However, some individuals check multiple boxes. David Stearns is one. He was a highly sought-after individual and came from both the Guardians and Astros executive trees, having been part of the then Cleveland Indians’ front office under Mark Shapiro and Chris Antonetti before being hired by Jeff Luhnow as his assistant general manager with the Astros.

Jeff Luhnow came from the Cardinals executive tree, which is mainly defunct at the moment as there are no other top executives from the Cardinals organization besides the president of baseball operations and general manager.

Stearns’ first move after being hired by the Brewers was to hire an executive away from the Rays to be his top lieutenant, Matt Arnold, now the GM of the Brewers. This is just one example of how David Stearns likes to surround himself with a diverse group of baseball minds all of whom can contribute slightly different, yet complementing perspectives. Now with the Mets, he’s made three major hires in an attempt to retool the front office and achieve the same kind of diversity he had in Milwaukee. Stearns recently brought in Kris Gross, Andy Green, and Eduardo Brizuela, a move that was publicized a couple of weeks ago.

Kris Gross

Kris Gross not only has a ton of experience scouting for one of the better scout-and-develop teams of the last decade, but he also worked with Stearns for nearly four years with the Astros.  Gross was one of many top minds brought in by Jeff Luhnow after he was hired as the GM of the Astros over a decade ago. Luhnow hired away many talented baseball personnel from the Cardinals front office and Gross was one of them. Since then, Gross has continued to advance in his career, ultimately becoming the Astros director of amateur scouting.

He continued to run amateur scouting for the Astros across three regimes, working under Luhnow, James Click, and Dana Brown most recently. He remarkably achieved successful amateur drafts throughout all the internal turmoil and upheaval within the Astros’ front office. Yet, when Brown was hired last offseason, Gross’ role within the amateur scouting deportment changed dramatically. With Brown’s scouting background, Gross was no longer the voice of authority over the amateur draft. Adding insult to injury, Brown brought in close ally and longtime scout Russ Bove which further reduced Gross’ influence within the Astros front office.

Hence, the Mets present a perfect opportunity for both the Mets and Gross. Gross gets to work with Tommy Tanous and David Stearns, and will have plenty of authority within the entire Met scouting operation. The Mets obtain yet another sharp scouting mind, one who excels at drawing amateur talent from all over the country.

Andy Green 

Andy Green is a very interesting, out-of-the-box choice to run player development. He doesn’t have a lot of front-office experience. While it is unclear a the moment what Green’s title will be, he was hired to be an integral part of player development. We don’t currently know if his title will be VP, Assistant GM, or Director. What Green does bring is plenty of experience in player development. He coached in the minors for several years but also managed and coached the San Diego Padres during their rebuild phase.

This is a classic David Stearns kind of hire and is the kind of hiring Mets fans should get accustomed to from him. As MLB has seen a meteoric rise in managers being hired straight from their front office jobs he, in turn, has hired someone from the dugout into a top-level executive position. Applying the same logic, yet in reverse, if the game has moved to a place in which front office members are directly qualified to manage, managers should in turn be directly qualified to impact and inform the front office. With the idea that as a former coach and player, Green will provide a unique perspective, one that the Mets have lacked in the upper tier of their front office.

Green, who was hired by Kevin Towers, started his coaching career for the D-Backs within the milieu of their minor league affiliates. After Towers was fired and Tony LaRussa was brought in, Green was rewarded for his excellence in coaching, twice winning minor league manager of the year, and was hired to the Major League staff. After only one season, Green became the first of many managers hired by AJ Preller. Green, unfortunately, oversaw four seasons where the Padres retooled their major and minor league rosters, and was unceremoniously let go. He immediately latched on with the Cubs as their bench coach, which too happened to be the dawning of a new era in Chicago following the departures of Theo Epstein, Joe Maddon, and recently David Ross.

Now that he’s been hired by David Stearns, Green has achieved a very rare feat of being hired five times by executives and managers whom he had no previous professional relationship with. This is not only a testament to Green’s intellect and baseball acumen, but also a testament to his character as a person. Maybe the most fascinating tidbit regarding Green’s major league journey is the sheer diversity of by whom he was hired.

Green has been hired by both old-school and new-school mindsets. He was twice hired by classic baseball minds of yesteryear in LaRussa and Towers, while also hired thrice by new-age, analytically savvy, young Ivy League executives. This extraordinary diversity of thought shows how Green is considered an asset no matter who may be running the show.  It also bought Green the privilege of familiarizing himself with some of baseball’s greats and let him develop as a branch on the mushrooming Theo Epstein front office tree.

