The one thing David Stearns intends to improve ahead of 2026
David Stearns discussed the primary areas of need in his end-of-season press conference on Monday
What’s up with the Mets? 💭
Carlos Mendoza will officially return as Mets manager in 2026
The front office will soon determine who will remain from this year’s coaching staff
Francisco Álvarez will soon undergo surgery to repair the UCL in his thumb. He should be ready for Spring Training
David Stearns’ Post Mortem ⚰️
President of Baseball Operations David Stearns took full responsibility for the Mets collapse this season. “I’m the architect of the team. I’m responsible for it.”
He did not question the leadership of the team and said there weren’t any issues in the clubhouse. Rather, the club’s failures came down to roster construction and specifically, their inability to prevent runs
He would love to have Pete Alonso back beyond 2025, and while he said the same about Edwin Díaz, he seemed less enthusiastic about a reunion with him - both can opt out of their contracts after the World Series
Regarding the future architecture of their starting rotation, Stearns remained committed to developing from within, but acknowledged a more aggressive approach is needed with external procurements
They are committed to getting the most out of Kodai Senga, who has two years and around $30 million left on his contract, but Stearns would not commit to him making 30 starts for the club next season
He suggested both Clay Holmes and Nolan McLean are projected to be in the major league rotation, but only said Brandon Sproat and Jonah Tong would play a part on the major league roster at some point in 2026
Stearns acknowledged they needed to make better acquisitions before the season started, but while the Mets did look at starting pitchers at the trade deadline, and he regrets not having more urgency, he noted again the price was high and fans would not have been happy with what would’ve needed to be in those trade packages
Stearns insisted the Mets must and will improve their run prevention ability, and he defined that as both improving the defense and improving the pitching this winter
Steve Cohen’s apology to fans 🎙️
“I take ownership over this roster. I’ve been here now for two years. That is plenty of time to shape a roster, to meld a roster and I take ownership over the players that are here. As we continue to develop our players, that is naturally going to change the composition.” ~ David Stearns
After a disastrous season, what is David Stearns’ plan to fix the Mets? ✍️
The biggest news on Monday was clearly President of Baseball Operations David Stearns taking the podium to dissect what went wrong in 2025.
Stearns admirably took accountability and responsibility for the team’s shortcomings, but he also issued several quotes that could provide a lens into the club’s thinking moving forward.
For starters, the overriding theme of his press conference was the phrase ‘run prevention’.
Stearns was adamant about the Mets’ need to improve their pitching and defense, and one quote in particular caught my attention:
“I think we’re going to have to be open-minded with our position player grouping so that we can improve our run prevention. Does that mean there are robust changes? I don’t know. Does that mean people could be playing different positions? Maybe. Does it mean we ask people to play different roles? Maybe.”
Piecing together what Stearns is talking about without even having to try to read in between the lines, he wants this team to get more athletic on the defensive side of the ball.
I also believe that part of the decision-making at the trade deadline last summer—particularly trading prospect Drew Gilbert to San Francisco—was motivated by the organization anticipating its top two prospects, Carson Benge and Jett Williams, could have a chance in center field and second base in 2026. And, Stearns believes that when the Mets win a championship (which, obviously we all hope is very soon), that there will be an even blend of elite homegrown talent combined with talent acquired externally on the field.
Of course, that’s easier said than done. And while the Mets have had a super year with their minor league system and taken huge steps forward, there are no guarantees with prospects which is why he said, in part anyway, he intends to be more, “aggressive” and, “proactive” in talent acquisition in the coming months.
Veteran Jeff McNeil stood out to me immediately when Stearns mentioned people potentially playing different roles. I have a hard time believing the Mets look at McNeil as an undisputed everyday player anymore, and that Williams could be the team’s starting second baseman for the majority of the season if they don’t find a solution on the external markets this winter.
Does that mean McNeil is traded this winter? Or does he have enough value as a super utility man that can play everywhere coming off the bench?
In the end though, it was clear Stearns was taking aim at the defense on the right side of the field. McNeil, Juan Soto and Pete Alonso combined for -18 outs above average (OAA) this season in right field, first base and second base respectively, although McNeil was the only one who was positive at +4.
The other Stearns quote that was most telling was this:
“We need to create a roster that fits together better.”
