Stearns Nukes The Core: Mets Enter Full Meltdown

Stearns Nukes The Core: Mets Enter Full Meltdown

We’ve decided to make tomorrow the last show. I’m going to move on after that. I know you’ll be here beyond that a little bit, but we’re very appreciative of the opportunity. We understand the changes with the new lineup. Best of wishes to everybody that’s in that new lineup. Congrats to everybody on Craigy coming back. McMonigo, Lug, all the parties involved. Congrats to everybody. But tomorrow, just want to get this out of the way now. Tomorrow will be the last BT and S show on the fan. Yeah. And and I’m happy you got the first part out of the way. There there’s a lot of u good people here that have been working really hard for a long time trying to climb up. So while it’s tough for us, I’m happy for them. Uh sincerely. Yeah. Tomorrow’s the last BT sound show. I’ve got the hoodie on today. I saw I was going to wear it tomorrow, but now it might be corny if I do. No, listen. Listen, you you got me this for Christmas. I think the first Christmas, right? First Christmas present. Yeah. Oh man. Now it’s now it’s a classic. We’re going to have fun, man. and we’re going to we’re going to do the show obviously, but of course the news broke uh officially yesterday, the company release and you know, obviously when Sam and I were on the air a week ago when Marian broke it, you know, a bit of a tough spot. We we plow through it. Uh certainly appreciate the the company trusting us to to go on the air and not be reckless, but to be pros, which we will do until the end here. So that’s it. tomorrow, the last one. Maybe bust out a baseball card pass, maybe get a couple of good guests, and then I will, and I’ll get to this later, but I’ll do a couple of shows the following week by myself, and then I’m out the door as well in terms of full-time stuff. So, that’s where we’re at. Let’s let it loose. Let’s have a little fun and uh let’s finish strong as you know, we will. And we’re not the only people leaving New York. Edwin Diaz, Pete Alonzo on their way out as well. And we’re still kind of picking up the scratch scraps to that BT. And after thinking about a little bit more last night, I still feel measured in my approach. I think the Diaz thing is totally separate. Everybody’s going to couple the two together with Diaz and Alonzo and oh my god, everything’s caving in on the Mets. Diaz, I do think they botch, but as it pertains to Allonzo for a second, my my question is why you and I, it’s probably the number one thing that we’ve debated in our two and a half years here. Pete Alonzo, do they want him? Should he stay? What? All those different things. I need to hear why David Sterns when the Mets have the resources to match or blow away the Orioles and you know I wanted Pepac and I’ve been back and forth over the years as well but I just wanted that power bat in the lineup behind Juanto. I I I thought it would make them a better team and I would give him the six years 180 that was my number. Obviously he got less than that with the 5155. I need to hear Stern say why they were not willing to give we know he wasn’t willing to go to that length. Why would be the answer or the question that I have that I need to hear, David Stern? Yeah, I’d like to hear that answer as well. It’s it’s impossible to look at this regardless of where you stand on Pete and you know where I stand. I mean, cuz you’re right. It probably has been topic number one on this show. I mean, I don’t even really know what’s a close second. I mean, maybe something will pop into my head if I give it more thought, but I I think it’s the Mets stuff. It’s the Pete stuff. It’s the chemistry stuff. It’s the the clubhouse dynamic stuff. I I do think that Pete was disrespected without an offer, you know. Um it it’s it’s a callous business. Uh just like our business can be callous at times when you’re in the entertainment business, the athletic business. It is what it is, right? So I I look at this from David’s perspective. And and I know these public enemy number one, and everybody’s ripping them. And I get it. I get it. Let that emotion flow. You’re a Mets guy. You’re an Alonzo guy. You’re pissed off. Been 40 years. Understood. This guy comes in who’s from here and a Mets fan takes a wrecking ball to a lot of things that you have been emotionally connected to. So I understand the uproar, but David Sterns’s job is not to play Kate, the Met fan. David Sterns’s job is to build a championship, which countless men before him have failed to do. So I