The signs are all there. The roster is heating up, the division is within reach, and the fans can taste October. However, beneath the surface of this Mets resurgence is a flaw which could be fatal in the postseason — a bullpen one bad outing away from collapse. The urgency is not just fan noise anymore. It is echoed by insiders like Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, who highlighted the picture vividly: this is no time for half-measures.
Yet despite all signs urging urgency, the management has not flinched. At the center of it all is David Stearns, whose cautious approach feels out of place in a city where big moves define October heroes. He is operating like it is still the Brewers—careful, analyzed, and fixated on long-term control. However, the Mets are not in a five-year build. The team is in a five-month sprint with real stakes, and that conservative thought process, while commendable in small markets, could cost the team its best shot in years.
What is really stopping Stearns is no mystery: a deep, talented, and tightly guarded farm system. From Jet Williams to Jonah Tong and Carson Benge to Nolan McLean, the team has a stockpile of stars that rival any top system in MLB. On The Show podcast, Sherman highlighted how “The name Carson Benge comes up a lot” in exec interaction, while Williams—now fully healthy—continues to skyrocket in value. These stars are the elites, and Stearns is keeping them under lock and key.
This hesitance has not gone unnoticed. When a pitcher like Garrett Crochet hit the market, the Mets balked at giving up a combo of Williams and Sproat. The management clearly values control and upside, could be too much. Sherman made it clear: “David Stearns’ history is not wanting to move the better prospects,” and that thought process has carried over from the Brewers to the Mets. The irony? Many of these stars were not Stearns’ picks either. Yet he is treating them like team-altering cornerstones. That safeguarded instinct could make sense in a long-term rebuild, however, with a bullpen bleeding and a division within reach, clinging too tightly could cost them everything.
New York Introduce David Stearns New York Mets owner Steve Cohen introduces the new Mets President Of Baseball Operations, David Stearns to the media at a press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz at Citi Field in Corona, New York, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. New York United States PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRA Copyright: xGordonxDonovanx originalFilename:donovan-newyorkm231002_npF6Z.jpg
This is where Steve Cohen comes in. Sherman floated the idea that the owner could need to intervene: “I just wonder if the owner, Steve Cohen, will give him a little nudge.” Frankly, that nudge could be the only thing strong enough to break Stearns out of the cautious shell he has carried over from the Brewers.
The deadline is coming quickly, the gap is visible, and the tools to fix it are already in-house. However, unless the thought shifts — unless someone like Cohen comes forward to tilt the balance—the Mets could end up hoarding stars instead of hanging banners, and this is where the concern deepens. As Sherman highlighted in a previous episode of The Show, “Not all these prospects are going to turn into Juan Soto or Pete Alonso. Some are going to miss.” It is a reality that the management cannot afford to ignore anymore.
In that same episode, Sherman also said the statement that should echo through the management halls: “The Mets are good enough to win a championship this year, and I do not think [David Stearns] can take a half measure here.” While the bullpen remains the Mets’ biggest crack to patch, it is not the only one. A glaring gap in centerfield has increased, one that threatens to shake their defensive stability and offensive rhythm down the stretch. With the trade deadline coming quickly, the team is targeting not one, but three All-Star-caliber outcomes. The question now is not just who they will trade, it is whether finally have the conviction to act.
Mets face outfield dilemma amid larger deadline stakes
Buster Olney of ESPN reported that the Mets will “track the center-field options closely,” with Luis Robert Jr. from the White Sox, Jarren Duran from the Red Sox, and Cedric Mullins from the Orioles, all surfacing as candidates. The situation becomes more compelling when considering the star’s profile distinctiveness: Robert Jr. carries pop and flash, Duran has speed and spark, while Mullins provides defense and postseason experience. Each player comes with questions: health, cost, and availability; however, all highlight a clear upgrade over the current platoon.
What makes this dilemma trickier is the clock. The Mets have only two weeks left to decide whether the team wants to swing for a centerpiece and settle for another temporary patch. If the bullpen is the leak that needs sealing, centerfield could be the anchor the Mets need to hold firm in the storm. As the management balances risk with reward, the Mets fans are left wondering: Will the team double down? Or, will they, once again, hedge when it matters most?
The Mets are standing on the edge of something big; however, the leap needs boldness, not hesitation. If David Stearns will not budge, it is on Steve Cohen to provide the final push. The World Series window will not stay open forever. It is time to act like contenders, not collectors of potential.
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