How David Stearns fixes Mets' bullpen will show belief he has in 2024 team

Does David Stearns believe in the 2024 Mets?

He’s going to say yes if asked, obviously, but it doesn’t matter what he says so much as what he does in the coming days and weeks to fortify a bullpen that dampened the Mets’ golden vibes over the weekend and threatens to derail a season that suddenly has promising possibilities.

It’s not Stearns’ fault, of course, that key injuries have weakened the pen, or that Edwin Diaz lost his mojo in May and then got himself that sticky-stuff suspension last week either out of arrogance or a lack of confidence that he’s back to his old self.

But that’s beside the point because it is Stearns’ job to do something more than call up mediocre minor league relievers and hope for a miracle that wasn’t going to happen, as was the case Sunday against the Houston Astros.

Which goes back to the original question: does the Mets’ president of baseball operations believe in this team, to the point of getting creative with his roster and utilizing starters as relievers, as well as getting a jump on the trade deadline -- even possibly giving up more for bullpen help than he had planned, big-picture wise?

Because I think it’s clear these Mets are good enough to be a legitimate postseason contender, based on their outstanding play in June, which was fueled by a lineup featuring stars finally playing like stars and young thumpers like Mark Vientos and Francisco Alvarez making a dramatic impact.

That doesn’t mean going all-in by any means. The starting pitching probably isn’t good enough to win a championship, though, on the other hand, it has more potential for dominance with Christian Scott likely returning from the minors this week and Kodai Senga seemingly finally making progress toward a long-awaited start to his season.

What it does mean is there is something to be said for seizing the moment. Because you just never know in sports.

Belief can go a long way for a team with talent, especially young talent, as we saw with the Arizona Diamondbacks last season, and certainly these Mets have a little something special going, rallying around Jose Iglesias’ “OMG” song as a way to bond and play with a certain joy that can also translate to wins and losses.

On the other hand, it’s also Stearns’ job to be the cold-blooded evaluator who doesn’t overreact if he deems the Mets’ recent play as more of a hot streak than an indicator of who they really are as a team.

It’s the reason GMs make the big bucks these days, after all.

So how does Stearns handle such a pivotal moment?

You can make the case that it’s still a long season ahead and he should bide his time and let the Mets’ play in July determine his course of action at the trade deadline, always keeping an eye on the big picture that is 2025 and beyond.

But I’d make the case this team has done enough to warrant action, especially when the watered-down wild card race is there for the taking.  

With that in mind, it was only a few weeks ago there was speculation, some of it seemingly coming from the Mets’ front office, that a super-smart exec like Stearns might just be both a buyer and a seller at the trade deadline. The idea is that he could deal from his surplus of starting pitching for prospects to benefit the long term plan while adding a depth reliever to help his current team.

Now, though, these Mets have climbed too far to consider selling anyone of significance for prospects, especially when that starting pitching surplus looms as perhaps the most logical solution to the bullpen crisis.

That is, with Scott returning from the minors, and especially if Senga makes it back, it’s worth trying Tylor Megill and David Peterson as relievers at some point. After all, it’s done wonders for Adrian Houser’s season.

Megill, in particular, has dominant stuff but can’t seem to get through five innings without making mistake pitches that blow up into a bad inning. Perhaps he’d have more success one or two innings as a time.

As for Peterson, it’s a relatively small sample size but he’s had more success as a reliever than a starter. In 16 appearances spanning 26.2 innings he has pitched to a 2.70 ERA, compared to 4.59 in 69 starts.

Jose Butto could be a possibility as well. Over the last two seasons he has proved he can pitch with success in the big leagues, and you’d have to think he’d be a better option than some of the relievers the Mets have pulled out of the minors recently.

I reached out for some insight on the idea, and one rival team exec said there are definite pros and cons to consider.

“It’s a reasonable thought, trying to maximize your best arms when you have a need,” the exec said, “but as a GM you also have to be prepared for injuries, and if you’re using starters as relievers for any extended time period, you could be in trouble if a couple of guys in the rotation get hurt. You also have to consider how it might affect their development as starters.

“If I’m the Mets, I might try it in some form as a band-aid and if the team is still playing well in a month, then you try to trade for bullpen arms. The problem is everybody is always looking for relievers at the deadline and this year especially there may not be a lot of inventory. You’ll probably have to overpay to get a good one. And it’s hard to do it this early. Usually the asking prices are higher than they will be at the deadline.”

Whenever he does it, perhaps that’s how Stearns ultimately uses his starting pitching depth, to trade for bullpen arms. Though a scout made the point to me that the Mets have built up their system enough to justify giving up a couple of solid prospects if necessary.

“You want depth in your system but part of the reason is so you can make trades when you need to,” the scout said. “The Mets are in much better shape than even a year ago, and they should also have a better idea of which of their better prospects they project as major leaguers, and which ones they’d be more comfortable moving.”

In short, there is a lot for Stearns to consider, now and come the end of this new month. His team has the look of a contender, but the bullpen desperately needs a lifeline.

How boldly the Mets’ POBO acts will go a long way toward answering the question of just how much he believes in his team.