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Potential Mets Moves Based on David Stearns’ Brewers History

David Stearns consistently built winning teams with the Milwaukee Brewers by supplementing a high caliber core with quality depth. Many are currently focused on potential stars that he might bring to New York. However, the 2024 Mets already have a core of stars, and as 2023 showed, winning teams need depth, not just stars. If Stearns looks to acquire his former players to help establish his culture in New York while improving the Mets’ depth, he can do so at an inexpensive price. Based on his history with the Brewers, here is a look at some of the smaller-name acquisitions that would incrementally improve Stearns’ Mets.

Potential Mets Moves based on David Stearns’ Brewers History

Wade Miley

After four-straight seasons with an ERA above 4, Wade Miley looked done. However, A Stearns-led 2018 Brewers helped revitalize Miley’s career. In 16 starts, Miley tossed 80.2 innings with a 2.57 ERA, plus another 14.2 postseason innings with a 1.23 ERA.

Miley has been well-above average, per ERA+, in each of the subsequent four full seasons. After missing most of 2022 due to injury, Miley rejoined the Brewers this season on a $4.5 million deal and threw 120.2 innings (23 starts) with a 3.14 ERA.

Right now, New York has Kodai Senga, Jose Quintana, and maybe David Peterson as 2024 rotation locks. Stearns and the Mets have been connected to a few big-name starters (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff), but will surely be in the market for back-end depth additions.

Miley, an established and proven starter, represents a great inexpensive Mets depth option. While injury concerns are legitimate for the soon-to-be 37-year-old, his production and price are worth the risk. Miley would have been the second or third best starter on the Mets last year, even in limited innings.

The successful relationship between Stearns and Miley might foster a reunion this winter, especially if the Mets offer the most money. Even if the team offers the most, the price isn’t likely to be relatively high. Additionally, Miley knows what Stearns wants to build with the Mets and can help teach/spread it in the locker room.

Miley also allows Stearns to get creative in building the Mets’ organizational depth. Theoretically, New York can trade Quintana to bring in more young, high upside talent, then sign Miley as a capable replacement. While stars get headlines, moves like this made Stearns successful in Milwaukee and is exactly what he needs to do in New York.

Hunter Renfroe

In one of Stearns’ better moves, he offloaded a non-productive player’s contract, plus two so-far inconsequential prospects, for Hunter Renfroe. After the outfielder produced his career-best offensive season, Milwaukee flipped him for a package that included an important 2023 bullpen piece.

Renfroe provides right handed power with a great outfield arm. He enters free agency after struggling this year and might look for a one-year deal to regain some value. In this case, the Mets should look to take advantage of a potential value signing.

32 in January, Renfroe has experience in all outfield spots, but has predominately played right field in recent years. The Mets have Starling Marte there for two more years, but his troublesome groins/legs might make him better off covering less ground in left field. The Mets would not be worse defensively while adding pop to the lineup.

DJ Stewart earned a legitimate chance to make the roster next year and could provide an intriguing platoon with Renfroe. This type of inexpensive, power-centric platoon is one that helped make Stearns so successful with the Brewers. The Mets tried this idea at DH in 2022 with Daniel Vogelbach and Darin Ruf. A Renfroe/Stewart platoon in right field is way more valuable and probably more impactful.

Signing Renfroe increases New York’s potential in 2024, won’t prevent them from making other additions, and doesn’t subtract from their odds of contending in 2025 and beyond. Though a star, everyday player is splashier and more exciting, constructing the roster this way would do wonders for the Mets’ depth.

Disappointing, star-laden teams (Angels, Padres, Yankees, etc.) have overlooked depth and predictably suffered the consequences. If Stearns can help Renfroe produce like he did when they were with the Brewers, this has the chance to claim baseball’s best offseason move.

Jace Peterson

Jace Peterson signed two free agent contracts (and another to avoid arbitration) with David Stearns’ Brewers. Peterson is an attractive option for small market clubs due to his positional versatility and great on-base skills. Although his best three offensive seasons had OPS+ values of 104, 95, and 97, they each came with the Brewers.

There is legitimate value in having a bench player produce average offensive production and serviceable defense at multiple positions. If Stearns decides to move on from Luis Guillorme, an oft-injured defense-first bench player, he might look at Peterson as a familiar quality option. Additionally, Peterson provides more veteran leadership than Guillorme, which Stearns might specifically want to help Brett Baty and Mark Vientos at third base. Ideally, Baty would claim the position, but Peterson represents a good veteran fallback option.

Unlike Miley and Renfroe, Peterson is under contract for next year. If the Diamondbacks want to move Peterson, they could always just release him and eat his $5 million salary. If they don’t want to eat the money but want to move on, the Mets might be a good fit to work out a salary dump deal.

Peterson could also be a piece in a bigger trade. Arizona can upgrade third base, and perhaps might be interested in Vientos or Luke Ritter (a righty that hit 27 minor league homers while playing third, first, and second). In a deal like this, Stearns might be able to acquire Peterson, his salary, and an intriguing arm to bolster the Mets’ depth.

New York is Not Milwaukee

While these moves worked well for Stearns in the past, he made them partly because they were all he could afford. If the contending, small-market Brewers could afford signing an ace to a short-term deal worth $43 annually, Stearns might have made that deal.

Fans and media will not allow Stearns to build the Mets through minor moves. They are smart enough to appreciate these minor moves that bolster the Mets depth. But they won’t accept these moves if they don’t supplement bigger moves.

Fans and media won’t hate signing Miley. However, with possibly three open spots in the rotation, fans and media won’t tolerate an offseason of multiple Miley-type deals and no Yamamoto-size deal. Adding right handed power in Renfroe will be accepted. It won’t if it makes Pete Alonso more expendable.

Stearns and the Mets have a legitimate need and the means to have both Miley and Yamamoto. The same for Alonso and Renfroe. Stearns must understand that his job is to find value in complimentary depth pieces and not being too frugal with stars that carry the team.

Main Photo Credits: Mike De Sisti / USA TODAY NETWORK

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