David Stearns admits to being stunned by Cubs hiring Craig Counsell as Mets miss out: "I didn't see that coming"

Many around the league were surprised to see the Chicago Cubs hiring Craig Counsell as their new manager, including Mets' David Stearns. The hiring seemingly came from left field.

The Cubs had to part ways with former catcher and manager David Ross. Few insiders had Ross on the hot seat this offseason, but the Cubs did not want to pass up this opportunity.

Many believed the Amazins would be the perfect destination for Counsell, given Stearns took the president of baseball operations job at the end of the season. The two are very close, as Stearns hired Counsell to manage the Milwaukee Brewers.

"I didn't see that coming... I love Craig. Ultimately, he made the right decision for himself," Stearns told reporters. (Quotes via SNY)

David Stearns and Craig Counsell had talked about him managing the Mets for the 2024 season. But ultimately, Counsell believes he has a better future in Chicago.

You rarely get a manager jumping to their former team's division rivals, but here we are. The Cubs vs Brewers meetings will be much more intense as we advance.

After missing out on Craig Counsell, where do David Stearns and the New York Mets go from here?

Philadelphia Phillies v New York Mets

After learning that the Cubs hired Craig Counsell, David Stearns quickly pivoted to Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza. He will be the Mets' manager heading into the 2024 season.

This is Mendoza's first time managing. He made his way through the Yankees' work with the team's minor league players. He was an infield coordinator and quality control coach before becoming the bench coach in 2020.

Mendoza got plenty of time filling in for Aaron Boone last season, as the skipper was often ejected and even given a suspension for one game. So, he has some experience in the managerial role.

Mendoza will have his hands full turning around a Mets organization that was sellers at the trade deadline. It was a tough look for the team to completely give up so early, but they did not have the talent of the field to keep up in their division.

Looking at offseason targets, the Amazins are in play for many of the top free agents in the open market. One of these players is Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He is an international free agent from Japan and is regarded as the best pitcher on the market.

If they can land some big-time free agents, they can put the disastrous 2023 season behind them.