Mets Monday Morning GM: 3 best smaller market moves of the offseason

Paraphrasing with a thick Northern Jersey accent: “Steve Cohen hired this guy to run the New York Mets like a small market team.” This was the take by WFAN’s Joe Benigno who you’d swear never enjoyed a day of sports in his life.

Benigno was, of course, referring to David Stearns. Bringing him over from the Milwaukee Brewers to the Mets was the most impactful move of all by the organization this offseason. Hiring him was the butterfly wing flap in Nebraska that creates the weather a decade later in Japan. He’s the one calling the shots. A small market mentality still present at times, three stand above the rest as the best ones of the offseason made by Stearns.

While they don’t fit snuggly all the way through as small market moves, they feel very much more like Stearns decisions than Cohen ones.

1) The Mets waited on J.D. Martinez until the final bell almost rung

By waiting. And waiting. And waiting some more…the Mets were able to snag J.D. Martinez off the street for a fraction of what they would have if the team quickly went out and signed him. For months, free agents were inking deals that the Mets should have made if only they had the room to do so. Eddie Rosario after a 20+ home run season and Gold Glove finalist candidacy on a split contract with the Washington Nationals? It’s outrageous!

Martinez for a total of $12 million with all but $4.5 million of it deferred is a good combination of small and big market. It’s small market because of the overall value. It’s big because it’s only those larger spending teams who seem to willingly defer money. Further fitting into the big market picture is the luxury tax penalties which will follow.

Stearns wasn’t willing to match Martinez’s expected asking price or even go beyond one year with the veteran. It’s an unequivocal win for him, the Mets, and fans who’ve bought in completely to what Stearns is all about.

2) The Mets filled two roster spots with a savvy trade

How can you not appreciate the one major trade by the Mets this offseason? Stearns, using whatever relationship he still had with the Brewers, sent them prospect Coleman Crow in exchange for pitcher Adrian Houser and outfielder Tyrone Taylor. This isn’t exactly picking up Gary Carter. However, for the Mets to fill two vacant roster spots with a quality fifth starter and outfielder with some impressive tools with the only cost being a guy who might not pitch at all this year, we have to score this as a win.

Exactly how small market is this? The Mets took advantage of the smaller spending Brewers in this case. Eager to shed some salary, this deal seemed mostly about them getting anything at all in return for two pretty important additions to the roster. It’s pretty impressive that Stearns was able to do so for only a single player let alone one who isn’t ranked too highly and will have a continued rehab ahead of him.

The Mets could have easily spent more money on a fifth starter than they will on Houser. The two sides agreed to a deal worth slightly over $5 million this season. Taylor, in his first year of arbitration eligibility, will take home a little more than $2 million. He can outplay the value of this contract. Add in additional years of control on Taylor and this seems like a no-brainer deal for the Mets.