Again in October, when the Mets had been nonetheless in the hunt for a brand new baseball operations chief, SNY’s Andy Martino reported that Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns — recognized to be of curiosity to Mets proprietor Steve Cohen — may have a vesting option for the 2023 season on his contract. Stearns was already recognized to be signed via 2022 in any case, and the presence of a clause extending that date via the 2023 season solely additional diminished the chance that he’d be a practical candidate in Queens.
Now, Martino adds some additional context, writing that Stearns is technically signed via the 2023 season, however his contract permits him to change into a free agent this offseason if Milwaukee wins the Nationwide League pennant in 2022. Basically, one in every of his perks based mostly on the workforce’s on-field success can be the suitable to discover his market and area curiosity from different golf equipment a 12 months sooner than in any other case scheduled.
The Mets, specifically, are recognized to covet Stearns. Their courtship of Stearns goes again two years now, as Cohen has sought permission to interview Stearns — and been denied by the Brewers — in every of the previous two offseasons. Stearns has at all times been a long-shot goal for the Mets, as most golf equipment typically solely enable executives to interview with different groups if the chance in query would mark a promotion. Stearns already has baseball operations autonomy in Milwaukee and holds the title (president, baseball operations) that’s now mostly given to entrance workplace leaders.
Even when the Brewers don’t make a World Collection look and set off Stearns’ early out, it’s fairly doable a contemporary spherical of Mets/Stearns rumors will kick up once more this winter nonetheless. In spite of everything, nothing had modified from Nov. 2020 to Nov. 2021 — Stearns was nonetheless underneath contract for a number of years — however the Mets nonetheless positioned him atop their entrance workplace wishlist, solely to once more be rebuffed by the Brewers. Cohen employed Billy Eppler underneath the title of “common supervisor,” not “president of baseball operations,” so it’s technically doable that he might rent Stearns to move up the Mets’ baseball operations workers even with Eppler on board as GM.
One method to extra firmly put an finish to any pursuits of Stearns from rival golf equipment can be for Brewers proprietor Mark Attanasio to signal Stearns to a brand new extension. It’s now been greater than three years since Stearns was promoted from common supervisor to president and signed to the extension on which he’s at the moment working. Maybe Stearns, who’ll flip 37 later this week, is intrigued by the opportunity of fielding curiosity from different golf equipment and wouldn’t wish to discover a brand new contract right now, however there’s nothing stopping the Brewers from discussing a Stearns extension through the lockout, ought to they select.
