David Stearns proves he’s again sticking with his Mets plan

PORT ST. LUCIE — David Stearns has expertly navigated two worlds so far running the Mets baseball operations — “threading the needle” in his words.

He has stated that the top priority in Year 1 of his administration is to prioritize the big picture — don’t jam up long-term payroll or roster space while fully learning what he has in his youngsters. Yet, Stearns has insisted that within those confines the team will try to maximize wins and expects to make the playoffs. 

“You should be able to do both at the same time,” Stearns said.

For a top official running a team, Stearns has been remarkably publicly transparent and consistent about the approach — he has done what he has said he will do, whether you love his plan or not.

Within that plan two steps have already played out — the theory portion he offered Steve Cohen to be hired as president of baseball operations then the offseason execution to assemble a roster. But we already have nudged into Part 3: adaptation.

Stearns and Carlos Mendoza arrived with fresh eyes, and so did many on their staffs. They have been gaining first-hand experience with the players now. It is just the appetizer, and Stearns, in particular, downplays the importance of spring games when it comes to decision making — favoring instead all of the information the club has been gathering from back fields and meetings and viewing the incorporation of, say, new pitches or hitting approaches. And Stearns has shown a history of patience to let a strategy evolve more fully.