think what happened first off I think there was a a fairly early recognition by Sterns maybe not by Con as much but by Sterns that the pieces did not fit from a player perspective. And then I think as he became a little bit more embedded and and and immersed in the day-to-day culture of the Mets being here longer and longer and longer, I think in addition to him finding out the players didn’t fit, I think he started to find out that some of the personalities didn’t fit. Maybe I I had and and I’m going to trust Sterns. You know, yesterday I wasn’t overreacting the day before I got on Diaz, whatever. And and to me, that’s a different situation. But with the Pete stuff, I just don’t see unless there is something deeper there. And I don’t believe that that’s the case necessarily because they would have offered him three years. So, if you’re going to offer him three years to come back, then that can’t be that there’s a deeper personality issue. Then you would just say, “No, we don’t want him.” Period. End of story. The Yankees didn’t offer Deon Williams anything. They didn’t want him back. It wasn’t like, well, we didn’t want him at the price. No, they didn’t want him back or whatever. Pick a player that teams move on from Glaver Torres. Same thing with the Yankees a year ago. So, that was not the case with the Mets. They brought him back last year. So, I don’t think it was that. So, now let’s get to the baseball aspect of it. And you could say, and you’ve said it many times, well, I don’t think he ages well. Whatever. Okay. What you can’t dispute is that Peter Lonzo is posted, plays every single day, and his power has been a proven commodity. I want to know why David Sterns when he has the resources to bring Pete back if he chooses why he thinks he can build a better team minus Pete Alonzo’s bat being in the New York Met lineup every day. Well, my I I guess I guess I would answer that kind of with a question that will lead to an eventual answer. I mean, and this two-part question. Did Peter Lonzo have a good year last year? The obvious answer would be yes. Very good. Very good. Did Juan Sodto though a little topheavy or a little late to get going? Did Wanoto in totality have a really good year last year? The answer is yes. So you had Pete Mashing basically from start to finish and you had Sodto basically by the end of the season getting to the neighborhood of what Juan Sto usually does statistically and the Mets still stunk. So that’s so I I say that because I think in Sterns is and I’ve always agreed with this part. Now I put Sodto Sodto apart obviously but I think that it’s too easy to say well if I lost with you I could try to win with you. I mean anybody can say that. That’s a cute little hallmark saying but I I really do believe that there’s depth there. I and it’s because it’s not one year. It’s multiple years of evidence to NMO but it’s not working. They already moved on from NMO. I agree. You know we’ve talked about changing up the court. I I just what I don’t understand is that I feel like Sterns is making his job more difficult because you could also change up other aspects of the team and improve. You can change the entire rotation. You’re already in the process of changing the outfield. You can change the DH spot. You could have also brought Pete back and kept his power in that lineup behind Sodto and made your job a little bit easier. Now there’s even more work to do. Forget about World Series. Yeah, you the the the team wasn’t a playoff team last year. Sure. Right now, they’re they’re one of the 10 worst rosters in baseball right now. And and that will change, which is why I was measured yesterday. I’m not going to go nuts just to go nuts. I do believe Steve Cohen and Sterns are going to build a ball club that’s going to be very capable of making a postseason birth and and all that stuff and going on a run. But I they could have done that with Pete Bat, which is why I I it doesn’t compute to me. They better have some big moves up their sleeve. And it doesn’t sound like Kyle Tucker, but that that to me would be okay. You know what? We were sleeping on him. They went and got Tucker. You move So to left. Now you’re better in right. You’re better in left. And you get a better allound player in Tucker. But it’s going to take that type of move plus a big trade, let’s say, with the Brewers or a a trade for school. Those are the type of moves. Bellinger doesn’t do it for me anymore. I’m sorry. Not as the only move. No, it would have been belly with Pete, you know, or whatever. Sure. Things