NEW YORK (AP) — Brandon Nimmo went first. Then it was Edwin Díaz and Pete Alonso on back-to-back days at baseball’s winter meetings.
Three fan favorites headed out the door in 2 1/2 weeks — a powerful gut punch to angry New York Mets fans wondering what on earth the front office is thinking.
As the club embarks on a major makeover, suffice to say owner Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns are not the most popular couple in Queens right now.
“I’m very optimistic about where our offseason is headed,” Stearns said Tuesday in Florida, before news of Alonso’s agreement with Baltimore. “We certainly have work to do, but there are many good players out there. I’m confident we’ll like where our team is once we get to opening day.”
What a difference a year makes, though.
Cohen and Stearns were the toast of the town last December, beating out the crosstown New York Yankees for prized free agent Juan Soto with a record $765 million contract.
That came on the heels of an unanticipated thrill ride to the 2024 National League Championship Series, after Stearns scored big with several unheralded acquisitions during his first year in charge: Sean Manaea, Luis Severino, Jose Iglesias and Tyrone Taylor.
Surely with Cohen’s bankroll and Stearns’ brain, the Mets were poised to take a large bite out of the Big Apple for years to come.
Yankees, be damned. Dodgers, on notice. Phillies, fuhgeddaboudit!
But as most of their top rivals continued to flourish this year, the Mets finished 83-79 and missed the playoffs. Baseball’s second-biggest spenders, at $429 million in payroll and projected luxury tax, went 38-55 in a stunning collapse after building the best record in the majors (45-24) through June 12.
The day after the season ended, Stearns took the blame for failing at the trade deadline and Cohen apologized to fans on social media. The coaching staff under manager Carlos Mendoza was soon overhauled.
Many figured Cohen, one of the wealthiest owners in sports, would quickly reach into his robust wallet this winter — at least to keep Díaz and Alonso from leaving in free agency. But that hasn’t really happened.
“Steve gives us everything we need,” Stearns said this week. “We have a lot of resources. No team has unending resources.”
After the Mets signed two-time All-Star reliever Devin Williams to a $51 million, three-year contract, Díaz agreed to a $69 million, three-year deal with the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, subject to a successful physical.
Media reports indicated New York was outbid by only about $3 million for Díaz, who arrived in 2019 and ranks third in franchise history with 144 saves.
Then on Wednesday, news broke that Alonso agreed to a $155 million, five-year contract with the Orioles, a deal finalized on Thursday.
A person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press the Mets expressed interest in again retaining the slugging first baseman, which they did last offseason, but decided to wait and see what happened between Alonso and other teams rather than press a pursuit themselves. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because those details were not announced.
“I’m flabbergasted,” Mets broadcast analyst and former pitcher Ron Darling said on MLB Network.
“Maybe they get in the Kyle Tucker race now, for a legit bat in the outfield. But it’s just, these last two days have to really be hard on Mets fans.”
All this after Nimmo, the ebullient outfielder who was the longest-tenured player on the team, waived the no-trade provision in his contract last month and accepted a deal to Texas for Gold Glove second baseman Marcus Semien.
“That’s three unbelievably great players, beloved by the fan base, have proven that they can pitch or play in New York. That’s not an easy thing, right?” Darling said. “And now, all gone.”
Alonso and Nimmo combined for 63 homers and 218 RBIs last season.
“They’ve now paid Soto ($765) million to walk 150 times next year,” Darling said.
Stearns grew up in Manhattan rooting for the Mets, and Cohen was a fervent fan even before buying the club five years ago. But they’ve shown little sentimentality when it comes to valuing core players, and Stearns said after trading Nimmo that “running back the exact same group wasn’t the right thing to do.”
Reports of clubhouse tension emerged in recent weeks, though Mendoza challenged that notion.
Alonso holds the franchise record with 264 home runs. He and Nimmo join a notable list of homegrown Mets stalwarts who eventually went elsewhere — from Tug McGraw, Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman and Jon Matlack to Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, José Reyes and Jacob deGrom.
David Wright remains one of the few star position players to spend his entire career in blue and orange.
The pressure on Stearns, a small-market success in Milwaukee, now increases exponentially to plug several big holes and rebuild a contender. Third baseman Mark Vientos could shift to first as Alonso’s replacement, but New York’s particular plans are unclear. And the more quality players who leave, the harder it becomes to convince free agents the Mets are currently equipped to win.
These things are certain:
Defense and baserunning are priorities for Stearns.
He seems very reluctant to give players in their 30s contracts longer than three years.
And he believes in putting youth on the field, seeking roster flexibility and space at positions that will provide playing opportunities for the promising hitters in a highly rated farm system such as Carson Benge, Jett Williams and Ryan Clifford.
“Our resources that we have here are an enormous advantage,” Stearns said. “And as long as we allocate those resources intelligently, they’re going to continue to be an enormous advantage.”
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AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum and AP freelance writer Kristie Ackert contributed to this report.
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