David Wright took the departure of several Mets mainstays as hard as anybody.
Edwin Diaz (Dodgers) and Pete Alonso (Orioles) left in free agency, while Wright’s former teammates, Brandon Nimmo (Rangers) and Jeff McNeil (Athletics), were shipped off in trades.
The former captain and Mets Hall of Famer called the departures “tough,” but urged fans to trust team ownership in the midst of a transformative offseason.
“I love Edwin Diaz, I love Brandon Nimmo. I’ve gotten to know both those guys on a personal level,” Wright said during a recent interview, per SNY. “Pete [Alonso], I respect what he’s done on the field…I don’t know him very well on a personal level. It’s tough for me, and I know the business of baseball, it’s tough for me to see these guys go.
“But I look at it big picture, David Stearns has won, he’s a proven winner, give him a chance and let’s see how this plan plays out.”
Stearns, who became the Brewers’ general manager in September 2015, was the architect of several postseason squads during his Milwaukee tenure – despite the organization’s payroll constraints.
Milwaukee made the postseason five out of six seasons from 2018-23 before Stearns joined the Mets as president of baseball operations.
After the Mets’ collapse in 2025, which saw the team miss the postseason, Stearns said the Mets “were not gonna run back the same group.”
New York’s new-look roster took shape last week as the signing of superstar infielder Bo Bichette became official, while the team shored up the rotation with ace Freddy Peralta and center field with former All-Star Luis Robert Jr.
New York also acquired swingman Tobias Myers in the Peralta deal, while adding depth with veterans Craig Kimbrel, Luis Garcia and Vidal Brujan.
Those moves punctuated the team’s acquisitions of ex-Yankees closers Devin Williams and Luke Weaver, first base replacement Jorge Polanco and second baseman Marcus Semien earlier this offseason.
“We’re confident in this group,” Stearns told reporters last week during a Zoom call. “We think this group is gonna fit well together.”
Few players understand Mets fans’ attachment to homegrown stars better than Wright, 43, who spent his entire 14-year career in Queens and became the face of the franchise.
Given that familiarity with the business side, Wright urged fans to think long-term as Stearns and company build for 2026.
“I understand it because it’s a good thing that New York and that Mets fans have the attachment with their players that they do,” Wright said. “With that being said, I think we should give David [Stearns], the front office and ownership a chance to do what the grand plan, the scheme is this offseason.
“It’s easy to jump to conclusions. It’s easy to get the pitchforks out. Let’s see what happens, let the plan play out before judging over a couple of moves.”