Mets’ Trade Deadline Moves Receive Eye-Catching Assessment From Rival Teams

A recent article disclosed the league's prevailing opinion of David Stearns' first Mets trade deadline.

David Stearns on the field in Milwaukee before a game in 2022. / Mike De Sisti / USA TODAY NETWORK

New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns was active during this year’s MLB trade deadline.

While none of the six players (relievers Phil Maton, Ryne Stanek, Huascar Brazoban and Tyler Zuber, starting pitcher Paul Blackburn, and left-handed outfielder Jesse Winker) Stearns acquired are blockbuster names, they address all of New York’s most glaring roster deficiencies — all while keeping the Mets’ future intact. 

The Athletic published an August 1 article that asked rival scouts and executives what they thought of the Mets’ trade deadline moves. 

And those interviewed shared a similar opinion. 

“Evaluators from rival teams applauded New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns for staying disciplined in a trade market lacking stars, though they described the club’s additions as merely minor improvements,” per Will Sammon and Tim Britton of The Athletic.

“At least a handful of executives across the industry, including Stearns, referred to the prospect cost as “aggressive” for the few high-impact players who were seemingly available at the trade deadline.”

Ever since joining the Mets’ organization in October 2023, Stearns made it clear that he planned to make New York a playoff contender in 2024 while still keeping their organization stocked with top-tier prospects. 

And that’s precisely what the 39-year-old executive has done. 

The Mets are currently 57-51, 0.5 games out of the third NL Wild Card position, and the only top-20 prospect they parted ways with at the deadline was 24-year-old right-handed pitcher Tyler Stuart (the Mets’ No. 17 ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline), who was sent to the Washington Nationals in the Jesse Winker deal.

If Stearns had gone all-in on one of the deadline’s most appealing starting pitchers (Detroit Tigers’ Tarik Skubal, Chicago White Sox hurler Garrett Crochet, and/or San Francisco Giants’ Blake Snell), he surely would have needed to include multiple top-10 prospects in the process.

But he stuck to his guns.

“What’s funny is I was reading up on (the Mets’) trades and thought to myself, ‘This is the reason Stearns was hired,’” a rival scout said in The Athletic’s article. “Very measured and no panic to make the big splash. He has stayed true to his vision and to what he believes is his timeline.

“I think the guys he got are marginal upgrades, but the guys he gave up won’t come back to bite him and he has powder dry for this offseason when I expect more moves from him,” the scout added. 

All indications are that Stearns knocked his first Mets' trade deadline out of the park.