The New York Mets have dealt with quite a bit of adversity over the past year-and-a-half, and yet midway through August, they find themselves in the hunt for a National League Wild Card spot. While the players and coaching staff deserve credit, President of Baseball Operations David Stearns deserves his fair share of praise as well.

Stearns has effectively been running the Mets front office since Billy Eppler resigned a week after he took on his current role in New York, so he's the main guy responsible for putting together their incredibly underrated roster. And yet, when it comes to their open general manager position, Stearns admitted he still hasn't decided whether it will get filled or not, despite the fact it's been vacant for nearly a year now.

“I haven’t settled on a decision yet.” – David Stearns, SNY

David Stearns keeping his cards close to his chest on Mets GM decision

New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns speaks to the media about the MLB trade deadline before a game against the Minnesota Twins at Citi Field.
Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Every front office in the majors looks different, but the Mets having a vacant general manager position is a bit strange. They had quite a bit of time to find Eppler's replacement, but they didn't do it over the offseason, and there hasn't really been a sense of urgency to fill the spot since then, which still seems to be the case according to Stearns himself.

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While it may seem to make sense to find a new general manager, Stearns has generally done a good job running the front office, so it may not be necessary. Adding a new face to the operation could disrupt the positive momentum the current group has established, and as the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

How New York finishes their 2024 campaign could determine what avenue the team takes. If they make the playoffs and go on a bit of a run, what reason would they have to change things up? But if they collapse and end up being uncompetitive in the wild card race, then there may be a bit of an incentive to bring in a full-time general manager.

This is a storyline worth keeping an eye on, but for the time being, it doesn't seem like this is something Stearns is worried about. For now, the main goal for New York is to find their way into the playoffs, and if they can accomplish that, it will make their work over the upcoming offseason far easier.