A new MLB rumor suggests New York Mets President David Stearns is bargain shopping in free agency, as if the Wilpon family is still the owners of the team.
Last week delivered a nightmare scenario for Mets fans. Going into the offseason, supporters of the club knew there was a possibility that All-Stars Edwin Diaz and Pete Alonso could walk in free agency. Yet, with having the richest owner in the sport, most assumed the front office would do what was necessary to hold on to a pair of core members of the roster.
Well, that didn’t happen, and Diaz took a record deal from the Los Angeles Dodgers, while Alonso took his talents down I-95 to the Baltimore Orioles for $155 million. The departures enraged fans who are now demanding the organization make some big moves to fill the void left by the exits.
While the Mets have been linked to trades for ace pitchers Tarik Skubal and Freddy Peralta, as well as top-of-the-market free agents Framber Valdez and Michael King, it seems that David Stearns is looking for more affordable options again this offseason.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Mets are among the clubs that have been the “most aggressive” in pursuing pitchers in the mid-tier market in free agency. After what happened last week, and following rumors of trades for Skubal and Peralta in recent weeks, this news will not make fans happy.
What ‘Mid-Tier’ Pitchers Could the NY Mets be Targeting?
The pitchers that Passan considers in this tier that the Mets are shopping in are Chris Bassitt, Lucas Giolito, Nick Martinez, Zack Littell, Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Tyler Mahle, German Marquez, Walker Buehler, Patrick Corbin, and Michael Lorenzen.
A lot of money came off the payroll with Alonso and Diaz leaving in free agency. Surprisingly, they are not planning to pivot and use that free cash towards one of the top arms left on the open market. The strategy is sure to make fans feel like they have gone from being one of the biggest spenders to reverting to the final years of Fred Wilpon leading the organization and penny pinching when it came to contracts.
Stearns building a rotation with mid and lower level pitching talent he believes have upside isn’t anything new, however. It delivered great results in 2024 with Sean Manaea, but it was a disaster last season.