Hoyer, whom he worked for with the Cubs, and Preller, are both well respected around the league, especially in terms of drafting and developing. Their track record of assembling an immense wealth of prospects predates their times as PBOs. Both have led or helped forge tremendous classes of top-flight prospects on multiple occasions, spanning different franchises, over the last decade. Being able to learn from these very different, yet successful minds can only be seen as a feather in Green’s proverbial cap.

Eduardo Brizuela 

Eduardo Brizuela, who was hired as VP and Special Assistant to the GM, brings decades’ worth of experience and has an extensive history with Stearns. Brizuela brings strong ties to Venezuelan baseball and has had a myriad of roles over the years with the Brewers. He’s worked as the Brewers VP, director of minor league operations, farm director, and director of Latin American scouting and operations during his tenure in Milwaukee, spanning almost two decades. He is yet another unique voice of reason within the Mets front office and will provide a crucial opinion on all things scouting.

Brizuela predated David Stearns in Milwaukee, yet became a mainstay and a dominant figure during his tenure in Milwaukee. He was eventually elevated to third in command there and will assume a similar role with the Mets. While the Mets have had a robust international scouting department for years now, dating back to the Minaya regime, they never had as big of an impact in Venezuela as they had elsewhere, specifically in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

With these three important hires, Stearns has revamped both the scouting department as well as the player development department and it will now be up to these three individuals to execute Stearns’ long-term vision for this team. They will be entrusted to meticulously hire their own deputies and complete their staffs as a means to infuse the Mets’ organization with new ideas and new perspectives.

A Front Office For The Future

These moves will dramatically impact how the Mets run their organization for the foreseeable future. They will ensure Stearns has a few of his own lieutenants to accompany the bevy of bright minds already in place and will blend savvy minds with Steve Cohen’s money. Guys like Ian Levin, Tommy Tanous, and Ben Zauzmer all run different facets of the Mets’ front-office operations and are very well respected throughout the game. Along with key special assistant Carlos Beltran, the front office is shaping up to be a powerhouse of differing and balancing opinions.

Stearns’ vision of blending the old with the new, analytics with both scouting and developing is what gave credence to these hires. Hiring an expert in amateur scouting, an expert in international scouting, and Green who has substantial on-field experience as both a former player, coach, and manager will provide the franchise with a healthy mix of competing viewpoints. This will aid in the process of making correct decisions about both the present and future of the Mets. Headed up by Stearns, this should ensure the perfect environment for long-term success and a winning culture, as well as shaping the Mets’ future GM search into one of the most sought-after roles in the MLB. Mets fans have waited a long time for stability. David Stearns and his legion of minds will bring it.

The post Providing Context for Stearns’ First Three Hires appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Wednesday night, the lone game on the docket was the Houston Astros going into Arlington to take on the Texas Rangers in Game 3 of the ALCS. The major headline heading into the game was the return of former Met Max Scherzer, who would make his postseason debut as a Ranger. The last time he was on the mound in October, it did not go well, to say the least, Scherzer went 4 2/3 innings while getting smashed for seven runs on four home runs in game 1 of the Wild Card Round against the Padres. Unfortunately for Max, this time was not much better. 

After a clean first inning for Max, which included a strikeout of Michael Brantley, it was all downhill from there. The Astros poured on three runs in the second inning behind a wild pitch and a timely Martín Maldonado 2-run single. Jose Altuve would add on as he put a high fastball over the left field wall, followed by a Mauricio Dubón RBI single in the fourth inning to cap Scherzer’s night.

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Max finished the night with four innings pitched and five earned runs on five hits in his first outing in over a month. However, his Rangers are still up 2-1 in the series and are only two wins away from the team’s first World Series appearance in over a decade. 

Latest Mets News

Will Sammon of The Athletic gave an update to the Mets managerial search, as he reported that David Stearns and company would look outside of the organization to fill the role. This rules out names such as Carlos Beltrán and Eric Chavez while making the Craig Counsell rumors more credible. 

Francisco Alvarez has been nominated for the Luis Aparicio Award, per Mike Mayer of Metsmerized Online. The award is given annually to honor the Venezuelan who was deemed to have the best individual performance in MLB that season. A total of 33 Venezuelans are up for the 2023 award, in which the winner will be announced on October 28 before Game 2 of the World Series. 

