David Stearns feels ‘much better’ about Mets’ rotation depth heading into 2025 than last year

The Mets’ starting rotation will look a bit different this season.

Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea and David Peterson will be familiar faces, but Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes are new additions that the organization hopes will elevate the 2025 Mets into potential World Series contenders.

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns spoke to the media for the first time this spring on Wednesday and fielded questions on a variety of topics including, how he feels about his rotation, where the 2025 Mets stack up in a loaded NL East and much more.

Here are some takeaways…

Views on starting rotation

The Mets are entering 2025 with plans to use a six-man rotation. It makes sense, considering the questions surrounding Senga’s health and the viability of Holmes as a starter.

With that in mind, the Mets and Stearns are hoping they can recapture the magic the team’s rotation provided last season, when Manaea and Luis Severino headlined their starting staff. With Severino pitching for the Athletics this season, Stearns added the aforementioned Holmes and Montas, with the sixth starting spot up for competition this spring.

Stearns was asked about his additions and the perception that the team’s weakness is in the rotation, and the second-year Mets executive said he’s more optimistic about the current staff, compared to his feelings a year ago.

“I will say, I feel much better about our starting pitching depth sitting here today than I did a year ago,” he said. “We made that a priority of our offseason. We brought in a number of players at all levels of free agency… We’re coming into camp in a pretty good health spot. I feel good about our starting pitching depth.”

Pitching injuries to impact rotation/bullpen depth

It’s difficult to predict when injuries will happen over the course of a season, but the Mets are aware of a number of pitchers who will either not be ready for 2025 or will not impact the team until later in the season.

The Mets announced they re-signed reliever Drew Smith on Wednesday to a one-year deal with an option for 2026. The right-hander is recovering from his second Tommy John surgery after suffering an elbow injury last summer. Stearns said the signing is more of a move for 2026 than this upcoming season, but wouldn’t rule Smith out for a late-season impact.

“With Drew, potentially [being an option] in September. We don’t want to rush this. We want to get it right,” Stearns explained. “We’ll have a better feel for that once we get into the summer months. That’s possible, but we’re not going to count on that.

“He’s been a long-tenured Met whose given a lot to the organization. He’s a good teammate, a good pitcher, and so having continuity in his care, that he can be under our supervision for his rehab in a place where he’s comfortable, where he can trust the medical staff is important for both sides. Hopefully, this goes well and he’s pitching big innings for us in 26.”

And then there’s young hurler Christian Scott.

The 25-year-old made nine starts last season and pitched to a 3.56 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. While those numbers don’t jump off the page, Scott’s performance showcased why he can be a part of the future rotation.

Unfortunately, Scott underwent the hybrid elbow surgery that combined Tommy John with an internal brace last season, which can limit the recovery time. Stearns broke the news Wednesday that Scott will not pitch for the club in 2025.

“With Christian Scott, our plan is that he’s not going to pitch in competition this year,” he said. “We’ll use this year to make sure we’ll get him right and have him full go in ’26.”

The same goes for RHP Adbert Alzolay, who the Mets signed to a minor league deal this offseason and suffered a forearm strain last May. Stearns says that Alzolay is unlikely available this season and will be a potential pitcher for the club in 2026.

Where Mets stack up in NL East

The Mets made the postseason as a Wild Card, and was one of three teams from the NL East to make it to October.

With the deep run the Mets orchestrated, expectations for the 2025 club are at a new high, but should they realistically be thinking about winning the division?

“It’s going to be really tight. We think we’re a really good team. We have our work cut out for us, there’s no question about that,” Stearns said. “This is a very good division and we have a ton of respect for those two teams.

“I feel like we can be better than them, but there’s nothing guaranteed. The Braves are going to win more games than they won last year. The Phillies are going to be highly motivated again this year. We’re excited by it and it’s going to take a strong effort from our entire roster.”

When asked if winning the NL East is a priority for the Mets, Stearns said his priority goes beyond that.

“The first-round bye is a big deal and it hasn’t always proven that way in this format. In a 10-15 year stretch, you’ll see that be a big deal. I still think that’s a big deal. The deal is still getting in, regardless of how you do it, but being able to skip the first round is a big deal.”