Stearns steps down as Brewers president of baseball operations
David Stearns is stepping down as Milwaukee Brewers president of baseball operations and will move into an advisory role to ownership and the baseball operations team, the club announced.
"This is not an easy decision for me and is something I have been wrestling with for a long time," Stearns said in a statement.
"Mark Attanasio and I have had an open dialogue, and we both knew this day could eventually come. It has been a priority for both of us that any transition would take place while the organization is in a healthy position with solid leadership and a talented roster going forward. That is certainly the case today."
Stearns joined the Brewers in 2015 as general manager and was named president of baseball operations before the 2019 season.
Milwaukee has the third-most wins in the National League (481) over the past six seasons and has made the postseason in four of the last five campaigns. The Brewers appeared in the NLCS in 2018, losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.
The New York Mets are reportedly targeting Stearns, a New York native, but during a press conference on Thursday, the executive said, "I am not going anywhere. I am going to be here in Milwaukee," according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
Most execs in the industry believe that David Stearns will soon join the #Mets as President of Baseball Operations with Billy Eppler remaining as GM…but only Steve Cohen knows….wait and see
— Jim Bowden⚾️🏈 (@JimBowdenGM) October 27, 2022
Stearns said he made the decision to step down to spend more time with loved ones and pursue other opportunities.
Stearns: This is something I’ve been contemplating for many months. He didn’t believe the season impacted his decision. He wants to spend time with his family and pursue other things he hasn’t had the opportunity to pursue in his career. He doesn’t know where that leads.
— Sophia Minnaert (@SophiaMinnaert) October 27, 2022
General manager Matt Arnold will take over the Brewers' lead role overseeing baseball operations.
"Matt and I both arrived in 2015, and he is more than ready for this next opportunity," Stearns said. "I am committed to serving as a resource to Matt as he sees fit as the organization moves through this transition."