David Stearns pulled the trigger on a deal for a reliever to help out the New York Mets’ ailing bullpen nearly three weeks before Major League Baseball’s July 30 trade deadline, but that is not going to be a precursor to how the team navigates the market in the coming weeks.
In fact, the Mets’ president of baseball operations is not sure which direction his team is going to take ahead of the trade deadline given their standing.
“We’re in a spot where winning three in a row changes things in a significant direction and losing three in a row changes things in a significant direction,” Stearns said. “It’s one of the reasons we are going to be patient.“
Entering Wednesday night’s matchup with the Washington Nationals, New York sat at .500 (45-45) and just 1.5 games out of the third and final Wild Card spot in the National League. While there are five teams within 3.5 games of that last spot — currently owned by the San Diego Padres — there are no other teams outside of a playoff spot currently sitting above the Mets.
Should the Mets clear the .500 mark and stay in the postseason conversation, Stearns could realistically add on a few more pieces. However, a blockbuster move appears unrealistic considering the organization prioritizes developing its young talent rather than trading it away for potential rentals.
It is why Stearns had a muted offseason compared to the previous two winters when the Mets were the biggest spenders in baseball — much to the chagrin of the rest of the league.
If the Mets were to sag, though, expiring contracts could be dealt to pivot the team’s sights to 2025 fully.
“We’re going to continue to learn about our team over the coming weeks,” Stearns began. “We’ll take that opportunity to see what a full trade deadline strategy looks like.”
