NY Mets player duo are rewarding David Stearns for not trading them to NL East rival

Front-office decisions are usually judged the moment they happen. Whether the decision actually pays off, however, often takes months or even years to reveal itself. The New York Mets faced one of those choices over the winter when trade talks with the Miami Marlins reportedly opened the door to acquiring right-hander Edward Cabrera. Talented arms like that tend to grab attention quickly, especially when a team is always looking for another reliable starter.

Of course, the part that makes a general manager pause is the price tag. Miami was not making that call without asking for something meaningful in return, and the reported framework included two young players the Mets still believed in as part of their future plans. That left David Stearns with a familiar baseball dilemma. Do you cash in on potential now, or trust that patience might pay off later?

Mets duo Brett Baty and A.J. Ewing are already rewarding Stearns for keeping them

When the Marlins eventually moved Cabrera, the return showed just how expensive young pitching can be. Miami sent him to the Cubs for their No. 1 prospect, Owen Caissie, along with two additional players. Before that deal happened, the Marlins reportedly checked in with the Mets about a different framework that included Brett Baty and A.J. Ewing. David Stearns ultimately decided that was a price worth passing on.

Ewing enters the season ranked as the Mets' No. 4 prospect and recently cracked MLB's Top 100 list at No. 97. In 14 spring at-bats, he is hitting .357/.353/.643 with six RBIs, three runs scored, one home run, and three stolen bases. It is a small sample, sure, but it is also the kind of stat line that tends to turn heads when a young player keeps popping up in the box score.

The tools behind those numbers are part of what makes him intriguing. Ewing brings speed and the kind of athleticism that can impact a game in different ways. Whether that future is at second base or in the outfield, the Mets clearly see a player whose development is trending in the right direction.

Baty's contribution has come in a different way, but it might be just as valuable for this roster. At the plate this spring, he has four hits in 10 at-bats with a home run, three RBIs, and a stolen base. It is an encouraging start for a player who entered the offseason with questions surrounding his role on the club.

The bigger story with Baty might be everything he can do around the diamond. Last season, he split time between second and third base and finished with a +3 DRS at second and a +4 at third. This spring, the Mets have also given him time at first base and right field, turning him into the kind of versatile piece that can quietly make a roster deeper.

Spring numbers always come with the usual grain of salt, but the early returns still matter. When the same two players involved in trade discussions start flashing the exact tools that made a team want them in the first place, it tends to validate the decision. Stearns believed in their upside. Early in camp, Baty and Ewing give him reasons to keep trusting it.