David Stearns outlines Mets' offseason plan, including pursuit of pitching and view on trading prospects

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns has a lot on his plate this offseason, including assembling a coaching staff and filling out his front office (though he won't be adding a GM this winter).

But the thing that will take center stage is what he does with a roster that is in serious need in a bunch of different areas.

And it came as no surprise that Stearns singled out pitching as one of the top priorities as free agency gets underway.

"I don't think it's any secret that we're probably a little short on pitching at the moment," Stearns said at the GM Meetings in Scottsdale, Ariz.. "And so, that will be a priority in this offseason. If we look at run-prevention as a whole, there are probably ways we can improve run prevention.

"Run-prevention is certainly starting pitching. It's relief pitching. It's defense. I think those will be areas that we'll pay attention to. And it won't surprise you guys to hear I'm open to opportunities. "

Stearns also made it clear that the Mets will be opportunistic if they see a fit for a player who wouldn't necessarily be filling a position of need.

"I try not to draw firm lines in the sand at the front end of an offseason. We are and will continue to canvas the industry," he explained. "We will pay attention to what's going on out there, and if we think there are attractive opportunities -- either in free agency or trade, in areas where we actually think we're doing OK in the club -- we'll explore those as well. I'm not afraid of too many good players in one particular segment."

On the pitching search specifically, with the Mets having Kodai Senga and Jose Quintana as incumbents in the rotation, Stearns said he was open to adding either two or three more starters.

"If we have the opportunity to fill out our starting rotation with solidified pitchers, and there are deals that make sense for us or trades that make sense for us, I'm not gonna close the door on that," he noted.

Stearns also said that a spring training competition for the final spot would be "healthy" if it came to it, and made it a point to say it could be a five-or six-man rotation.

Another thing Stearns discussed at length was the money vs. prospects debate, and whether New York was willing to deal from a farm system that is on the upswing and features several potentially high-impact players who should start to contribute in the majors in 2024 and 2025.

"I think where we are as an organization I've been very explicit about this, and certainly Steve (Cohen) has been explicit about this," Stearns said. "We're aiming to get to a place where we can compete consistently at a championship-caliber level for a long time. You generally don't do that by continuously raiding your farm system.

"Does that mean we're never gonna trade prospects? Of course not. Does it mean we're gonna be cautious when we do? Yeah. Does it mean that we're going do it maybe a little bit judiciously, and make sure it's the right moment or the right time for our organization to do that? I think that's probably fair. But we're never going to shut down a conversation."

Stearns also touched on the Mets' third base situation, where Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio could possibly compete in spring training.

And while Stearns said the team "will look" at possible third base additions as a matter of due diligence, he made it seem like the Mets were very likely to go internal at the position -- and give plenty of playing time to their young players in 2024.

"We will construct a roster that provides enough flexibility so that our young, talented players do get a chance over the course of a year," he said.