to see him back on the trade block by June.

RE: Vientos, it felt like Stearns sang a similar tune to Senga’s: that of a bounce-back candidate with a chip on his shoulder and seeds of greatness sown in the past that have yet to fully bloom. With Baty set to receive “significant” reps at third base, it would seem to me that Vientos is destined for DH duties, which honestly may suit him better. He has the raw offensive ability — if he were able to dedicate all his time to honing his hit tool instead of also trying to turn himself into a league-capable defender, I’m willing to bet we’d see a 2026 slash line that’s closer to that of 2024. (I also wouldn’t be surprised to see him taking increased reps at first alongside an uptick in DH reps for Alonso, but that’s a discussion for another day.)

New York Post

Granted, retaining each of these players comes with ample blow-up risk, so I don’t disagree with anyone who encourages trading them both ahead of spring and getting the most of whatever present-day value they have. Given the moments of sustained brilliance we’ve seen from both of these players in the recent past, it’s risk I’d be willing to take.

On playing time and future outlook for prospects

I didn’t keep a firm count of how many times he mentioned it, but Stearns repeatedly reinforced their commitment to finding playing time for the young talent the Mets have rapidly acquired. That, along with the frequent nods to ‘internal replacements’, has me increasingly convinced that the Mets will go for arms this winter and not much else.

However, I thought I picked up on a bit of hesitancy in Stearns’ voice whenever he was asked about Jett Williams. Yes, everything he said was positive, but Stearns sounded, to me, much more optimistic and sure of where Carson Benge was in his development and what he’s ready to bring to the MLB table. Stearns also mentioned that Williams’s fit on the Major League team will be dependent on the Mets’ ever-fluctuating needs, and said that Jett has played well at multiple positions, which is, quote, “of value.”

But what kind of value…?

Call me crazy, and maybe I’m reading too deeply between the lines here, but I think that was Stearns saying Jett is available for the right price, which I’ve honestly always thought was the case, especially with Ewing’s progress in such a short time this year. Though both are excellent players, I think Williams’s utility value and development timeline make him a more appealing trade piece right now. Ewing, meanwhile, offers a very similar player profile, so I don’t think the front office is as worried about replacing Williams’s production or future value as they would’ve been a year ago.

On Benge, Soto, and the outfield

Speaking of prospects, Benge starting in big league camp might send any Cody Bellinger wishes out the window, unless Pete Alonso leaves at which point Bellinger could go to first...which I honestly don’t hate. Despite the clear offensive hole in center field at the moment, I’m not fully convinced a Bellinger signing would be in the team’s best interest. He was fantastic last year, no doubt; however, his career history is the definition of ‘up-and-down.’

Syracuse Mets - Kylie Richelle

And it’s not just the surface-level stats: even Bellinger’s underlying batted-ball data has oscillated between ‘fine’ and ‘stellar’ from year to year. Though he offers another powerful lefty bat that has a proven ability to perform in New York, what he offers in terms of lineup utility and day-to-day availability hasn’t historically been rewarded by consistent offensive output. While I don’t deny that the center field position needs an offensive upgrade, I don’t think it needs to be at the top of the to-do list.

Though Benge struggled at Triple-A after a torrid run through MiLB, I’m willing to bet that his dip in production can be traced back to the injury he suffered not long after arriving in Syracuse. Clearly, the organization believes a full offseason to get healthy and a full spring facing Major League stuff will have Benge ready to take the reins as the center fielder of the future. Hopefully, that faith gets rewarded.

Also, let’s see if this is just GM speak or Stearns is for real as well. No matter what, they need to sign more outfielders.

As for Juan Soto, Stearns commented that he’s a player they believe is capable of a better defensive showing than he put forth this season, and that he’s done it before. Fair enough: Soto’s got several positive DRS seasons to his name. On the surface, there’s a legitimate reason to believe he’s able to bring more to the table on defense. However, his range in the field has consistently lagged behind his peers for the last several years, which has gotten him into trouble in larger parks over sustained sample sizes. It’ll be interesting to see how he attacks that element of his game in the offseason.

Remember, Soto was vocal about wanting to improve his base stealing — he did that. Now let’s see if supposed defensive whiz Kai Correa can help kick him into yet another gear.

On adding an ace and the state of the staff

This is definitely the topic where Stearns was the most coy: nothing committal, nary a hint or whisper of a rumor to be found. He kept his answers as political as he possibly could; given the current hype around the rumor mill, I applaud the effort.

Too bad, guy! I’m gonna speculate.

There were several allusions (and a few direct references) made to being active in the starting pitcher trade market. Stearns also made sure to express that Mets brass is confident both in the young starters we saw last season, as well as the litany of other arms they have further down the pipeline. With my tin foil hat attached, I think this is Stearns prepping the fanbase for a shakeup in the pitching department at some point this season — I just don’t know how severe it’s going to be, nor when it’s going to happen.

Ultimately, while a big blockbuster trade for the likes of Tarik Skubal would be exciting, I get the sense the Mets are going to do everything they can this offseason to bolster their rotation via free agency while preserving as much prospect capital as possible. Unlike the position player class, there’s a good deal of stability and production to be had in this pitcher group. For example, while this may be an unpopular opinion, I think the front office should take a long look at Ranger Suárez – though his stuff plays a bit more lowkey than that of Framber Valdez or Dylan Cease, Suárez offers stability from the left side that currently only David Peterson is providing. I have a feeling he’d benefit greatly from calling Citi Field home; our park is far kinder to pitchers than the Bank, and Suárez already excels at keeping the ball in the park.

I also think the Mets should make a serious run at Tatsuya Imai although at least right now, that doesn’t seem likely. They’re reportedly unsure how his game might translate to the big leagues and it just doesn’t seem like - at least on this date - they’re going to dive head first into his free agency. But since Kazuma Okamoto likely isn’t in the picture to take over any infield duties, it would be another welcome signal of change to see the Mets land a highly coveted Japanese prospect, and Imai’s power-pitching profile fits the Mets’ current rotational outlook perfectly. With a fastball that touches 99 and a deep pitch mix that includes a 45% whiff-rate slider, Imai’s stuff should play well on the big league stage on impact.

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Should the front office swing and miss on free agent talent this winter or run into speed bumps during the season, that’s when I think we can expect them to get really busy in the pitcher trade market. Otherwise, any offseason pitcher trade movement I anticipate being Skubal or bust: if they can’t make a deal materialize, I doubt they’re trading for anybody ahead of spring.

Though there were plenty of non-answers in the twenty or so minutes he spoke, David Stearns shed a decent amount of light on where the decision-makers’ heads are at heading into what will be a critical offseason for this franchise.

It’s going to be a transitional year for sure, but who said transition years also have to be losing years?

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Around the League 🚩

• Cleveland’s Stephen Vogt and Milwaukee’s Pat Murphy made history, each becoming just the second manager in their respective league ever to win Manager of the Year in consecutive seasons. Vogt is the first AL manager to win the award back-to-back since Kevin Cash in 2020-21; Murphy is the first to accomplish the feat in the NL since Bobby Cox in 2004-05.

• Tommy Edman will undergo ankle surgery next week; though he’s expected to be ready for Spring Training, his recovery timeline could significantly influence the Dodgers’ winter plans (MLB)

• The Cardinals are believed to be ‘open for business’ on the trade market (MLB)

• The Angels hired former Mets coach John Gibbons to be their new bench coach