Mets' David Stearns 'Not Eager' to Hire GM During MLB Offseason After Loss to Dodgers

New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns doesn't envision a big change coming to the team's front office this offseason.

He told reporters Wednesday he's "not eager" to specifically target a prospective general manager because he believes the current setup is working.

It's not uncommon for a franchise to operate without a dedicated GM, especially when the president of baseball ops is as highly regarded as Stearns. Based on the Mets' turnaround in the second half and run to the National League Championship Series, the status quo is just fine.

Going it alone will put more pressure on Stearns, though.

Re-signing first baseman Pete Alonso is likely at the top of his offseason to-do list.

Alonso had 34 home runs and a 123 OPS+ while appearing in all 162 games. The four-time All-Star was even better in the playoffs, slugging .568 with four homers in 58 plate appearances.

Then there are the outside targets Stearns and the front office will target to ensure New York builds on its success in 2024.

Even assuming Alonso returns on a bigger salary, the Mets have quite a bit of money coming off the books. Spotrac has their 2025 payroll at $141.8 million, which is the 10th-highest in baseball.

Stearns said all of the right things in terms of signaling the organization's ambitions without going too much into specifics.

Mets fans have built up a strong sense of fatalism over the years and for good reason. Success has historically been fleeting.

New York made the 1999 NLCS and the World Series the following year before missing the playoffs in 13 of the next 14 seasons. The 2015 World Series appearance was followed by an NL Wild Card Series exit and a five-year playoff drought.

There are no guarantees when it comes to 2025 and beyond.

Between having a savvy executive in Stearns and a free-spending owner with Steve Cohen, the fanbase will have reason this time around to believe the NLCS trip wasn't a false dawn.