David Stearns bails on his worst NY Mets trade since coming to Queens

If New York Mets fans needed a sign of rejuvenation, last night's victory over the Chicago Cubs provided one. Now, Mets fans' optimism can increase a little more after it was announced today by The Athletic's Will Sammon that the team is designating struggling outfielder Jose Siri for assignment.

Siri's DFA comes with the corresponding announcement that Tyrone Taylor is being reinstated from the 10-day injured list. Taylor will replace Siri in the outfield. This is a move that will excite Mets fans, and rightfully so.

David Stearns' trade for Jose Siri was arguably his worst thus far in the Mets' front office.

The Mets traded for Siri last November, hoping to use him for defensive depth as he had at the time one of MLB's elite gloves. However, that hasn't exactly gone as planned. Siri missed nearly five months due to a broken left tibia after fouling a ball of his shin in April, and since his early September return, he has been everything but a positive asset for the Mets.

Not only does he have a horrendous slashline of .063/.167/.125 as a Met this year, but Siri hasn't provided the high-caliber defense they traded for, either. His defensive value this year sits at -1 -- not something you want to see after putting up double-digits in previous years. Even in their one win of this month's miserable Nationals series, Siri had a horrible game in center.

Meanwhile, Eric Orze, whom they traded for Siri, is having a quiet breakout year in relief for the Tampa Bay Rays. Although he hasn't seen much time on the mound, he's proven effective in his limited efforts, putting up a 3.02 ERA with 24 scoreless outings on 41.2 innings pitched. With the way the Mets' bullpen has struggled this year, they could've used a guy like Orze, even just for depth.

Now Siri is gone, and with Tyrone Taylor returning from the IL simultaneously, Mets fans should realize it's no small potatoes. Taylor has been this season about what the Mets expected from Siri; his glove in center is elite, with a defensive value of seven (good for 89th percentile in the league). His bat has been less-than-great to say the least, but it's been better than Siri's (not saying too much), and it's much easier to overlook his subpar offense when his contributions in the field have been as significant as they are.

Sometimes, less is more. With five games left on the year and the Mets clinging onto a Wild Card spot for dear life, the window opening up to get rid of a negative asset like Siri is huge. Now, David Stearns can let bygones be bygones, and the Mets can continue into the "boss level" of the regular season improved upon.