Mets Monday Morning GM: 2 reasons to trust David Stearns, 2 reasons to have doubts

We knew the David Stearns hire would change the way the New York Mets operate. Did we think it would be this much different?

So far, the offseason has been underwhelming. It’s a near-universally shared thought across the league. An atomic dud at the MLB Winter Meetings outside of the trade the crosstown rival New York Yankees made, nobody should hit the panic button on the Mets quite yet.

Still, if you have some doubts about Stearns beginning to dance around your head like sugar plum fairies, you’re not alone. The prosecution has yet to even decide if they’ll take Stearns to trial for what he does this offseason. For these two reasons fans should continue to trust Stearns. Meanwhile, these other two are legitimate reasons to have some doubts.

Trust David Stearns because this is more than a one year process

Stearns will get a pass this season. It’s almost built in. He gets a mulligan thrown at whatever the end result may be. Those strong believers of his may sway if the Mets become a total disaster. Moves like trading away or not keeping Pete Alonso at all will completely change the tides of how many feel about the front office star.

Call it a bit of blind faith in Stearns and his reputation as a strong baseball mind. This is more than a one year process. Only a part of trust is earned. The rest is based on reputation.

In order for Stearns to earn the trust, we’ll need to give him a year to figure it all out. He hasn’t made any moves that’ll get in the way. The Mets are in a state of holding steady while making maneuvers to try and improve the ball club without it affecting them much beyond 2024.

Stearns has the benefit of the doubt this year. How many more will fans accept it?

Doubt David Stearns because it never did result in a championship in Milwaukee

For all of the praise he gets, the Milwaukee Brewers never did win a championship under his guidance. They reached the playoffs multiple times and even came a win away from a trip to the World Series.

Mets fans don’t agree on much. A shared thought is how necessary it is for them to win a World Series at some point in the near future. Steve Cohen’s timeline has already been adjusted. Stearns is supposed to be the answer to lead this ball club. Exactly why will things be any different in New York than it was out in Wisconsin?

Hamstrung by a much tighter budget in Milwaukee, it’s an easy excuse as to why the Brewers were never able to go over the top and win. This shouldn’t be the situation in New York. Stearns’ baseball intelligence is backed by a wallet that will remain open as long as he spends responsibly.

In a limited capacity, we can almost compare Stearns to Buck Showalter. A well-respected manager who came to the Mets with a lot of hype, he did so without ever actually winning a World Series. He failed to secure one in two chances with the Mets. Stearns could just as easily continue to come close and fall short just as the ex-Mets skipper did often in his managerial career.

Trust David Stearns because this is exactly what the plan has been for months

Stearns has, if nothing else, delivered on what was promised. Mets fans already braced themselves for a less aggressive offseason thanks to Max Scherzer who opened up a can of worms upon his departure at the trade deadline. Whether you want to call it a reset or recalibration, this is exactly what the Mets had planned to do even before Stearns was officially hired.

The Mets aren’t compiling a roster full of veterans on short-term deals to improve the roster. There isn’t a Mark Canha, Eduardo Escobar, or even a Justin Verlander out there that makes a whole lot of sense for them at this point. They’ve already committed to taking fliers on multiple bullpen arms. Their biggest starting pitcher addition, the signing of Luis Severino, tells us they’ll probably stay in the market for similar players who’ve been good in the past but have a hurdle or two to climb.

This season is set up for the Mets to figure out their identity. It’s like a gap year between high school and college. Maybe they accidentally slip into the playoffs and get hot without a huge payroll. Maybe they get lost backpacking in Europe and end up in some strange Scandinavian cult.

Stearns coming to the Mets always meant a different mindset. His small market experience has taken control of this offseason. He hasn’t been reckless. We might want to trust he’ll wait to make the right move when it becomes available.