Mets make major hire with future in mind: What’s next?

David Stearns has reached an agreement with the Mets to become the club’s new president of baseball operations, Andy Martino of SNY reports.

The deal will be for five years and begin after the 2023 season ends, according to Will Sammon of The Athletic.

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The 38-year-old was serving in an advisory role with the Milwaukee Brewers and has been able to speak with other clubs about a front-office role since the Aug. 1 trade deadline.

Stearns’ name has long been linked to the Mets in their search for someone to fill that position, and Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic had reported last month that Stearns was “down the road” in talks with the Mets.

Stearns will now be a part of conversations about the Mets’ future along with general manager Billy Eppler, who will remain in the organization and work under Stearns, according to reports.

These topics include: What will they do with younger players? How will pitching depth be addressed? Last month, the Mets shook things up by firing a number of people in their front office, including director of player development Kevin Howard, director of pro player evaluation Jeff Lebow, director of performance Jim Cavallini and baseball development director Bryan Hayes. That paved the way for Stearns to make his own hires.

The Mets have been in search of a replacement since Sandy Alderson stepped down as Mets president in the offseason. Stearns stepped down as Brewers’ head of baseball operations in October, but his contract with the team continued through the 2023 season.

Bridget Hyland may be reached at [email protected]