David Stearns hasn’t delivered the kind of franchise-altering “earthquake trade” that changes the New York Mets overnight.
Not yet. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t left fingerprints all over the roster — and all over the decisions that shaped it.
Seattle Mariners v Texas Rangers | Richard Rodriguez/GettyImages
The Freddy Peralta trade has the potential to become the defining move of his tenure, either as a masterstroke or a disaster depending on how 2026 unfolds.
But the quieter trades? The ones fans barely remember? Those are the ones that can age strangely.
Sometimes they disappear into the background.
And sometimes, one year later, they start whispering something uncomfortable.
Because one Mets prospect traded away in 2024 is suddenly starting to feel like the exact kind of player Stearns would want… now.
That player is Rhylan Thomas.
The Stanek trade looked harmless — until it didn’t
In 2024, the Mets traded Thomas to the Seattle Mariners for reliever Ryne Stanek. At the time, it felt like a standard deadline transaction: a bullpen rental for a mid-level prospect who didn’t have a clear future in Queens.
Thomas wasn’t a top name. He wasn’t a “don’t-touch-him” type. He was the kind of player you move when you need immediate help and don’t want to lose something you actually believe in.
And yet… the more Stearns’ preferences become clear, the more this trade starts to feel slightly misaligned.
Because if there’s one thing Stearns has consistently valued — both historically and in the way the Mets are being reshaped — it’s players who make contact, get on base, and create pressure without needing power.
Thomas might not be flashy.
But he fits that template almost too perfectly.
Rhylan Thomas is quietly becoming a “problem” for the Mets narrative
Thomas got a tiny taste of the majors with Seattle — just three games, going 1-for-8. Not enough to draw conclusions. Not enough to prove anything.
But in Triple-A Tacoma?
He did exactly what contact-first, speed-based players are supposed to do.
He posted a .325/.380/.411 slash line — a profile built on consistency rather than explosions. He walked 46 times and struck out only 32 times, which is the kind of ratio that almost looks fake in modern baseball.
And then there’s the part that makes it sting a little more:
His speed took off.
Thomas stole 35 bases, blowing past his previous career high of 21 and turning himself into something more than just a bat-to-ball outfielder. He became a constant problem on the bases — the kind of player who doesn’t need a home run to change the game.
The frustrating part? This is the exact type of player that tends to stick in the league forever.
Not as a star. Not as a face of the franchise.
But as the kind of reliable, annoying, high-contact fourth outfielder who shows up in October and makes pitchers regret everything.
The limitation is obvious — and that’s what makes it so “Stearns”
Thomas isn’t a perfect prospect. He doesn’t have loud power. He’s not going to hit 30 home runs and force his way into the lineup by sheer production.
That’s why he was movable.
But if he becomes nothing more than a strong defender who can run, get on base, and put the ball in play, he’ll have a long career — because teams always need a player like that.
And in today’s game, where strikeouts swallow lineups whole, a hitter who refuses to swing through air becomes strangely valuable.
Even if it’s not sexy.
Even if it’s not trending.
The Mets’ real regret might be what they keep doing
What makes this story feel sharper is that the Mets have developed a pattern: trading away center fielders who later become useful major leaguers.
Pete Crow-Armstrong is the obvious name — the one that still lingers like a bruise. Jake Mangum’s strong rookie season is another reminder that not every player needs to be a superstar to matter.
Thomas isn’t at that level yet. He hasn’t proven it in MLB.
But he’s also never had real opportunity.
And that’s the part that makes the Mets look like they might’ve misjudged the kind of player he could become.
The Morabito comparison makes it even more uncomfortable
The article’s most revealing detail isn’t even about Thomas.
It’s about who the Mets didn’t trade instead.
At the time, the Mets may have chosen to move Thomas rather than Nick Morabito, a similar player who remains in the organization and is currently on the 40-man roster.
Morabito has speed, defense, and a comparable style — but his strikeouts climbed as he moved up. He fanned 115 times in Double-A last year.
Thomas, meanwhile, is striking out 32 times while walking 46.
That contrast is loud.
And it creates the kind of quiet “what if” that front offices hate, because it isn’t about one game or one moment.
It’s about philosophy.
The Mets didn’t lose a star — but they might’ve lost a fit
This isn’t a story about Stearns making a catastrophic mistake. It’s not even a story about Stanek being a bad trade.
It’s a story about timing.
Because Thomas didn’t look like a priority in 2024.
But in 2026, with the Mets leaning harder into contact, speed, and versatility — he suddenly looks like a player the organization would’ve preferred to keep.
And that’s what makes it sting.
Not that he’s a future All-Star.
But that he’s the kind of player David Stearns might’ve wanted…
after all.
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