As David Stearns begins his tenure as Mets president of baseball operations, one major question is the level of competitiveness the team expects to have in year one of his tenure, given reports at the trade deadline that New York was eyeing 2025 as a closer landmark to contention.
Asked about it at his introductory press conference on Monday, Stearns told reporters that he expects the Mets to be "competitive" in 2024.
"We are going to put together, and do our best to put together, a team that is competitive in 2024, and we're gonna do it in a way that does not detract from our competitiveness in future years," Stearns said. "That is a needle to thread, but that's out goal, and that should be our goal. We are in the biggest market in the country and have plenty of resources.
"We're going to aim to put together a competitive club next year that our fans can be excited about, and be sure we do it in a manner and a way that doesn't detract from future years."
The Mets are thin in the starting rotation, and in the bullpen behind Edwin Diaz, while the offense could use more power outside of Pete Alonso. Many of those areas of need cannot be addressed internally, at least not yet. So, does that mean Steve Cohen will execute another offseason spending spree?
"We're going to be competitive. But I'm not gonna get out in front of that decision," Cohen said. "I've got a new person here that's going to help me think about things. I look forward to having those conversations."
