The most totally bogus Mets trades made by David Stearns
Cedric Mullins - D, 2025
We’re skipping completely over the C’s and going straight to the ugly. Cedric Mullins was not the solution for the Mets in center field. Also, water is wet, the sky is blue, and this trade never needed to happen when we look back at it in hindsight.
Ryan Helsley - D, 2025
More disappointing than anything else at last year’s trade deadline was the Ryan Helsley deal. It was good on paper and we can’t even fault Stearns for the move. Based on the result and how long it took for Helsley and the coaching staff to get him on track, it’s a shared D grade.
Paul Blackburn - D-, 2024
Just above failure is the 2024 trade for Paul Blackburn. He did have a few good starts for the Mets in 2024 after all. It was everything immediately before his injury and into the 2025 season which drags this trade down further. What’s more, with Kade Morris becoming a more legitimate prospect for the Athletics, this reeks of getting worse.
Tyler Zuber - F, 2024
The Mets gave up prospect Paul Gervase for Tyler Zuber as a depth trade in 2024. Zuber was a disaster in Triple-A and would appear in just one game for the Mets in 2025. Gervase is now with the Los Angeles Dodgers after getting traded there by the Tampa Bay Rays. Zuber is with the Miami Marlins on a minor league deal. There are a lot of shuffling parts with the Mets having nothing to show for it.
Jose Siri - F, 2024-2025 offseason
Jose Siri for Eric Orze seemed good. Orze was an older prospect who struggled in a small number of appearances. The fact that he soared as a rookie in 2025 already hurts. With Siri missing most of the year and only having 1 hit at the beginning and 1 at the end of his stint with months on the IL in between, there is no better representation of a low-risk trade that somehow evolved into an F.