Rawlings announced the 2023 Gold Glove finalists on Wednesday afternoon, and Francisco Lindor is the Mets’ lone Gold Glove finalist. Lindor is up against Dansby Swanson of the Chicago Cubs and Ezequiel Tovar of the Colorado Rockies for the NL shortstop Gold Glove award. Francisco is going for his third Gold Glove award overall and his first one as a Met. The winners will be announced on November 5 on ESPN. 

MLB Pipeline released their All-Rookie teams for the 2023 season, and the Mets were well represented as both Kodai Senga and Francisco Álvarez made the cut. Kodai Senga was one of two starting pitchers to make the first team, and Francisco Álvarez made the second team, only being beat out by Yainer Diaz of the Astros for the first team’s catcher position. 

Latest MLB News

On Wednesday, there were major updates to the Boston Red Sox’s search for a general manager following their firing of Chaim Bloom. One of those updates came from Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, who reported that Boston talked to former Astros general manager James Click, but he has elected not to pursue the job due to family considerations. 

Patrick Mooney of The Athletic wrote an article detailing how Boston and Cubs executive Craig Breslow have been in advanced discussions on having him take over Boston’s highest job in baseball operations. 

The Major League Baseball Players Trust announced they are holding their second annual “Playmakers Classic” presented by Fanatics. The event supports the organization’s youth development, disaster relief, and other charitable initiatives and will be held in Las Vegas this year. Many current and former MLB players will be in attendance, including former Mets Tony Clark, Bobby Bonilla, Chris Capuano, Josh Thole, and others.

Latest on MMO

Christian De Block did a full breakdown of the full list of 2023 Gold Glove finalists.

The remembrance of the ’73 Mets continues as Brian Wright looks back at the one and only Rusty Staub. 

Jack Ramsey looked at some of the veteran pitching options for the Mets this upcoming offseason. 

On This Date in Mets History

1965: The Mets traded pitcher Tom Parsons to the Astros for catcher Jerry Grote. Grote was a two-time All-Star and part of the 1969 World Champion Mets.

2006: In the sixth inning of game 7 in the NLCS, Endy Chavez rises above the left field wall to rob Scott Rolen of a two-run home run and proceeds to double off Jim Edmonds at first base. Despite Chávez making one of the greatest grabs in MLB history, a Yadier Molina two-run shot in the top of the ninth put the Cardinals ahead, 3-1. Carlos Beltrán‘s knees would infamously buckle to an Adam Wainwright curveball with the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning, ending the Mets season. 

“He made the catch!”#OTD in #Mets history Endy Chavez made one of the most unforgettable plays in baseball history. pic.twitter.com/IHuY4RwcSQ

— New York Mets (@Mets) October 19, 2018

Birthdays: Rajai Davis (43), José Bautista (43), Joe McEwing (51), Sandy Alomar (80)

The post Morning Briefing: Astros Best Scherzer in Game 3 Win appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Click, per a USA Today report, has been linked with the Mets concerning their available general manager position, following the sudden and surprising resignation of Billy Eppler on October 5.

Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Post recently reported that new Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns may wait until next offseason to hire a general manager, choosing first to ascertain a strong understanding of the team’s baseball infrastructure through his own lens.

Click’s resume is impressive, having served in the Tampa baseball operations department for the 2006 – 2019 seasons, and then as general manager of Houston for the 2020 – 2022 seasons, in which the Astros compiled a record of 230-154, with three ALCS appearances and two World Series appearances, culminating with a World Series title in 2022.

Currently, Click is the vice president of baseball strategy with Toronto. Would he be willing to leave that position for the Mets general manager role? The Red Sox received their answer; now Stearns awaits his.

The post Click Declines Red Sox Interview Due to Family Considerations appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported Sunday that Joe Maddon wants to manage again and is interested in the Mets’ managerial opening. Maddon last managed the Angels from 2020-22, getting fired last June. The three-time Manager of the Year led the Rays to their first AL Pennant in 2008, and brought the Cubs to their first title in 108 years in 2016.

Latest Mets News

Nightengale also reports that former Phillies general manager Matt Klentak and former Astros GM James Click have emerged as candidates for the Mets’ vacancy. Klentak was the Phillies’ GM from 2015-2020, most notably signing Bryce Harper before the 2019 season. Click meanwhile served as Houston’s GM from 2020-2022, helping guide the Astros to two AL Pennants and a World Series ring.

