David Stearns quickly rebuilt the small-market Milwaukee Brewers. He won’t have the same opportunity to reshape the big-market New York Mets.
The Brewers denied the Mets the opportunity to interview Stearns for their general manager opening, according to Jon Paul Morosi of MLB.com on Tuesday. The move keeps Mets president Sandy Alderson from one of his top targets in his first big hire since Steve Cohen’s purchase of the team became official this month.
Even before Cohen took over, the Mets were perhaps the most attractive landing spot for Stearns. He grew up in New York as a Mets fan and also interned in their front office.
General Manager Prodigy
Under Stearns, 35, the Brewers have made the playoffs three straight seasons, a first in franchise history. Owner Mark Attanasio rewarded Stearns by adding president of baseball operations to his general manager title when he signed a contract extension in January 2019.
Stearns was hired away from the Houston Astros in 2015 and became the youngest general manager in MLB at age 30. His biggest transactions came on the same January day in 2018 when he sent four prospects to the Miami Marlins to acquire outfielder Christian Yelich and then signed center fielder Lorenzo Cain to a five-year, $80 million contract. All Yelich did was win the National League MVP award in 2018 and back-to-back batting titles. Cain, meanwhile, won a Gold Glove in 2019 and provided a spark at the top of the order.
Focus on the Farm
David Stearns has stressed a draft-and-develop philosophy with the Brewers. While they currently have the worst farm system in MLB, the Brewers do have good, young talent at the major-league level, including second baseman Keston Hiura and reliever Devin Williams, the newly minted NL Rookie of the Year.
The Brewers have several holes to plug this offseason, including first and third base and the starting rotation.
Matt Arnold, Stearns’ top assistant, has been interviewed for general manager openings. Arnold was a finalist for the Pittsburgh Pirates‘ opening last year and recently interviewed with the Los Angeles Angels.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
