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David Stearns’ five-year, $50 million Mets deal has no opt-out

Oct. 2, 2023
David Stearns’ five-year, $50 million Mets deal has no opt-out

David Stearns is going to see this one through.

The new Mets front office boss — introduced Monday as the team’s president of baseball operations — will be paid $50 million over five years, according to The Post’s Jon Heyman.

The deal does not come with an opt-out, despite some industry rumblings, per The Post’s Joel Sherman.

That means Stearns, an Upper East Side native, is in for the long haul of shepherding the franchise through the task of reaching the playoffs in 2024 and fulfill owner Steve Cohen’s goal of competing for a World Series the following season and beyond.

“We are going to do our best to put together a team in 2024 that is competitive,” Stearns said Monday. “And we’re going to do it in a way that does not detract from our competitiveness in the future years. That is a needle to thread, but that’s our goal and that should be our goal.

The 38-year-old former Mets intern and Brewers executive has a lengthy offseason to-do list set out before him, one that includes replacing manager Buck Showalter and solidifying Pete Alonso’s future with the franchise.

“I know over the summer there was some trade speculation,” Stearns said. “[But] I expect Pete to be the Opening Day first baseman next year. Pete is an important member of this team. He’s an important member of this organization and I think we’re really fortunate to have him.”

Any notion of Stearns and Cohen having to feel one another out seems misguided — especially after what Stearns pegged at a dozen phone calls and four face-to-face meetings that often lasted between three to six hours, as well as a dinner with their wives.

“I think Steve and I do share a vision for what the Mets can and should be,” Stearns said. “And I think Steve also understands and Alex understands how important my family was to me and this really is a family endeavor.”


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