we’ve talked about here. You know, I I think that I’ve changed my mind on one thing. Not about Pete and not about having some belief in Sterns. All right. I still believe in him to an extent. To an extent. Probably a little bit more than I don’t. But what I think I I no longer subscribe to now, and I kind of did even as recently as yesterday, is that I don’t necessarily expect some some spending spree. Like I think that and I heard a lot of it on the station whether you’re a host, whether you’re a caller, a lot of stuff on social media. Well, you know, now the Mets are going to go bonkers. I don’t know about that. Like I think in terms of spending spree and just cutting check after check and going after Tucker, going after Bellinger, going after all these pitchers, doing this and doing that. I’m not saying there won’t be any trades. I really believe that there’s going to be an upgrade or two in the rotation. And I’m starting to think that Sterns is ready to give some of these kids a chance. Yes. Some of the young kids, which is not necessarily the wrong thing. No, but it’s it’s not the wrong thing. And it actually could be the very right thing down the road. But in terms of like expectations and energy and juice for 2026, it might have to be dialed down a lot. Which is why, and you’re right, and we did this on SNY yesterday with guys who were reporting Will Sam and Andy Martino saying essentially that, well, it could be Ventosa McNeel first. I’m like about to put my fist through the camera on set. Like what are we talking about here? But the one thing Cohen and the Mets have done consistently is go after, you know, whether it’s Yamamoto, whether it’s Sodto, they’ve put the pedal to the metal on younger highend players. They’re not just throwing money at midlevel players. You know, let’s say Framber Valdez or what. I’m not calling him mid, but he’s not a true ace. Yeah. And 30% of his prime is already gone. and pitching might be a different story alto together, but I’m just using him as an example. The the Mets have done that with Yamamoto with stood. It would make sense and fall in line to their thinking. If they were to do the same with Kyle Tucker because he’s young enough, he’s in the prime of his career. He’s a well-rounded player. If you go point this, if you’re going to make a big investment, invest it in the right guy. And Soda was the right guy. Yamamoto was the right way to do that. Tucker would be okay. Well, they’re not trying to just spread the money out and get the C D level players. You’re going after the A player and investing in him and then bring in the younger guys around that. I’m not so sure that’s going to happen. But if it doesn’t, I’m with you. I don’t think they’re just going to be throwing money at all these free agents to try to build this team. I know this is not reassuring today, but I think it could be big picture. Uh, and this was really the first thing. This is even before the news broke about Pete cuz we were still on the Diaz stuff. Yes, it is to start the show. Um, I I think it’s a good sign, uh, not not the ultimate great sign, but at least a good sign that he didn’t deviate, I’m talking about Sterns, forget about Cohen, from what he was positioning himself to do this off season. We knew how they felt about Pete last off season. Only thing that happened was the average went up a little bit, obviously, showed that he could protect Sodto, but he didn’t get younger, didn’t get quicker, didn’t become Keith Hernandez at first base. know the Mets view, Sterns’ view on Pete was never going to radically change when they didn’t really want him a year ago. That was a lot of fandom and and and come I think with a little gentle nudge. Hey, get this done. Get this done and let’s see where we go. I think that he’s still true to his core principles is a good thing. Those core principles just need to be proven right eventually. Oh, and they’re going to be they’re going to be tested big time. Already being tested right now. BT and Sal on the fan. and our friends at Town Fair Tire remind you that at Town Fair Tire you always get the guaranteed lowest price on name brand tires from Connecticut to Maine. Nobody beats Town Fair Tire. Nobody Rob is calling from Merrick starting us off. What’s up, Robbie? Hey guys, just want to first off say best of wishes to you guys in your future endeavors, man. It’s been awesome listening to you and just want to wish you best of luck going forward with everything you guys are doing. Thank you, buddy. Um, no problem. Yeah. And