Could Billy Eppler, David Stearns Team Up In The Future?
In this story:
"So, you're saying there's a chance?"
After Mets owner Steve Cohen failed to hire a president of baseball operations for the second straight offseason, he instead pivoted to Plan B by bringing in a general manager in Billy Eppler.
Eppler, of course, hit the ground running upon landing the position in November by signing four free agents (Max Scherzer, Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar, Mark Canha) for a total of $254.5 million before the CBA expired on Dec. 1, leading to MLB's decision to lockout the players.
However, even with Eppler now in place as GM, there's still a chance that the Mets might eventually pursue one of the executives that they were denied permission to speak with in back-to-back years.
According to SNY's Andy Martino, Brewers president of baseball operations, David Stearns, could become available after 2022 if Milwaukee wins the National League pennant this season. If not, his vesting option will kick in, meaning he will be under contract with the Brewers through the 2023 season.
Until this morning, Stearns' contract details were unknown. The Mets were unsure of whether Stearns was under control for one or two more seasons in Milwaukee, with the latter being the most likely scenario.
As Martino went onto report, Cohen and the Mets are very fond of Eppler so far, but they remain intrigued in Stearns, a New York native that grew up a Mets fan.
In fact, Martino was told that Eppler might not mind working with Stearns in the future, considering these two are longtime friends.
Stearns was promoted to GM of the Brewers in September of 2015. The 36-year-old was then elevated to president of baseball ops in January of 2019.
With Stearns at the helm, the Brewers have made four straight playoff appearances, and have produced winning seasons in four out of the last five campaigns.
Stearns also holds an impressive track record and has an esteemed reputation as being one of the best and brightest front office architects in the league.
So, even if Eppler turns the Mets into winners prior to Stearns becoming available, this duo could wind up working together down the road given the club's interest and the close relationship between these two executives.
