NY Mets fans shouldn't read too much into David Stearns' connection to free agent ace

The New York Mets have a laundry list of needs they'll need to address to make 2026 the success they were hoping for 2025 to be. Atop that list, at least in the minds of fans, would be a true ace to anchor the rotation.

However, that's where things get complicated. David Stearns has talked about improving the team's run prevention skills being the top offseason priority, though it's ultimately unclear if that means adding a true ace to the rotation, improving the bullpen, shoring up the defense, or a combination of some or all of the above.

The idea of adding an ace seems unlikely. The true aces who hit the open market always require long-term big money contracts, which has been the antithesis of what Stearns has shown he feels comfortable doing when it comes to building a rotation.

Stearns' other objection has typically been that long-term deals for starting pitchers are risky propositions, with injuries sure to rear their ugly head and the back half of the deal having a high likelihood of becoming an albatross.

But what if there were a top-flight starter who has proven he can put those concerns to bed? One with a track record of durability alongside top-tier performance? This year, there actually is one, and his name is Framber Valdez.

Framber Valdez seems like a Mets fan's dream, but don't read too much into him crossing paths with David Stearns in the past

Let's start with all of the reasons to love Framber Valdez. The 31-year-old southpaw is the picture of durability, pitching at least 176 innings each of the last four years and topping 190 in three of the four seasons.

He's also established himself as a true ace. The Dominican-born lefty has a career ERA of 3.36 and has posted a sub-3 ERA in two of the last four seasons, with marks of 2.82 in 2022 and 2.91 in 2024. Not only that, Valdez is a groundball machine who owns a 61.8% groundball rate, to go along with a healthy career mark of 8.77 K/9. Finding a pitcher who can strike out nearly a batter per inning while inducing grounders at such a dominant rate is a rare feat. Run prevention indeed.

Something that would seem to further strengthen his case as the apple of Stearns' eye is that the two have crossed paths before. Stearns was the assistant general manager in Houston when Valdez was signed as an international amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic back in 2015.

Stearns' role in the signing is unclear, but regardless, Valdez turning out the way he did was a long shot. First, he signed for just $10,000, the maximum allowed to not count towards a team's bonus pool. He was 21 at the time, making him significantly older than the quintessential teenager we imagine coming out of Latin America.

The lottery ticket paid off, but that doesn't mean Stearns won't see other red flags. First, Valdez will look at Max Fried's eight-year, $218 million contract as a template for what he asks for. Fried was a year younger at the time the deal was signed, but Valdez has proven to be significantly more durable.

Second, Valdez has developed a reputation for being an ornery teammate, with his "unintentional" cross-up of catcher César Salazar following a grand slam surrendered to Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham being the latest example of his temper boiling over.

Lastly, Valdez laid an egg down the stretch in 2025. The Astros, like the Mets, saw their hold on first place in their division slip away after 118 calendar days in the top spot. With that, their playoff hopes evaporated, too.

Injuries had ravaged Houston's rotation, and with only Valdez and Hunter Brown as reliable arms Houston needed him to turn in a sterling performance down the stretch. Instead, he posted a 5.20 second-half ERA and was instrumental in the Astros' failure. This might be the biggest red flag of all for Stearns, who must make sure a collapse like what we saw in 2025 never happens again.

At the end of the day, the cons will likely outweigh the pros in Stearns' mind, and the connection he has to the ace lefty won't be enough to overcome the obstacles between Valdez and a landing in Queens.