NY Mets Monday Morning GM: 3 mistakes we can already see David Stearns making

The 2026 MLB regular season is a wrap and as tiring as it is to be negative about the New York Mets, they didn’t really give much of a choice. Sure, there is optimism in the future. Multiple rookies dazzled. Nolan McLean and Carson Benge should receive Rookie of the Year consideration. A.J. Ewing looks like a major league starter. Nate Lavender is an impressive bullpen piece.

It’s not as if the Mets are leaving the 2026 season behind the same way they did in 2025 with a crushing loss on the last day of the season to seal their fate. In the five stages of grief, acceptance is a few miles back down the road.

We can already take a look forward into the future with this team. An important first step is for David Stearns to avoid making these mistakes we should already anticipate he’s capable of.

Mets mistakes just waiting for David Stearns to make

1) The Mets might convince themselves they don’t need much starting pitching

Rising Apple’s Pat Ragazzo took a look at what next year’s Mets starting pitcher depth chart could look like, shoving Sean Manaea to sixth and Jonah Tong way down to seventh. In this scenario, if all were healthy, Manaea theoretically lands in the bullpen again with Tong in the minor leagues. The Mets, who were lucky to begin this season with a fully healthy starting rotation, likely won’t have the same good fortune again.

At minimum the Mets should add one top starter. Tarik Skubal feels unlikely simply because of how high the payroll already is and the outcome of the CBA is sure to punish the largest spenders in some way. Satisfying alternatives do exist. What if the Mets bypass them, too?

The Mets could field a starting rotation next year of Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, Zac Thornton, Manaea, and Jonah Tong. The latter would be in an ongoing competition with players like Jonathan Santucci, Jack Wenninger, and any other prospects who make a case for starts. One starting pitcher seems absolutely necessary. Could they convince themselves that players like Justin Hagenman are good enough?

2) Operating as if Jorge Polanco or Marcus Semien are ready to bounce back is foolish

The Mets are going to have an expensive bench in 2027. Jorge Polanco had the injury excuse while Marcus Semien was just on a steep decline. Even with Polanco’s injury, nobody is going to forgive him for hitting .148 while not having to worry about playing any defense. It couldn’t have been a more atrociously aged move.

The Mets need to consider both of them as non-entities they might be stuck with, ready to release mid-year if needed. It’s far more likely with Polanco considering his contract runs out after 2027. In Semien’s case, it seems destined to last through at least a part of the 2028 campaign. He’s not unplayable, just overpaid for the production.

How the Mets accomplish this is a challenge. Two roster spots you’re inevitably going to treat as part-time roles with no flexibility to demote either is no fun. They need a right-handed first base option and Brett Baty to cover practically every position imaginable. A right-handed hitting first baseman/outfielder is the one player who can resolve a lot of the questions they have as this hypothetical player can platoon with Jared Young and cover the corner outfield spots at times.

3) Being too afraid about making a mistake

Mistakes will happen. The Mets are probably going to make at least one this offseason and could do so in the same move! Bring back the exclamation point. Use it or lose it, America.

The Mets need to be unafraid to trade young players but also not get too ambitious when it comes to selling prospects they might not believe in enough or feel are blocked. It’s a catch-22 situation because you want to sell high on players but also don’t want to end up seeing anyone turn into a superstar elsewhere.

We can accuse the Mets of being afraid of making mistakes last offseason. By holding onto so many players who had bad 2025 campaigns, they had egg all over their face. The Sean Manaea-Kodai Senga-David Peterson trio all had justifiable cases to be traded in the winter. Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio had sinking and now non-existent trade value. Was it simply because the Mets didn’t think they were getting enough in return. We can’t get too down on David Stearns for not making trades that we don’t know a thing about. If the Mets end up with far too many unsatisfactory leftovers again in 2027, it becomes a trend that needs to end.

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