David Stearns told reporters on Tuesday that the Mets will not be hiring a general manager to replace Billy Eppler this winter.
"I am not planning on filling that this offseason," Stearns said. "We have enough going on right now. I think we've got a front office grouping that is working well together. We're learning each other, and frankly, that is a process that takes immense time. So we'll tackle that at a different point."
The Mets do plan on hiring a GM to work under Stearns, but until that time, it appears as if Stearns will take the lead on that front, which won't be too much of a change considering Stearns was expected to handle the bulk of baseball decisions over Eppler when he was hired. Eppler resigned shortly after Stearns' arrival.
As for the stunning managerial carousel that occurred on Monday, with the Mets hiring Carlos Mendoza after Craig Counsell signed with the Cubs, Stearns said he talked with Counsell, and wished him the best.
"I didn't see that coming," Stearns said. "I love Craig. Craig and I are gonna be close, hopefully for a long time. I think he's really good at what he does…I told him he needed to make the right choice for himself and his family…Ultimately, he made the right decision for himself."
