As the dust settled in the wake of the trade deadline on Thursday evening, David Stearns still had one more move to make: hopping on a virtual press conference to answer questions from the media.
The Mets had an adventurous twenty-four hour stretch, acquiring elite right-handed relievers Tyler Rogers from the Giants and Ryan Helsley from the Cardinals on Wednesday before completing a deal for Orioles’ center fielder Cedric Mullins on Thursday afternoon. Last Friday, they also acquired left-handed
reliever Gregory Soto from Baltimore. In total, the Mets parted with ten minor leaguer players, as well as reliever José Buttó. But the organization was determined to hold on to its most premium prospects—including INF/OF Jett Williams, OF Carson Benge, RHP Jonah Tong, and RHP Nolan McLean—and hold on they did.
“The story of this deadline for us is really an amateur talent acquisition and player development story,” Stearns told reporters, stressing the team’s minor league depth. “We’re able to go out, acquire players that we think are really going to help us at the major league level, and not touch some really high-upside players at the top of our system.”
The Mets still paid a sizable price, sending RHP Blade Tidwell and former first-rounder OF Drew Gilbert to San Francisco, as well as 20-year-old SS Jesus Baez to St. Louis. “There are a lot of teams looking for arms,” Stearns said. “We knew that. We went after some arms that we think are pretty talented, so we expected it to be competitive, and it was.”
Stearns spoke about the Mets’ revamped bullpen, explaining the type of impact Rogers and Helsley can make down the stretch. “First and foremost, both those guys can get outs, and they can get outs in high-leverage against both sides of the plate,” Stearns said. He also pointed to how Rogers and Helsley get outs “differently from one another.” For reference, Rogers thrives on soft contact, with a submarine arm angle that marks the lowest of any right-hander in baseball; meanwhile, Helsley averages 99.3 mph on his fastball and boasts an 86th-percentile Whiff%, with an extreme over-the-top arm angle that marks the fourth-highest among right-handers.
On the position player side, Stearns gave a vote of confidence in Mullins’ defense despite the former Gold Glove Award winner’s declining metrics, saying the Mets “like the quality of centerfield he’s played” since returning midseason from a hamstring injury. Stearns pointed to how Mullins’ defensive and base-running abilities make him a good fit with the organization, saying, “We talk a lot about ways that players can impact games that may not always show up in the box score, and we think Cedric has the ability to do a lot of that.”
Though Mullins has been on a tear recently, hitting .435 with seven extra-base hits in his past seven games, he’s put up just a 105 OPS+ this season. Jeff McNeil, who has been seeing more time in center field for the Mets, has a 131 OPS+. Stearns indicated that McNeil would still receive some center field opportunities, as well as time at second base and designated hitter.
Stearns offered an update on Jesse Winker, who was transferred to the 60-Day injured list on Thursday. Regarding his return, Stearns said the Mets are “certainly not closing the door on this season, but it’s not going to be August.” Stearns acknowledged that the evolution of Winker’s timetable contributed to the Mets’ desire to acquire another left-handed bat at the deadline. Stearns also didn’t rule out a return from Jose Siri, saying the team expects an update on his status in the next 7-10 days.
Stearns discussed plans for the team’s rotation moving forward, as the Mets did not land a starting pitcher despite being engaged in that market leading up to the deadline. “As I’ve said throughout, I think there are multiple ways to build a pitching staff, and we focused on the back end,” Stearns said. “We’re really happy with the arms we were able to acquire who are gonna pitch out of our pen.” Stearns noted that “not every starting pitcher that was rumored or was available was ultimately moved,” a list including Sandy Alcantara, Dylan Cease, Joe Ryan, and Zac Gallen. As for prospects like Nolan McLean and Brandon Sproat, Stearns said that the Mets’ Triple-A arms “could be part of the mix going forward if needed.”
Multiple questions were pointed toward reliever-turned-starter Clay Holmes, whose recent struggles coincide with a surge past his previous career innings-limit. Stearns wouldn’t commit to moving Holmes to the bullpen, saying the right-hander’s “stuff, for the most part, has still been there,” while acknowledging Holmes needs to go deeper into games. “Clay knows that, he’s working hard to do that, and I think we’ll be able to see it,” Stearns said.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the press conference came when Anthony DiComo asked Stearns the question on many fans’ minds: does the organization’s moves reflect a sense of urgency to maximize on their current window for championship contention?
“I don’t view this as windows,” Stearns said. “Our responsibility here is to give ourselves a chance to make the playoffs and ultimately win a World Series every single year…I don’t view this period of Mets competitiveness in a defined window. I view it as the beginning of what should be a very long and sustained period of competitiveness at the highest level, and I think the moves we were able to make the last couple of days certainly help that this year without—in a very material way—sacrificing some really high-upside, special talent that could help us in the years to come.”
Fans will get their first look at Rogers, Helsley, and Mullins as the Mets take on the Giants in a three-game series that begins on Friday night at Citi Field.
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