Stearns stresses 'sustainable competitiveness' in Mets' offseason plans

NEW YORK -- Three days after one of the more memorable seasons in Mets history abruptly ended, president of baseball operations David Stearns stressed the need to look to the future.

“We enjoyed this run,” Stearns said. “Our fan base enjoyed this run. We have great memories from this run. It’s also time for us to begin to move forward and see what we can do to build on this to ensure we have the type of sustainable competitiveness -- true sustainable competitiveness -- that’s eluded this organization for a long time.”

Entering another crucial offseason, Stearns and owner Steve Cohen could proceed in any number of directions. They could continue to spend, to throw money at this thing in hopes of making it farther next year. They could take a financial step back. They could sign Pete Alonso or let him walk. They could pursue -- or not pursue -- various big-name free agents.

Speaking at Citi Field on Wednesday for the first time since the season ended, Stearns hit on several topics critical to the Mets’ future.

1. The Alonso decision won’t be an easy one
Before meeting with reporters, Stearns bumped into Alonso in the Mets’ clubhouse. The two chatted about the season but not about his contract; Stearns has never talked money with Alonso, preferring to hold those conversations with his agent, Scott Boras.

Whether to retain Alonso, who will become a free agent early next month, might not be the biggest-money decision Stearns makes this winter. But it will still be one of his most impactful, given what Alonso means to the organization. Although Stearns wouldn’t say how much Alonso’s October performance may have impacted the team’s opinion on him, he acknowledged the role of emotion in such decisions.

“We’re all emotional, so yes,” Stearns said. “There are emotional parts to me as well. We all want to do really well. It’s really difficult to strip away all emotion as you do these things. Certainly, we try to implement processes that help us with that. But Steve grew up a Met fan. I grew up a Met fan. That’s always going to be a part of us.”

2. The Mets must rebuild their rotation
File this under the domain of Captain Obvious for a team that’s about to send Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and José Quintana into free agency. Those three combined to amass 37 percent of the Mets’ innings this season.

What’s uncertain is whether the Mets will spend significant money on the top free agents available, including Corbin Burnes and Max Fried, or if they’ll return to the bargain-bin model that landed them Manaea and Severino last offseason. In all his years as the top decision-maker for the Brewers and Mets, Stearns has never committed more than two years to a free-agent starting pitcher. Historically, he’s preferred to acquire his starters via trade, the Draft, or short-term contracts.

But Stearns also has a limited track record operating with Cohen’s billions. This offseason will test his willingness to sign a starting pitcher -- maybe even a fan favorite in Manaea -- to big money.

“I really do think we have to take each individual decision looking at the individual player to determine whether we think a long-term investment is warranted, is wise, is in the best interest of the organization,” Stearns said. “If we look at the history of long-term investments in pitchers, it is not overwhelmingly a rosy picture. But there are pitchers who have gone into their mid- or late 30s and pitched very well. And so if we think we can identify that, then there could be exceptions.”

3. Juan Soto is an option
To be clear: everyone is an option. Stearns was not asked specifically about Soto on Wednesday, in part because Soto is still employed by the Yankees and discussing his free agency would constitute tampering. But Soto was obviously the subject of a question regarding the Mets’ appetite to take a “big shot at a major free agent of long-term contract or significant money.”

“I don’t know,” was how Stearns answered it. “I think it’s too early to determine exactly where we’re going to take our shots. And so we’ll continue to evaluate that plan and that path as we move through the offseason.”

Soto would certainly fit a need for the Mets, who lack outfield depth behind veterans Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte and Tyrone Taylor. Heading into the offseason, Stearns certainly isn’t ruling him out.

“Pretty much the entirety of the player universe is potentially accessible to us,” the president of baseball operations said. “That’s an enormous opportunity. I envision us taking advantage of that opportunity and being aggressive in certain spaces.”

4. The Mets will (probably?) spend lots of money
If Cohen’s track record didn’t already make that abundantly clear, Stearns talked openly about his desire to spend on free agents. In addition to the outfield and rotation, the Mets need to restock their bullpen with reliable arms.

What’s uncertain is whether they might consider dipping under the Competitive Balance Tax threshold for the first time since 2021. The Mets have been above the CBT threshold for three consecutive seasons, which means they’re going to pay a record 110 percent surcharge on the overage. They’re also again going to have their highest Draft pick moved back 10 spots.

But the Mets have an opportunity to dip under the CBT threshold and “reset” that clock, with close to $200 million coming off the books and a 2025 payroll projection in the neighborhood of $160-180 million. The lowest CBT threshold for ’25 is $241 million, leaving the Mets with flexibility -- should they choose to take it.

Staying under the CBT completely would be a long-term strategy aimed at saving hundreds of millions of dollars. Yet if the Mets want to build a competitive pitching staff and sign Soto and/or Alonso, they’re going to need to spend.

Asked specifically about the potential of going completely untaxed in 2025, Stearns responded: “At this point in the offseason, I don’t think it’s fair for me to speculate on anything. I would expect us to be active in free agency. I would expect us to go out and try to improve this team. Where ultimately our payroll lands, at this point I really can’t say.”

5. Stearns has no imminent plans to hire a general manager
This issue tends to carry more weight in the court of public opinion than within the walls of the Mets’ front office. Stearns is the top baseball operations decision-maker and will continue to be so regardless of whether there’s a GM in place. In describing the situation Wednesday, Stearns indicated that he won’t conduct a full search for that position and will only consider hiring someone if the right person happened to become available.

In the interim, Stearns will continue to lead a staff including his top assistant, Eduardo Brizuela, as well as assistant GM Ben Zauzmer, senior vice president Jonathan Strangio and director Nick Spar, among many other specialists, advisors and aides.