3 big decisions for David Stearns to make when the season ends

David Stearns has no shoes to fill. He’s the first President of Baseball Operations in New York Mets history. It’s a position the club has tried to fill in the past, but were unable to find the right person for the job.

Stearns has been thought of as the perfect candidate for several years. Steve Cohen finally caught his white whale. This sea mammal will have some big decisions to make once the season ends.

1) Should the NY Mets keep Buck Showalter?

Maybe the most debatable decision of all is with the fate of manager Buck Showalter. The possibility of Showalter stepping down does exist and feels like the way this relationship with the Mets will probably end. He just hasn’t been as into this year’s team as he was in 2022. The changes above him add to the possibility of Showalter leaving on his own terms in a mutual agreement to turn the page.

If it’s a matter of Stearns choosing to keep Showalter or not, he’d probably go in a different direction. The same decision(s) would need to be made about the rest of the coaching staff. There are sure to be casualties along the way, but also some holdovers. Decimating the entire coaching staff and starting from scratch isn’t ideal for a team still hopeful to contend in the coming year. Thoughts of Stearns pulling Craig Counsell with him to New York from Milwaukee make the most sense because of their existing relationship. What about everyone else? Jeremy Hefner has survived multiple changes already. Has his time come to a close?

The problem with keeping Showalter is he’ll feel like a lame duck. Do him and yourself the courtesy of moving on if that’s the intention.