David Stearns
We learned a lot this past week from Steve Cohen’s introductory press conference and then from Sandy Alderson’s press conference. They updated us on the front office process but one thing that has not been decided yet is who will fill the front office now that there are a lot of vacancies.
We don’t have word yet from Cohen, but here are our probables.
If the Mets want to be the East Coast Dodgers, they need their Andrew Friedman. Erik Neander is my pick. David Stearns is shooting for the moon but I don’ think Milwaukee will let him leave the building. Neander in many ways is the next Friedman. He is from the Rays organization, worked for Friedman for several years, knows the model, and has won on a limited budget. Give him a promotion and a payroll, and turn into the East Coast Dodgers.
I’d like to see Theo Epstein take the lead role under Sandy Alderson. Epstein is under contract with the Cubs through the 2021 season, and it’s unlikely the Cubs would let him go to a National League team. However, imagine how great that would be for all concerned? Epstein was at the helm when the Red Sox broke the curse, winning the World Series in 2004. He then led the Cubs to their first World Series win in 108 years. You’d have to think that helping the Mets break their World Series drought would be appealing to Epstein, who could achieve his personal trifecta in New York. It’s unlikely that this could happen, but as long as it’s a new day for the Mets, why not dream big?
My dream front office for the Mets would be for them to collect baseball minds from as many different organizations around the league. When it comes to the President of Baseball Operations, I like Mike Chernoff as someone who has experience as a GM that would be taking a promotion to go from Cleveland to the Mets. If he helps negotiate a Francisco Lindor trade even better. Then if Alderson can land his former Oakland counterpart Billy Owens as the new GM, the Mets would be off to a great start. Finally, if there is some way to get Bobby Heck to leave Tampa and head up the analytics department you would be talking about one of the best front offices in baseball.
Not that past loyalties should be a qualification for the front office, but David Stearns grew up a Mets fan and interned for the club in 2008 under Omar Minaya. Beyond those allegiances, he’s proved to be an extremely qualified candidate for President of Baseball Operations — even at the ripe age of 35. Holding dual roles as president and general manager in Milwaukee, he brought the Brewers to prominence behind some brilliant deals — the Christian Yelich trade foremost among them. With the Mets now acting like a major market club, who knows what sorcery he could pull off.
From there, I think you look to Billy Owens — the widely-respected 49-year-old Athletics Assistant GM and Director of Player Personnel and someone who Sandy Alderson knows extremely well. He deserves the chance to be promoted to GM, whether it’s with the Mets or anyone else.
I’ll admit I’m not too well-versed in who’s best-suited to run the analytics department. But if they could poach a bright mind from Tampa Bay, that’s a great place to go — just as long as it doesn’t call for Jacob deGrom to not go beyond the sixth inning in every start.
