The rumors of David Stearns’ return to the Mets are closer to becoming a reality.

David Stearns.

Stearns is apparently “down the road” in his discussions with Steve Cohen and the Mets regarding their vacant President of Baseball operations positions, according to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic.

Stearns became the general manager of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2015. In that time, he brought the Brewers to the postseason five times and acquired players such as Freddy Peralta, Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, Christian Yelich, and Jackson Chourio via trades, drafts, and free agency. He was promoted to the president of baseball operations in 2019.

Stearns’ contract with the Brewers allowed him to speak with other major league teams after the August 1 deadline. He’s been in an advisory role with the Brewers since stepping back from front-office duties this winter. While it was reported that he is down the line with the Mets, the other organization that Stearns is connected to is the Houston Astros.

While the Mets have been the favorites, the Astros are a dark horse that could sign Stearns. He previously worked for both the Mets and Astros before settling in Milwaukee, and his wife is from Houston.

New York, however, may have the edge over Houston for several reasons. Stearns grew up a huge Mets fan and is from the New York City area. The Mets also just fired four directors from their front office, leaving Stearns with complete freedom to run the organization from top to bottom.

Meanwhile, it was reported by The Athletic that Dana Brown, the current GM of the Astros, agreed to his position because there was no president of baseball operations, explaining it was easier to deal with the owner directly.

Stearns, Billy Eppler, and Cohen all declined a comment from the Athletic regarding Stearns. His friends, however, reported to Rosenthal and Sammon that Stearns was “re-energized” and ready to return to a leadership position with a major league club. According to Andy Martino of SNY, the Mets will maintain Eppler as the general manager if Stearns becomes the president of baseball operations.

The push for Stearns has been persistent and seems almost inevitable. Cohen has publicly spoken about adding a president of baseball operations since buying the team and has conveniently held out until 2023 when Stearns becomes a free agent.