Recap: How the front office rating works
This is one in a series of assessments of the performances of front offices for the 2024 season. Each front office is given a score based on the total Wins Above Average of the players they either traded for, signed via free agency or extension, or promoted from their farm system, since the conclusion of the 2023 postseason.
A front office’s score also includes the total Wins Above Average of players traded away or lost to free agency since the end of the 2023 postseason. The front offices are being presented in order of their total value from No. 30 (worst) all the way to No. 1 (best).
These ratings do not necessarily reflect the final standings. Front offices are measured based only on the talent they acquired or lost during the past 12 months. Players on multi-year contracts, or already under team control, don’t count toward this rating.
No. 16: New York Mets, David Stearns, president of baseball operations, +1.2
Steve Cohen’s wallet may easily be baseball’s richest, but the Mets actually reduced payroll — ever so slightly — in 2024. With Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander both coming off the books, Mets president David Stearns took a more measured approach when he arrived last November.
Lightly regarded free agent southpaw Sean Manaea signed in January and proved to be a hidden gem. Manaea, who Stearns got for a bargain-basement $14.5 million, went 12-6 with a solid 3.47 ERA in 32 starts and was a key piece of the team’s run to the NLCS (and has since re-signed on a three-year deal).
Stearns also got infielder Jose Iglesias, who had been released by the Padres the previous summer, for close to the major league minimum. Rotating around the infield as needed, Iglesias hit .337 with an impressive .830 OPS. Combined with his usual steady-handed defense, his contributions added up to a +2.1 WAA contribution.
The most important thing Stearns did was ride the hand he inherited. The guts of the playoff team — shortstop Francisco Lindor, catcher Francisco Alvarez, first baseman Pete Alonso, outfielders Starling Marte and Brandon Nimmo, and pitchers José Quintana, David Peterson, Reed Garrett and Edwin Diaz — all were playing on contracts signed by his predecessor, Billy Eppler.
Five most impactful Stearns moves
Transaction | Net Impact (Wins Above Average) |
|---|---|
Signed free agent infielder Jose Iglesias | +2.1 |
Released pitcher Carlos Carrasco | +2.1 |
Signed free agent pitcher Adrian Houser | -1.6 |
Signed free agent pitcher Sean Manaea | +1.4 |
Promoted rookie pitcher Jose Butto | +1.3 |
Overall, Stearns' re-fashioning of the Mets’ roster impacted 53 players on the big league team. At a superficial level, the body count does not look favorable to Stearns; 31 of those moves produced negative results for New York, against just 18 with positive value (four were neutral).
For Stearns, the saving grace was that most of those negative impacts had trivial value, while his hits were measurably helpful. Seven of the players moved in or out of Queens generated values of +/-1.0 WAA or larger, and five of those significant impacts favored the Mets.
The one noteworthy exception was former Brewer Adrian Houser, signed as a free agent in November. Houser lasted seven starts with a 1-5 record and 5.64 ERA, good for a -1.6 WAA.
It all adds up to a slightly positive score. As NL East front offices go, that’s middle of the pack; better than the Nationals and Marlins, but lagging behind the Braves and Phillies.
The test for Stearns will be this offseason. He's off to a very solid start with the signing of Juan Soto. But Alonso remains a free agent and the Mets may need further upgrades to stay in a class with the Dodgers, Phillies and Braves in the National League. The Soto signing demonstrates that Stearns plainly has the financial resources to improve the team. The question is simple: what will he do with them?
Previous Rankings
17. Tampa Bay Rays, Eric Neander, president of baseball operations, +0.1
16. New York Mets, David Stearns, president of baseball operations, +1.2
Next: 15. Arizona Diamondbacks, Mike Hazen, executive vice president and general manager, +1.9