in terms of this man, Steve Cohen, he is the Gordon Gecko of baseball owners. And to the to him, the message is Blueest Star Airlines. All right. He bought them he bought them knowing that the land around it was even more valuable than the team itself. So he can get that casino. And now that it’s been all approved and everything like that, he doesn’t have to spend so much money on the Mets anymore. You know, he got soda last year before the casino was approved. So just look at things now before and at the casino in my opinion. Because what I think is that now these guys use the mess finance building and everything like that. Yeah, Rob, I got to Rob, I got to tell you, Rob. Rob, I just I don’t I don’t agree with that thought at all. And thanks for the call there, Rob. And I’ve heard that a little bit. I heard a couple of callers this morning. The ultimate skepticism. Come on now. Yeah. And by the way, if there’s any franchise in New York that can lead you to skepticism, the Mets are on the top of the list given the recent or not the reason, but the history. I don’t I don’t think that that’s the case because I think what fa like I think what people are failing to do is to understand that there could be two separate two totally separate approaches where and and neither one is adversely impacted. Like Steve Cohen is is is trying to build a world champion for you. Yeah. He’s trying to do it for himself, but he’s really trying to the business is for himself. The championship is for you. So, I don’t think the the building of Metropolitan Park, the casinos, that doesn’t that’s not the same money. It’s it’s I just I really disagree with that. Yeah. I mean, the Mets history would maybe lead you to be skeptical. Since Steve Cohen has taken over, there’s been nothing to be skeptical about. You can question the results. You can question some of the decisions, especially earlier on where it was one GM after another. You know, Alderson was running things. Obviously, the results haven’t been there. You can’t question the effort or the resources that have been invested into not just the big league club, but the entire organization. It’s all changed. But one thing that needs to change, and this is the most important thing, are the results. And yet, while the Mets are not accepting subpar results, all the fans want all the players back who were producing the subpar results. It doesn’t make sense. Which one do you want? Do you want the players that you love that were no good or do you want Cohen and Sterns to build you a winner? I want a winner. So, as much as I love Alonzo and Diaz and Nemo, 83 wins is unacceptable. That may be a good year in in Mets history, it’s not good enough for me. Never was, never will be. Matter of fact, the 101 win season in 2022 wasn’t good enough with the way that they went out. So, I’m tired of watching a losing team. And if that means taking a wrecking ball to it or a blowtorrch to it, so be it. Now, they better turn it around. And they know that. Cohen knows it. He’s not a fool. He’s a brilliant businessman to the tune of billions of dollars. You think he likes what’s going on right now with the public backlash? He knows there’s more to come. He said it yesterday. Plenty of time this off season to build a playoff caliber team. It’s going to be on Sterns to figure it out. But if I’m Sterns, I’m doing it exactly what he’s doing, my way. Let me do it my way. Sink or swim. I want to build this team the right way. Listen, talk about players that that we like, right? And and we we are sad to see go, “Hey, I like Julius Randle. I knew they were never winning anything with Julius Randle. I don’t know if that’s an apples to apples comparison, but it’s it’s from the same from the same tree. Like when certain players leave, you know, it stings.” And and by the way, the Randle’s impact on the Knicks, while it was definitely palpable because the Knicks were a doormat, it it can’t shine the shoes of Pete Alonzo. But Pete was drafted the rookie home run record. He’s been here longer. But impact wise, I think you can make a better argument for Randall. But I also think it’s easier to have impact on a basketball team more so than a baseball d. So, you know, just just to say that about about the um the with the Randall and the Knicks and obviously Pete and the Mets here, but I also think there’s going to be a point like I I really this is kind of how my my thoughts reshaped a little bit. Not on Pete, but again, the direction the trajectory of the 26 Mets, right? I think it’s