The New York Mets have been under a lot of scrutiny because of its roster decisions in the offseason and its top executive will be under a lot of pressure at the trade deadline.
The New York Mets made a lot of roster changes in the offseason after a devastating collapse in the second half of last season that saw the team miss the playoffs despite owning the best record in baseball through mid-June.
Stearns thought the answer to turning the Mets around was focusing on run prevention, so he brought in free agents that are good defenders and also traded for one of the top pitchers in the game.
Besides right-hander Freddy Peralta, who was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers during the winter, the offseason acquisitions haven’t really panned out; and even Peralta hasn’t pitched to the level we have seen him pitch at, posting a 3.90 ERA and 1.30 WHIP through 15 starts.
“Luis Robert Jr. and Jorge Polanco, two players with concerning injury histories before this year, have been, once again, out of action,” ESPN’s Buster Olney wrote Tuesday. “Before this month, infielders Bo Bichette and Marcus Semien struggled.”
Robert had a slow start to spring training because the team was trying to be proactive given his injury history, and though he began the season swinging a hot bat, he went cold and is now on the 60-day injured list with lumbar spine disc herniation.
Polanco, an infielder with no experience at first base, was brought in to replace Pete Alonso. Replacing his offensive production is hard enough but trying to do it with a player who also isn’t familiar with the position was a bold strategy. He’s dealing with a left Achilles injury and landed on the 60-day IL as well.
New York is currently 34-41, five games out of a playoff spot and 13 games back from the first-place Atlanta Braves, putting them in a difficult situation with the trade deadline on Aug. 3.
Olney believes Stearns is under the second-most pressure among front office executives heading into the deadline.
“If Mets owner Steve Cohen greenlights midseason trades, Stearns will have to land building blocks for next year and beyond, adding to the group of Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing and Nolan McLean. There's a lot of work to be done. Peralta could be Stearns's biggest trade chip.”
Benge and Ewing have fit in nicely with star left fielder Juan Soto to create a dynamic young outfield while McLean has shown that he will be a force for years to come. Peralta has one year left on his current deal and although he has enjoyed New York, he very well could be on his way out by the deadline if the team isn’t contending.
