Why the Mets just might be trade deadline buyers after all

If the Mets stay hot, general manager David Stearns could be a surprise buyer at the MLB trade deadline. 

Stearns wasn’t ready to commit to a buy-or-sell strategy Friday with 31 days of strategizing ahead, but he “sure” can envision a scenario where he is adding pieces for a playoff push if nothing changes. 

“We’ve given ourselves an opportunity,” Stearns said, “and we need to continue to run with it.” 

An eye-opening 10-2 stretch entering a series against the equally sizzling Astros has opened possibilities that seemed laughable only two weeks ago, including owner Steve Cohen adding to a $340 million payroll. 

“I think Steve has shown repeatedly that he is committed to investing the resources in the team that we need to compete,” Stearns said. “And certainly I think we’ll continue to do so.” 

As the Mets showed in climbing back to .500 for the first time since May 7, a lot can change quickly in the bunched-up National League wild-card race.

The Mets could be in the driver’s seat, treading water or out of contention completely by the July 30 deadline. 

“The truth is we still have time before we have to make decisions,” Stearns said. “Clearly, our team performance has improved quite considerably over the last few weeks. We’re playing much closer to the level of baseball and consistency of baseball that we envisioned throughout the course of the season.” 

Stearns, as president of baseball operations for the Brewers, traded All-Star closer Josh Hader while adding other pieces to a first-place team at the deadline in 2022.

Could he try to split the baby — subtract from a potential position of strength while fortifying other areas — in a contending season with the Mets? 

“Every situation is different, and certainly the types of decisions you are making in a situation in [small-market] Milwaukee are probably a little different than the types of decisions you are making here,” Stearns said. “I don’t think I’d rule out anything at this point. A lot can transpire in a relatively short amount of time during the season.” 

Stearns joked that his self-imposed deadline for sizing up the Mets could be as late as July 30. 

“Decision points surface at different times in different years,” Stearns said. “Sometimes there are decision points about a potential transaction on July 15, and sometimes the decision points really don’t surface until much closer to the deadline or deadline day. It’s tough to predict when those will occur, but we’ll certainly be prepared to make the best decisions we possibly can.” 

Here are Stearns’ other notable thoughts ahead of the deadline: 

1. Pete Alonso, who has 16 home runs, 43 RBI and a .791 OPS, is wrapping up his best month of the season after a slow start. 

The Mets’ resurgence temporarily has shelved speculation that he could be traded while making $20.5 million in the final year of his contract. 

“Pete has handled uncertainty, pressure, New York exceptionally well throughout his career. I don’t really think it’s impacting him this year,” Stearns said. “I think Pete has had a good year. He’s on pace for a bunch of home runs. He is hitting in the middle of our lineup. He gets pitched very carefully every night. I think he’s doing what we would expect Pete Alonso to do.” 

2. Stearns doesn’t point to moving Francisco Lindor into the leadoff spot on May 18, a roster reshuffling on May 31, beating the Phillies in London on June 9 or J.D. Martinez’s walk-off home on June 13 as the single catalyst for a turnaround. 

“We’ve had some of our better players now get hot all together at the same time,” Stearns said. “When you do that, it lengthens that lineup, it allows you to score runs in bunches — and that’s what we’ve been able to do.” 

3. One factor not lost on Stearns is the Mets’ 22-3 record in the last 25 games with catcher Francisco Alvarez in the lineup. He missed 51 days on the injured list during that stretch. 

“Looking at Alvy’s impact on the team is something that we all see,” Stearns said. “We see it in how we’ve played when he’s been active and frankly how we’ve played when he hasn’t been active. Some of that is probably timing. Some of that is also the importance of a catcher — and how a catcher can impact the entire game … [on] both sides of the ball.”