going to take a while to root because I don’t think that we’re going to wake up in a day or a week or a month and it’s going to be Tucker and Bellinger or Tucker and two stud pitches or whatever it might be. What about I don’t think Tucker’s coming here. I don’t think they’re Well, that’s then that’s a problem because I’m not sure if there is the sexy splashy move and those are some of the words. I think it was Andy said yesterday that I wouldn’t necessarily expect them to just go sexy splashy. It might have been Will. I forget. We had so many, you know, people. There’s not even many sexy names out there. Well, that’s the point. So, if it’s not Tucker, there’s not going to be that sexy, right? But Well, yes, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t build a better team. I agree. Like my dream scenario now, it always starts with Scooball. It could include Tucker and also a trade with Milwaukee for Peralta and McIll. I think the Mets are significantly better if those things happen. But those are big ifs when you’re talking about is Scoo going to be made available. Are the Mets going to be willing to give up what it would take to get him? And I think that they would. Are they going to go after Kyle Tucker? That I’m less certain about. It would make sense, but I’m not sure that they’re going to be willing to do that. I don’t even know if Tucker would make sense for the Mets given the the length of contract he’s going to get. Well, that’s Let’s flush through it real fast. I mean, when when we first talked about it last year and I was talking about the merits of Tucker as an all-around player and we had the it was it was loud. It was fun. Vintage BT and SA debate with the Tucker and Sodto stuff and I’ve soured a little bit on Tucker. Um, you know, and some of the reports about him not loving baseball as much as that’s an issue a little bit. I don’t know if that was a report as now speculation what however you want to frame that Joel Sherman who said that he he questions how much Kyle Tucker loves baseball obviously he’s getting he’s not just making that well well that’s Listen I can promise that Joel Sherman’s not sitting up you know watching uh uh ML or being on MLB network sitting in the green room watching Kyle Tucker play baseball and say I don’t know he doesn’t really look like he likes the game that much I don’t know if I would give this guy $400 million when somebody like and you know this but when somebody like Sherman has that that delivers something like that That’s coming from people in clubouses, former teams, scouts, whatever. So, we know that former teammates. So, I’m going to take that as a little more truth than not. But, but I say that it’s a bad contract because when we first had the Sodto Tucker thing, we were thinking maybe 14 years. I I I didn’t think that, but some did. Now, it’s been trimmed to the 11 years, 10 year neighborhood. Well, it’ be 29 this year. I wouldn’t do it. But it’s a bad You would do 10. I’m sorry. It’s all good. It’s a to me it’s a bad contract for the Mets because of Sodto who’s worth it for now. For sure. that monstrosity of a contract and then you want to basically do the same thing in left field with Tucker or put Sodto in left and have Tucker in right for 10 or 11 years. I don’t think Sterns will do that. What if it’s eight or nine? I don’t think I think Tucker’s getting more from somebody. I I don’t know. Toronto, maybe. Could be. It could be Toronto. You think he gets 10? Maybe the Mets tap out at 10 years. Yeah. I never thought he was coming to New York. Anytime Tucker came up, I said Yankees, I don’t see it. Mets, I don’t see it. I don’t see him coming here. I know. But you love him as a player. You I used to love him. Now I like I I don’t love him like I used to. Yeah, he played now all of a sudden I like him better than I did. Hey, he played hurt last year. He don’t get hurt. He’s been hurt a few times. Not the first time. That’s part of my calculation. All right. Last two seasons, the three seasons. When you hurt your prime, what’s going to happen when you’re 33? Look at Stanton. Yeah, I know. But you could say that for a lot of guys. Look, I wouldn’t be giving out He plays every day. I wouldn’t be giving out a 10-year contract for, you know, 400, whatever it may be. I I’d strongly consider him for eight, nine years. And I’m not sure. Maybe the market’s ch I thought Diaz was going to get five for 100. Maybe the market’s changed a little bit here with Kyle Tucker. It does seem like the bloom is off the rose from where we were