Mets bring pitcher back early in offseason

New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns devastated and enraged many fans by removing a large portion of the team’s soul last offseason. People used his reluctance to invest long term in beloved first baseman Pete Alonso as an indictment of the executive’s analytics-driven strategy, but he helped plant a significant part of the Milwaukee Brewers’ foundation — the one that just lifted the franchise to its first-ever World Series title. The Flushing Faithful can only hope he makes a similar impact on the Mets. He is beginning his fourth offseason at the helm with a minor move that is unlikely to shift public opinion.

But perhaps it can still yield positive results. New York…