David Stearns opens up about trade deadline decisions amid Mets late-season slide

The New York Mets' president of baseball operations gave an honest assessment of his approach at this year's deadline.

Jul 30, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns speaks to the media about the MLB trade deadline before a game against the Minnesota Twins at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Mets will have to fight over their remaining 12 games to cling onto the final Wild Card spot in the National League.

With a record of 77-73, they sit just one-and-a-half games above the Arizona Diamondbacks and two above the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants.

Under these dire circumstances, it's tough to fathom that just over a month and a half ago, the Mets were one of the most aggressive buyers at the trade deadline, landing big name relievers Tyler Rogers, Ryan Helsley, and Gregory Soto, along with center fielder Cedric Mullins.

Read More: Mets star reliever pinpoints source of struggles

It's no secret that these acquisitions haven't panned out, as New York has endured a 15-26 slide since the July 31st deadline with players like Helsley (10.29 ERA) and Mullins (.188 batting average) proving massive disappointments.

David Stearns "absolutely" would approach the trade deadline differently

Ahead of the Mets' crucial series against the San Diego Padres, president of baseball operations David Stearns was asked if he would have approached the trade deadline differently with the benefit of hindsight.

"If I knew exactly how our season was going to play out, absolutely," Stearns admitted. "But we make the decisions we make at the time with the information we had. I'm very comfortable with the process we went through that led us to those decisions."

"If I knew exactly how our season was going to play out, absolutely. But we make the decisions we make at the time with the information we had. I'm very comfortable with the process we went through that led us to those decisions.

We did not play well during the month of August,… pic.twitter.com/I5sXm33zHn

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) September 16, 2025

Stearns' candid reply highlights just how shocking the club's unraveling has been. In some ways, the executive appears to shoulder some responsibility in his comments for the way the season has turned. And while he does deserve some blame for the lack of production from deadline moves and the collapse of a Senga-Manaea-Holmes-Montas rotation, it would have been impossible to predict the disappearance of nearly every bat in the lineup (excluding Juan Soto and Mark Vientos) over a month and a half stretch.

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In the interview, Stearns addressed this reality: "We did not play well during the month of August, and at this point through September. We've had various segments of our team that haven't performed to the level we anticipated. Had I had that knowledge going in, yes, it would've changed what we did."

While every baseball season has its ups-and-downs, its seeming more and more like the Mets collapse is a result of holes in the roster being exposed. While the bats have gone cold, the most glaring hole on the team is the lack of production from the starting rotation. At this point in the season, the team's expected top two starters (Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga) are out of the rotation, and they have had to go in a completely different direction.

Read More: Carlos Mendoza reveals Mets’ Kodai Senga plan

Luckily, there is a key silver lining from the Mets' 2025 trade deadline in their decision to hold onto top pitching prospects Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, and Brandon Sproat. Stearns expressed an unwavering belief in these young arms, with reports at the time indicating that the club expected to call them up late in the season if they cannot land a frontline starting pitcher at the deadline.

Turning their focus to building up the bullpen, the Mets were indeed forced to promote all three pitchers in August, and McLean has quickly become the team's best starter. While the trio is still settling into the big leagues, most of New York's playoff hopes fall on their shoulders.

To make any noise in the postseason, the Mets will have to get huge contributions from McLean, Tong, and Sproat, meaning it may end up being the moves that weren't made that prove to be the difference in September and October.