The New York Mets, who failed to make a splash in fall baseball after investing heavily this year, have hired former Milwaukee Brewers president David Stearns.
Local media outlets, including ESPN, reported on Wednesday (Aug. 13), citing sources, that the Mets are hiring Stearns as their new president of baseball operations. Anthony DiComo, a Mets reporter for MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball (MLB), added, “According to sources, Stearns’ contract is for five years.”안전놀이터
Stearns’ move to the Mets has been a long time coming; he was hired as Milwaukee’s general manager in 2015. At the time, Milwaukee was one of many teams without deep pockets, but has since transformed into a Central Division powerhouse. In 2018, they acquired Christian Yelich in a trade, and he quickly became the National League’s Most Valuable Player (MVP), leading the team to a district title and a trip to the American League Championship Series. Milwaukee has remained a consistent force since, winning wild cards in 2019 and 2020 and a district title in 2021. This season, the Brewers are still in first place in the National League Central with an 80-63 record (.559 winning percentage) through 12 games.
Much of the credit goes to Stearns for maintaining a steady hand within a limited budget, especially on the pitching side, where he has produced top-notch closers like Josh Hader (now with the San Diego Padres) and Devin Williams, and a plethora of relief aces like Corbin Burns, Brandon Woodruff, and Freddy Peralta. Since Stearns took over, Milwaukee’s pitching development has been among the best in the league.
When Stearns stepped down as president last year, rumors of a move to the Mets spread quickly. The move didn’t happen immediately. Stearns remained an advisor to Milwaukee and needed the club’s approval. But at the time, The Athletic reported, “Stearns remains the Mets’ top target. Stearns is also reportedly interested in the Mets’ general manager position.”
There’s a reason. A Manhattan native, Sterns, like owner Steve Cohen, is a lifelong Mets fan. He got his start in baseball with the Mets in 2008. Being president of the Mets is a dream job for him. There’s also the environment. The Mets are the biggest franchise in MLB. Even though they didn’t make the postseason this year, Cohen isn’t afraid to invest in improving the team. For Stearns, who always had to contend with financial limitations in Milwaukee, the Mets might be more appealing because he can build his ideal team without the shackles.
A similar case to Stearns is current Los Angeles Dodgers president Andrew Friedman. After leading the small-market “low-cost, high-efficiency” trend as general manager of the Tampa Bay Rays, Friedman took on the “high-cost, high-efficiency” challenge with the Dodgers. He set up a prospect development system and invested heavily in player acquisition. As a result, the Dodgers made it to fall ball for 10 straight years, including the previous two. They’ve been to the World Series three times and won once. This year, they are the favorites to win the district again.
Cohen was already eager to transplant Friedman-style Dodger baseball to the Mets. That’s why he’s been investing in prospects since taking over the team. And Stearns is the perfect leader for the kind of baseball Cohen wants to play, the “Friedman of the Mets. A former assistant general manager of the Houston Astros, he is as much of a “mastermind” as Friedman in running an organization and growing the analytics side of the franchise.
The Mets last won a division title in 2015 and the World Series in 1986. That’s why many Mets fans, including Cohen and Stearns, are hungry for a championship. With Stearns, the Mets will be the eye of the MLB storm again starting in 2024.