David Stearns discusses the futures of Ronny Mauricio, Jose Butto, and Brett Baty as the Mets prepare for spring training and the upcoming season.
Dallas: The buzz around MLB’s Winter Meetings is intense, but the Mets are still focused on their players’ futures. David Stearns, the Mets’ president of baseball operations, shared some insights about the team while keeping things a bit mysterious regarding free agents.
Stearns hinted that this could be an active Winter Meetings, which is exciting for fans. He mentioned that there’s been a lot of chatter leading up to this week, suggesting some big moves might be on the horizon.
When it comes to Ronny Mauricio, Stearns had some good news. After a tough rehab from a torn ACL, Mauricio is finally starting baseball activities again. Stearns said this is the best progress they’ve seen from him in a while, which is a relief. However, he emphasized that Mauricio needs to get back into game shape before spring training.
As for Jose Butto, he started the season strong but ended up in the bullpen. Stearns said they want him to prepare as a starter this offseason, which gives them flexibility. Butto showed he can be effective in both roles, so it’ll be interesting to see how that plays out.
Stearns also talked about Paul Blackburn and Tylor Megill, who are both preparing to be starters but could end up in the bullpen. Blackburn is recovering well from surgery and should be ready for spring training, which is great news for the team.
In center field, it looks like Tyrone Taylor and Jose Siri will share the duties. Stearns is excited about their defensive skills and thinks they’ll both make a significant impact throughout the season.
Lastly, Brett Baty is working on being more versatile. After a rocky start last year, he’s shown he can play multiple positions, which could help him secure a spot on the roster. Stearns believes this flexibility is a valuable asset for the team.