David Stearns Reveals the Mets’ Offseason Plans Moving Forward

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns addressed the team’s remaining offseason priorities.

Feb 15, 2024; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns talks with media at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

In the span of a week, the New York Mets have completely transformed their offseason.

After seeing fan favorites Pete Alonso, Edwin Díaz, Brandon Nimmo, and Jeff McNeil all depart this winter, fans in Flushing were ready to run David Stearns out of town. However, the narrative has now completely flipped after the Mets signed Bo Bichette to a three-year deal on January 16 and acquired Luis Robert Jr. from the Chicago White Sox late last night.

All of a sudden, the Mets’ lineup looks to be among the best in baseball, featuring Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Bichette, Jorge Polanco, Marcus Semien, Brett Baty, Robert, Carson Benge, and Francisco Álvarez.

The Mets still have several different directions they can go for the rest of the offseason, and on Wednesday, during Bichette’s introductory press conference, Stearns offered some clarity.

Read More: What Luis Robert Jr. Brings to the New York Mets

What David Stearns had to say about the Mets’ next moves

David Stearns joins @SteveGelbs to talk about the Mets' addition of Bo Bichette, their infield alignment, how he feels the defense will be improved in 2026, and the Mets' potential next moves pic.twitter.com/L5k4NNBOeD

— SNY (@SNYtv) January 21, 2026

Stearns was asked about several topics, including whether the Mets were finished adding to the outfield after acquiring Robert on Tuesday.

“I feel pretty good about our position player group as a whole,” Stearns said. “We have a group that complements each other very well, a group that fits together pretty nicely. We’re never going to stop looking. At this point in the offseason, things pop up that you don’t anticipate, and things can change pretty quickly. But I am happy with the position player group that we have now.”

Stearns’ comments make it clear that the Mets are satisfied with where their position players currently stand, and changes are unlikely unless a new opportunity arises on the market. The one spot that still carries some question marks is left field, with Robert presumably taking over in center.

Stearns has previously indicated that he wants to give prospect Carson Benge a chance to claim the role out of spring training. If Benge isn’t ready, the Mets also have Tyrone Taylor as a potential option to fill in.

This then leads to the Mets’ next biggest question mark: their starting rotation, which they have yet to address. Stearns was also asked about this topic.

“My preference is to add a starting pitcher,” Stearns said. “I’ve been open and honest about that throughout the entirety of the offseason. I can’t say with certainty that we’re going to be able to do that, but we remain engaged on a number of different fronts in that market.”

The top available starters on the free agent market include Framber Valdez and Zac Gallen, while trade options feature Freddy Peralta and MacKenzie Gore. With high price tags attached to all of these players, it’s possible the Mets may turn to a different tier of starting pitchers, including familiar names like Chris Bassitt and Jose Quintana, as Will Sammon of The Athletic reported earlier today.

The Mets’ current rotation consists of Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, and David Peterson, with Jonah Tong, Brandon Sproat, and Christian Scott waiting in the wings.

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