5 big questions for the Mets heading into the offseason as David Stearns takes the helm
NEW YORK — When David Stearns is announced as the Mets president of baseball operations on Monday afternoon, he will already have a full plate.
Stearns, who spent the last eight seasons in the Brewers' baseball operations department, will join forces with owner Steve Cohen and Billy Eppler to chart the direction of the Mets franchise moving forward. Some of that path was forged at the trade deadline when the Mets decided to sell in the name of youth, but Stearns' fingerprints will be on every decision moving forward.
In an uncertain time for the Mets after parting ways with Buck Showalter on Sunday afternoon, there are plenty questions for Stearns to answer about the future of the franchise.
What does David Stearns want in a manager?
The Mets' new president of baseball operations has a major decision in front of him for the direction of the team as the team moves on from Showalter.
Showalter was an old-school manager, who had been out out of coaching since 1992 including 22 seasons at the helm of five teams. Will the Mets front office go with another proven commodity or choose to go with a newcomer.
The veteran candidates could include notable names Craig Counsell, Gabe Kapler, Bob Melvin or Don Mattingly. The up-and-comers, who have experience but have never led a major-league team could include Eric Chavez, Joe Espada or Clayton McCullough.
Is Pete Alonso in for the long haul?
Pete Alonso lingered in his jersey through his final press availability at Citi Field then he headed back on the field.
The Mets first baseman was soaking in his final game of the season.
Alonso has the chance to become one of the most decorated player in the history of the franchise. He is already tied for fourth in Mets history with 192 home runs and is the only player to record three 40 home run seasons. He's also second in career slugging percentage and entered the top 10 in RBI this season.
But will Alonso be sticking around longer enough to scale those ranks even higher? Alonso is only arbitration eligible for one more year before becoming an unrestricted free agent. The Mets will one more chance to lock Alonso in for the future without the competition of teams throughout the league.
How do they fill the pitching rotation?
The two-ace model that Billy Eppler has deployed in his first two seasons as Mets general manager has been met with mixed results.
Injuries and fading performance hampered the 2022 version with Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom leading the charge but falling short in the wild card round. Ultimately in 2023, Scherzer and new signing Justin Verlander were traded away at the trade deadline.
As the 2023 season closes, Kodai Senga and Jose Quintana are the only pitchers who appear to have grabbed spots in the Mets rotation beyond this year. Tylor Megill, David Peterson, Joey Lucchesi and Jose Butto all pitched well down the stretch but have had their fair share of hiccups.
With free agency on the horizon, Stearns must decide how many of the pitching voids will be filled from within and how much the Mets will shell out to bolster their staff.
Which prospects have earned their stay?
When the Mets began the 2023 season Brett Baty, Francisco Alvarez, Mark Vientos or Ronny Mauricio were all off the team's major-league roster.
Following the conclusion on Sunday, there appears to be enough evidence to assess their performance but still plenty of room to grow. Alvarez had the most productive season of any of the Mets' rookies, belting 25 home runs, driving in 63 runs while slashing .209/.284/.437. He also impressed a veteran pitching staff.
The other trio appears to be competing for one or two spots in the infield. Baty finished with a .598 OPS with nine home runs, 34 RBI and 41 runs in 108 games. Vientos posted a .620 OPS with nine home runs, 22 RBI and 19 runs in 58 runs.
Both of those players showed improvement in the field as the season wore on.
Mauricio excelled in a limited sample. He finished with a .643 OPS with two home runs, nine RBI and 11 runs in 26 games.
Who will fill in the outfield?
After the Mets decided to trade Tommy Pham and Mark Canha at the deadline, the team filled in with an assortment of players including Jeff McNeil, DJ Stewart and Rafael Ortega across the outfield
Who will the team target to fill in those spots moving forward. With the younger players filling the infield, will Jeff McNeil find himself in the outfield more often?
Some of the top free agent outfielders include Cody Bellinger, Teoscar Hernandez, Joc Pederson and Harrison Bader.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Mets: 5 big questions facing team as David Stearns comes on board
