(New York) David Stearns was officially named the first president of baseball operations in New York Mets history on Monday.
The former head of the Milwaukee Brewers was introduced to the media by owner Steve Cohen during a press conference held at Citi Field, after another disappointing season for the Mets.
Despite sky-high expectations for the New York team, whose payroll reached US$355 million in the opening game, they were knocked out of the playoff race by mid-summer and finished fourth overall. the Eastern section of the National League.
“I have a lot of work to do,” Stearns admitted.
The 38-year-old leader will report to General Manager Billy Eppler. In addition, he will report to Cohen himself. This governance structure is fairly common in Major League Baseball, although it is new to the Mets.
Among his priorities, Stearns will have to hire the team’s next manager, following the firing of Buck Showalter on Sunday.
And Stearns added that he expects to see Pete Alonso be the Mets’ first baseman in the opener next season — the star power hitter has been the subject of trade rumors because he could test the free agent market after the 2024 season.