Presser: David Stearns Discusses Mets Winter Meetings Plans

29.849 - 45.512 David Stearns

I think we're open-minded to getting better anywhere. I don't think there's a segment of our team right now that we can look at or that we would look at and say that's a finished product. So we have to be open-minded to all of the above.

45.492 - 61.982 David Stearns

very open and I've been very open from the moment our season ended that we have to get better at keeping runs off the board and I think we've made some progress in doing that and we're going to continue to look at areas where we can add players to our team that help us do that.

62.603 - 66.087 Unknown

Do you plan to meet with Pete Alonzo this week in person?

66.107 - 79.243 David Stearns

I did see Pete was coming. I think Pete knows us really well. I think we know Pete really well. I think he'll take the time here to perhaps meet with organizations he doesn't know quite as well, and I'm sure we'll be in touch.

80.905 - 85.05 Unknown

How would you characterize how things are going with that with Pete?

143.53 - 158.794 David Stearns

We're certainly thrilled that we were able to add Devin Williams. I wouldn't say we're done with our bullpen at this point. We recognize that we have slots to fill. Some of those may come through free agency. Some of those may come through trade.

158.814 - 175.978 David Stearns

Some of those may come from some internal candidates who we think are poised to take a next step, either in their development or the next step in perhaps a role they can occupy at the major league level. But we understand we've got some roles to fill in the pen, and I'm confident we're going to be able to do so.

175.998 - 184.63 Unknown

I know you said you're open to anything generally over your offseason, but where do you stand with long-term deals this year, this winter, knowing that you entered one last year with Soto?

185.42 - 216.706 David Stearns

So I think the SOTO contracted deal of that extent is quite unique. And I wouldn't envision that type of deal emerging for quite some time for our organization. But we will not close the door on any type of transaction. We have been engaged on multi-year and long-term type contracts. Whether it works out or not, I don't know. But we're not shutting the door on anything.

216.926 - 220.675 Unknown

Is there more of a willingness with position players maybe versus starting pitchers there?

366.725 - 377.801 David Stearns

So I don't know yet. I think we'll have a better sense of that retrospectively when we look back at spring training and see what actually occurred during the off-season or maybe even opening day and looked at the off-season.

378.762 - 404.898 David Stearns

My sense is there is a very large swath of the industry that is very much trying to compete and believes it's in a competitive window, whether it's big market, small market, mid-market. And so that may provoke a little bit more discussion on these need for need type trades rather than sort of your typical buy sell trades. And those are fun. Those need for need trades are kind of fun to execute.

404.918 - 422.506 David Stearns

They're fun to work through. It's more of a puzzle. And so I do think we've had more dialogue on that type of trade this off season than in the past. And it could just be we're at a point in the industry where we've got a lot of teams that are poised to go into next year competing.

423.147 - 434.11 Unknown

We've already done one of those, so you're just progressing to the fact that you like doing that. So is that a route that you tend to explore or one of the bigger avenues you tend to explore going forward?

434.292 - 452.111 David Stearns

Yeah, I think it is something we are exploring. Those types of deals are also the most challenging to put together. But yes, we are having those types of conversations. And my sense is, not only the ones that we are involved in, but my sense is those types of conversations are ongoing throughout the industry.

779.2 - 784.508 Unknown

What updates have you gotten from Kodai Senga, and is there reasonable expectations that he'll be able to contribute next year?

784.528 - 809.047 David Stearns

Yeah, Kodai has had an outstanding offseason, and I think maybe that's the most encouraging development we've had in terms of our offseason player progression. He feels great. He feels as good physically as he has since that 2023 season. He's going through his normal offseason routine.

809.067 - 819.045 David Stearns

He's actually going to come over to the States at the end of the month and throw here as well, which I think is a great sign. So we're very encouraged about how Kodai is progressing through the offseason.

819.065 - 830.317 Unknown

When you look at that outfield spot, is that an area where you can kind of address the run prevention, or do you need to fill some offense that you lost with, Brandon? Or a little bit of both?

830.337 - 852.16 David Stearns

I think it's always a balance. It's always a balance. I do think we are, you know, we believe defense is really important. And so in any acquisition we make, we're going to be cognizant of what that player does when he's standing at the position, not just what he does when he's in the box.

958.582 - 977.424 Von Miller

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989.615 - 1003.395 Unknown

Because of who your owner is, we always think you're going to sell things big game hunting to some degree. Could you, and obviously you did a major trade here and a major free agent, but is it possible you could be subtle the rest of the way?

1005.298 - 1029.827 David Stearns

I like that description. I'm thinking about becoming a writer. Look, I... I think as always, it's probably a combination. I think we're probably gonna make some moves that don't grab a ton of headlines that we think are really impactful moves for our organization. And imagine over the course of the off season, there are also gonna be moves that allow you guys to write a lot.

1030.648 - 1051.037 David Stearns

And so I think it's probably a combination of the both and that's what we should be doing. I think given our market, given the support that our owner puts into this team, We have the ability to make both the more headlining moves and the more subtle moves that quietly really help a roster.