To me, that starts with the situation at third base but its far from the ending.
The Mets have spent the better part of three years now trying to figure out who is their long-term answer at the hot corner. This time last year, it seemed obvious it was Mark Vientos. Right now, it’s hard to say it would be anybody other than Brett Baty. Ronny Mauricio was starting there in the season’s most important games this past weekend, and Luisangel Acuña is toolsy but doesn’t have a realistic path to a starting role on this infield. Stearns danced around the handling of all of those players at third base, but that was obviously a miscalculation early, midway, and late in the season, and by that I mean the constant game of musical chairs at the position with players rotting on the bench. That’s mostly due to Vientos’ regression early and his butcher job at the position, but there were too many moving parts there for far too long.
Interestingly enough though, Mauricio posted strong defensive metrics at third as did Baty. Obviously, Baty distinguished himself offensively at the end and proved to have more awareness at the position, something which doesn’t necessarily get measured in the metrics.
Stearns and company certainly listened at the trade deadline to offers for their infielders, but this winter, they simply need to find a way to move one or two of the above-mentioned players for help in other places and improve their defense, which was just horrid for the last 3 1/2 months.
They need to find an elite center fielder while keeping the runway open for their top prospects. They need to find an elite middle infielder while also keeping the runway open for their prospects too. They’re not doing anything about Soto in right field, they’re probably not doing anything about Brandon Nimmo in left field, so the only thing they can do is flank them with elite defense up the middle.
Which brings me to Alonso.
Just like last year, Stearns praised Alonso and said he would love to have him back, but his free agency feels more complicated this time around, and it’s unlikely that situation will be resolved anytime soon. Given how poorly he played first base and the need to upgrade the defense on the right side specifically, the Mets perhaps should ask Alonso - if there’s still mutual interest in a reunion - how he feels about a hybrid DH role with the team? Of course, it’s hard for Alonso to have been worse at first base this year since his -9 OAA was the worst among qualified first baseman in baseball, and his problems on full display on Sunday afternoon in Miami.
In the meantime, it was comforting to me to hear the team’s highest decision-maker accepting his part in the team’s collapse, vowing to fix it, and committing to exploring every possible avenue to get this team back where it needs to be.
It’s also clear the Mets will be dedicating the bulk of their financial resources to rebuilding this horrid pitching staff, and hopefully, those improvements won’t be on the margins with reclamation projects this time.
Around the League 🚩
The Tigers and Guardians will kick the MLB playoffs off at 1:08 this afternoon with LHP Tarik Skubal matching up against RHP Gavin Williams
RHP Nick Pivetta and LHP Matt Boyd will toe the bump in the series opener between the Cubs and Padres
The Yankees and Red Sox will take center stage tonight with a high-powered matchup of two of the best southpaws in the sport—Garrett Crochet and Max Fried
All of us reading this would much preferred young Mets righty Nolan McLean to be squaring off with LHP Blake Snell at Dodger Stadium, but instead, it will be righty Hunter Greene leading the Reds into LA
The Twins fired manager Rocco Baldelli and San Francisco fired manager Bob Melvin
Stearns said nothing by saying a lot. I think there will be two top arms in this rotation from the outside. McClean obviously proved he is ready for the Bigs. I can’t say that yet with Sproat and Tong. The Mets aren’t going to pay Pete 35mil to be DH. I felt Stearns turned negative at the end of the presser on Pete. Diaz will be brought back and that will get done. To me Jarren Duran has to be a target. He was available at the deadline and is the odd man out in Boston. He hit 18hr with 84 rbis along with 11 triples. While playing golf glove defense. Vientos plus can get that deal done in my opinion. Skubal can be had as the contract neg have gone nowhere in Detroit. King and Cease also are FA same with Framber Valdez. There are a few more arms out there too. The Mets NEED 2 aces plus McClean gives them a great rotation with Manaea and Petersen as 4/5. Manaea obviously has surgery in the off season. Holmes? If he can’t go more than 5 is he really a starter? Trade Senga for anyone that will take on the contract for a bag of balls. I’m happy Stearns realizes now he cannot build a rotation around him. That’s a big start. We will all dream of the players we want in the off season and make the trades for this team as we play GM but the team NEEDS run prevention. That begins with starting pitching. Period.