Grade David Stearns
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On the Contract Value Index, David Stearns's front office has been spending roughly in line with the market (C+ Contract Value Index). That ranks 21st of 30 on Sentiment among graded GMs. Reaction to the front office’s moves has been negative (D+ Sentiment), drawn from current news and social signal.
81
Transactions
81
Graded
0
Fan Votes
2 years
Tenure
28
Positive
44
Mixed
9
Negative
#21
Sentiment Rank
of 30 GMs
#14
Most Active
81 moves
Mets' contract spending this offseason has been roughly in line with what the market dictates — no major steals, but no egregious overpays either. Across 3 contracts, 2 grade out as good value and 1 look like overpays based on comparable deals around the league. The best bang-for-the-buck deal was Richard Lovelady (B) — getting lhp production well above the price point. The priciest commitment relative to production was Bo Bichette (D-) at $42.0M/yr — the inf market may have been richer than the on-field return suggests. The spending approach is neither aggressive nor conservative — a wait-and-see approach from a financial perspective.
Mets' 2026 moves under David Stearns have drawn significant criticism from fans and media alike. Of 81 graded moves, 28 landed well with the fanbase, 44 drew mixed reactions, and 9 were viewed negatively. The standout move was bringing in Jorge Polanco (A+), which generated the most positive buzz. The most questioned decision was the MJ Melendez cut (F), which drew the sharpest criticism. The overall direction has been well-received — this front office is building with a clear vision.
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David Stearns is the general manager of the Mets, in his 3rd year as the lead executive. FanVerdicts covers every MLB GM and the full body of moves they've made — and asks fans to render the verdict. Cast your Fan Verdict on David Stearns, see where the crowd lands, and argue the call. FanVerdicts brings its own read too — the contract value of the deals they signed, the performance of the players they assembled, and the sentiment around recent moves — as one honest input alongside the crowd's. Where FanVerdicts has weighed in so far: Contract Value Index C+, Performance D-, Sentiment D+.
Each GM grade is rolled up from the underlying transactions attributed to that GM's tenure. When a GM signs a player, that signing's Contract Value Index grade flows into the GM's portfolio score; the same player's subsequent performance and sentiment grades flow into the GM's respective summaries. Phased attribution applies for new GMs: the first three years weight the prior GM's legacy deals at 100%/66%/33%, ramping the new GM's ownership of roster outcomes.
For broader context, the MLB hub has team rankings, GM report cards, and the transactions feed. The MLB GM rankings page ranks every front office side-by-side on the same four dimensions.
Mets sign 2B Andy Ib
signing · 2B