David Stearns could have tried to convince himself â and Mets fans â that upgrading the pitching staff this offseason would have guaranteed a return to contention in 2026, presuming he re-signed Pete Alonso. But itâs clear now that he knows better.By trading Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for Marcus Semien on Sunday, Stearns essentially acknowledged that he needed to do something dramatic to shake up the core of a ballclub that has underachieved, or simply failed at critical moments in three of the last four seasons for reasons that werenât always obvious.
Itâs not as if he traded Nimmo for a difference-maker. Semien is a good defensive second baseman whose offense has slipped significantly the last two years at age 33 and 34. No, this was about the opportunity to create change by trading a foundational piece and a major clubhouse presence, with the expectation of bigger moves to come.
So kudos to Stearns for not taking the easy way out. That is, as long as he can execute whatever plan he has in mind as a follow-up to the Nimmo trade.
The obvious need now is to add a big bat to the outfield. The only two free agents who fill that need are Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger, and if the Mets donât get one of them, then trading Nimmo may not be such a great idea after all.
Unless Stearns has another trade up his sleeve. Itâs hard to imagine heâd take on Fernando Tatisâ contract, which has another nine years remaining, but Tatis is still only 26, turning 27 in January, and Stearns has made his preference for youth pretty well known.
In any case, Alonso has to be part of this equation as well. Nimmo still had value as an offensive player, and without him, Alonsoâs middle-of-the-lineup production is now more vital than ever.
It seems Alonso is open to being a part-time DH, judging by Scott Borasâ comments at the GM meetings recently, and in that case, there really is no reason for the Mets not going the extra mile to bring him back.
As an aside, because it has become such a talking point, I donât think Alonso is terrible overall defensively. I just think his throwing has become such an issue, whether to other bases or to pitchers covering first, that it could and likely will prove costly at any moment in big games.
That said, for as much as Stearns has talked about run prevention, the lack of offensive consistency has been a major problem for them for years, other than their late-season run in 2024.Last year, in particular, the numbers from the likes of Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Alonso, and to some extent Nimmo were all very good individually, yet if you watched, you know that as a team the Mets only excelled as a team in August, when the pitching was at rock bottom.
So, barring a trade that maybe only Stearns is envisioning, itâs hard to see how the Mets can be better offensively in 2026 without re-signing Alonso and adding either Bellinger or Tucker.
And with the need to spend on pitching, either via trade or free agency, even Steve Cohen may find Tucker too pricey if itâs going to take somewhere around $400 million to sign him.
Bellinger wonât cost that much, but heâs also not in Tuckerâs class as a hitter. Bellinger has made himself into a good two-strike hitter, and he can hit lefties, too. Bet much of his appeal is his all-around game, including his above-average defense, his positional versatility, and his base running.
In short, he seems to be a glue guy of sorts, which may be exactly the intangible the Mets lacked last season, as exemplified by their inability to win a game all season in which they trailed after eight innings.
Of course, that may be a big reason Brian Cashman has said openly that he wants Bellinger back, while the player himself was vocal about how much he enjoyed his season in the Bronx. So the Mets likely would have to overpay significantly to convince him to follow the Soto path over to Queens, and for a president of baseball operations like Stearns, that could go against his value-seeking instincts.
But there isnât another free agent outfielder who could be viewed as impactful, which is what makes the Nimmo trade fascinating in itself. Stearns wouldnât have done it if he werenât relatively sure that he could upgrade that left field spot, right?
The only other benefit of the trade is that it saves the Mets some money â Semien is owed $72 million over three years, compared to Nimmoâs five years for $102.5 million.
But that canât be a primary factor for a franchise trying to win a championship right now.Semienâs defense at second base does play into Stearnsâ run-prevention theme. And the Mets could be significantly better overall defensively if they add Bellinger to play left field and perhaps some first base as well, while Brett Baty becomes the everyday third baseman and Tyrone Taylor gets most of the time in center field until Carson Benge is ready.
That and the upgrades Stearns finds for the starting rotation could make the Mets a more well-rounded team.
Meanwhile, youâd have to think Jeff McNeill will be traded as well, if indeed the need for change is at the root of Stearnsâ thinking. And who knows what it means for top prospect, Jett Williams, who loomed as the next everyday second baseman.
Whatever the ramifications, at least for the moment, itâs hard not to like Stearnsâ willingness to admit that something wasnât quite right with his ballclub. But thatâs only if he was thinking two or three moves ahead as he agreed to deal Nimmo.
And he has the wherewithal to execute them.