a year ago. Changed. Yeah. Well, if Schwarber got five, who’s a couple years older than Pete and Pete got five who is is really good. We we know Pete’s We know who Pete is. I have to restate it. You don’t think that Tucker’s getting at least four more years than that? Given his age and given his athleticism? Let me ask you something. Forget the Sodto contract or the Vlad contract once in a generate. Nobody’s getting that for a long time. Tucker to me is nowhere near that level of star power, whatever. If you were operating a team and you had a stud 29-year-old free agent, how many years would you feel would be wise? What position does he play? Kyle Tucker. Specifically, Tucker, not generalities. 29 years. 29 years old. Yeah. Yeah. You got to keep some speed in the outfield. He’s a good defender. nothing more than that. He’s not great. Never was, never will be. Um, I’d have to look at the rest of my finances, like, do I have other big contracts? I would say I’d be comfortable. I I would probably go to nine if I really wanted him. If I really and and I’d be comfortable with eight, and I would love seven. Okay. Right. So, I was thinking seven, right? Because you look at a player, he’s going to be 29 years old. So, if you have him seven years, that’s through 36. All right. Maybe tack on another 37 cuz generally post peed era, correct? guys start to decline 36, 37, 38. That that’s reality. That’s life. That’s father time outside of peeds. So I’m not going to give him 10 years when I know at 39 I didn’t say 10. No, I’m just saying in general at 3 at 39, you know, he’s going to be shocked. So the question becomes, okay, probably the sweet spot would be seven. Mhm. Now that’s the baseline. And then how many other teams are going to be willing to okay well if I’m going to go seven and I really want them I’ll go to eight and then some teams are going to drop off and then is there going to be a team or two that says well we really want them I’ll suck it up and go to nine. That’s how this particular contract would get out of control but the good business would be about seven years. I think you’d feel comfortable with seven years and I think that most teams in the marketplace now operate with some sense as opposed to it’s changed. Yeah. All it takes is one, but most teams are operating with some sense, which is why I don’t think he’s getting 10 years. It’s one thing to get to Ludyville when you try to get Sodto. Uh, it’s another thing, you know, it’s Ludyville and try to get Tucker. Um, yeah. I I don’t think the market’s as robust as it once was. Hey, listen. You want to put me on the spot? You want to give me, you know, you want to give the Mets a chance to to flirt with 90 wins and mess around to be a playoff team next year, go get Bellinger to play left field. Go get the Japanese kid to play first base who’s a good fielder. Go trade for Scooble. Go get Michael K. Let’s go. Go to work. BT and S on the fan. We’ll continue to go to work here with your calls. 888 8081019 the number to call.

Steve Cohen and David Stearns just took a wrecking ball to the Mets core and BT and Sal are trying to make sense of it all. Edwin Diaz is gone, Pete Alonso is gone, and Mets fans feel like everything is caving in. Did the Mets disrespect Pete by never making a real offer? Why would Stearns refuse to match or beat the Orioles when the Mets easily had the resources to do it?

BT lays out why he wanted Alonso back hitting behind Juan Soto and why he still believes Pete’s power plays every day. Sal pushes on the bigger question: if you lost with this core, is Stearns actually right to blow it up and rebuild around Soto, young pitching and kids from the system? They dive into clubhouse chemistry, Stearns sticking to his principles, whether Cohen is still all in after the casino approval, and what kind of massive move it would now take to calm this fan base.

From Kyle Tucker, Skubal and Peralta talk to Bellinger, BT and Sal debate if the Mets can get better without Alonso in the lineup or if Stearns just made his own job much harder.

👍 Subscribe for more Mets emergency shows and BT & Sal debates
💬 Sound off in the comments on the Mets chaotic offseason

Chapters
00:00 Diaz fallout and Alonso shock
03:05 Why Stearns never matched the Orioles offer
06:12 The clubhouse fit and why the core didn’t work
09:40 What big moves are even left for the Mets
13:20 Can they build a winner without Pete Alonso

#Mets #PeteAlonso #EdwinDiaz #DavidStearns #SteveCohen #MLB

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