Report: Mets hiring David Stearns as president of baseball operations

The New York Mets are hiring David Stearns as president of baseball operations, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN.

The 38-year-old Manhattan native is signing a five-year contract to take over the team he grew up cheering for, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

He is the first president of baseball operations in Mets history, ranking him above general manager Billy Eppler, who will remain with the team as second in command of baseball operations.

Stearns will officially begin his new role in early October upon completion of the regular season, according to Passan's sources.

The Mets have long been connected to Stearns, who served as the Milwaukee Brewers general manager and president of baseball operations from 2015 until his resignation in October 2022. New York tried to speak with Stearns about a baseball operations position following the 2021 campaign but was denied permission by the Brewers.

Stearns, who served in an advisory role with Milwaukee this season, was allowed to begin speaking with other teams after the Aug. 1 trade deadline. He'll take over a Mets club that has drastically underperformed this season despite owning baseball's largest Opening Day payroll.

The Mets dealt co-aces Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, among others, at the trade deadline and presently sit second-to-last in the NL East division at 65-78, a half-game ahead of the rebuilding Washington Nationals.