Mets exec Stearns: No 'mulligans' on Alonso's exit — SkimNews
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- David Stearns acknowledged the Mets' first-base production 'wasn't good enough' after declining to re-sign Pete Alonso, saying 'I don't get mulligans' as Alonso went on to lead the AL with 43 homers and 113 RBIs for Baltimore on a five-year, $155 million deal.
- Alonso became the first player in major league history to win an RBI crown in both leagues, while Mets first basemen combined for just 18 homers, 77 RBIs and a .667 OPS — the third-lowest in MLB.
- The Mets finished 74-88 on a record $358 million payroll, their worst mark since 2017, capped by a 'miserable' final weekend in Washington after being eliminated from contention.
- Stearns added former Minnesota Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey as senior adviser reporting directly to him, part of a front-office restructuring entering a critical offseason.
- Andy Green was awarded the full-time managerial job on a three-year contract after going 40-41 as interim following his June 26 promotion, with rookies Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing and Nolan McLean fueling a 27-22 stretch after the trade deadline.
- Juan Soto (.908 OPS) and Francisco Lindor (.225 average, .733 OPS, 49 RBIs) both posted career-low seasons while sidelined by calf injuries, magnifying the gap left by Alonso's departure.
Why it matters: The Mets' $358 million payroll produced the franchise's worst record in eight years and a last-place NL East finish, the direct cost of which is now visible in Stearns' public admission that first-base production cratered without Alonso. With a managerial hire made, a front-office addition in Derek Falvey, and major holes at first base, second base, the rotation and the bullpen, Stearns faces an offseason where ownership's 'extraordinarily motivated' mandate meets a roster that needs substantial new investment.
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