3 former Brewers David Stearns should consider for the Mets roster

We’ve thought big when it came to David Stearns and his connection to the Milwaukee Brewers. Could it mean he trades for Corbin Burnes? Josh Hader in the bullpen would be a dream come true. What about hiring Craig Counsell to become the manager? All reasonable expectations and still a possibility for that first one although more likely a free agent target next offseason, the New York Mets are actually in a position to add three other former Brewers instead.

Looking elsewhere, it’s these three players who once played under Stearns for him to consider reuniting with in Queens.

1) Brandon Woodruff

The free agent everyone and their mother are talking about, Brandon Woodruff was non-tendered by the Brewers and is now available for any team willing to accept the details. Woodruff could possibly miss all, if not most of the coming season. The expectation is a team can sign him to a reasonable amount for the 2024 season with a team option for 2025. The Mets have done this recently with much less significant pitchers. It could be time to do it with a bigger one.

Woodruff has been a reliable pitcher for the Brewers for several seasons. A record of 46-26 and 3.10 ERA has only been overshadowed by how dominant ex-teammate Burnes was in some of those seasons. The Brewers have done a fantastic job at developing pitchers during the Stearns regime. Woodruff is one of the better ones.

The risk is obvious. When Woodruff is healthy, he’s good. When he’s not healthy, you get nothing.

Some team will roll the dice with Woodruff. The Mets make a lot of sense with their approach of trying to win this year with a heavier focus on 2025 if that is indeed still the plan.

3) Brent Suter

Free agent reliever Brent Suter was not a member of the Brewers last year, but did spend his first seven major league seasons with them dating back to 2016. He had time as a starter and reliever for them, eventually becoming an effective weapon out of the bullpen.

He continued his success last year with the Colorado Rockies which wasn’t easy. Suter had a 3.38 ERA out of the Rockies bullpen in 69.1 innings of work. For a guy without big strikeout numbers, this is impressive.

The Mets should be on the hunt for a legitimate lefty reliever to pair alongside Brooks Raley in the bullpen. It seems like every year they tend to have only one of those guys we can truly count on, if that.

It’s not so much how well Suter does against lefties or not that makes him worth exploring. Hitters from both sides of the plate are pretty evenly matched against him in his career. Valuing a lefty reliever is more so based on matchups versus hitters who struggle against them and not as much in looking at their own splits. Daniel Vogelbach might strike out from any right-handed person throwing with their left hand.

Suter, 34, will be a reasonably priced and short-term option for the Mets bullpen. Whether it’s one or two years they are willing to give him, he needs to be on the list of ex-Brewers the Mets pursue.