Latest MLB News

In Game 2 of the ALDS, Mitch Garver crushed a grand slam in the third inning, and the Rangers held off a late charge by the Orioles for an 11-8 win and a 2-0 series lead. Corey Seager set a playoff record by drawing five walks in the contest.

Pablo López tossed seven shutout innings as the Twins evened up their series against the Astros with a 6-2 victory. Carlos Correa went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs, and Kyle Farmer blasted a two-run homer for his first postseason long ball.

Latest on MMO

Jack Markowski breaks down the top five free agents that the Mets should target this offseason.

This Date in Mets History

2015: Daniel Murphy goes deep, David Wright hits a two-run single, and Jacob deGrom out-duels Clayton Kershaw, striking out 13 over seven shutout innings as the Mets take Game 1 of the NLDS. Jeurys Familia records a four-out save to seal the victory.

Birthdays: Jim Tatum (56), Bill Pulsipher (50), Alay Soler (44), Jason Pridie (40), Starling Marte (35).

The post Morning Briefing: Joe Maddon Reportedly Interested in Managing Mets appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

James Click. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

According to Bob Nightingale of the USA Today, there are two candidates emerging for the New York Mets next general manager job. The two names mentioned in the report published Sunday are former Philadelphia Phillies’ general manager Matt Klentak and former Houston Astros’ general manager James Click.

Klentak served as the Phillies’ general manager from 2015 through 2020 before he stepped down from the position. Over that time, the Phillies logged five below-.500 seasons and one .500 season. Granted, when he took over, the Phillies were mired in a deep rebuild and Klentak helped improve the team’s record virtually every year during his reign.

Prior to the Phillies, the 43-year-old worked in the Colorado Rockies baseball operations department, in Major League Baseball’s labor relations department, with the Baltimore Orioles as director of baseball operations, and then was hired in 2011 to be the assistant general manger for the Los Angeles Angels.

As for James Click, he currently works with the Toronto Blue Jays in a vice president role. Previously, he was the Houston Astros’ general manager from 2020 until 2022. During his tenure, the Astros appeared in two World Series, wining the Fall Classic in 2022. Prior to that, he was with the Tampa Bay Rays’ organization for years, before becoming vice president of baseball operations in 2017.

With the hiring of president of baseball operations David Stearns, the Mets are now reportedly in the market for a general manager to work under Stearns. Former Mets’ general manager Billy Eppler was believed set to fulfill that role, however, in recent days he resigned from the position.

Also, mentioned in Nightingale’s article, former Los Angeles Angels and Chicago Cubs’ manager Joe Maddon is reportedly saying he would love to manage the Mets. Maddon, now 69 years old, has spent 19 years in the league as manger. He won the World Series as manager of the Cubs in 2016. He was let go by the Angels during the 2022 season. At the time of his firing the team had a 27-29 record.

The post Report: Matt Klentak, James Click Emerging As Potential Mets’ GM Candidates appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Houston Astros announced on Friday afternoon that they were parting ways with general manager James Click. The news comes within a week of the Astros winning the 2022 World Series with Click as their top baseball decision-maker. The Astros gave Click a slap in the face when they decided to offer him a one-year deal after the World Series parade.

“We have had great success in each of his three seasons, and James has been an important part of that success.  I want to personally thank him and wish him and his family well moving forward,” said Astros owner Jim Crane.

Click, 42, was named the Astros’ 13th GM in team history in February of 2020 and then led the team to three straight AL Championship Series and the last two World Series.

Before joining the Astros organization, Click spent 14 seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays including 2017-2019 as their vice president of baseball operations. Click wrote for Baseball Prospectus for several years before joining the Rays.

The speculation of whether David Stearns will leave the Brewers for the Astros top job has already started given that he was the assistant GM in Houston before getting the job in Milwaukee. Stearns announced earlier this offseason that he was going to step down as the president of baseball operations, but stick around with the team as an advisor. Stearns is under contract with the Brewers for the 2023 season and their owner has made it clear when the Mets were previously interested that Milwaukee would seek compensation for hiring Stearns.

There hasn’t been any speculation as to where Click will end up to this point, though you have to imagine he will be highly sought after by many teams this offseason.

The post James Click Won’t Return to Houston Astros appeared first on Metsmerized Online.