Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz are still stuck in the off-season limbo. With Alonso, it’s almost like a 2024 flashback, isn’t it? Mets fans are constantly refreshing their feeds, hoping for news. And well, it makes sense that they are two of the franchise’s biggest decisions sitting untouched. But while fans awaited that, New York went and opened the week by signing Carl Edwards Jr.!

Will Sammon broke the news: “The Mets are in agreement with reliever Carl Edwards Jr. on a minor-league deal that includes an invite to major league spring training, league sources said.”

Now, to be fair, Edwards isn’t Alonso or Diaz, but he isn’t a throwaway signing either. At 34 years old, he is the definition of a veteran depth player. Last season in Triple A, he posted a 4.44 ERA, which was too in one of the most hitter-friendly leagues in baseball. Also, he rediscovered something the Mets always look for—strikeouts and grounders.

Edwards punched out 25.8% of hitters and issued the lowest walk rate of his career at 7.2%. That’s something big league bullpens would very happily stash. So for sure, the Mets didn’t just add a random arm; they are adding someone who could be a sneaky bullpen piece.

But even then, it doesn’t discount the fact that Alonso is still waiting, just like last year. Sure, it worked before, as he had a down year and he signed a two-year $54 million deal with them eventually. But this season, he was elite with 38 homers, 126 RBI, an .871 OPS, and a 141 wRC+. So, it’s not just the New York Mets in the Alonso race. Plenty of teams are in the running for him, and the lack of urgency by Mets is raising eyebrows.

Then there is Edwin Diaz, who is coming off a 1.28 ERA with a 38% strikeout rate, and he is apparently asking for another five-year contract. But instead of looking into their contracts, the Mets went to address Carl Edwards Jr., and this is not sitting well with the fans.

New York Mets fans roast Stearns 

One Mets fan couldn’t help but sum up the mood perfectly: “Stearns dumpster diving never dies.” And honestly, it’s hard to argue, because this isn’t new behavior; it’s Mets off-season tradition at this point. Because it does feel like the Mets’ winter isn’t just a feast, but a feast of leftovers. The best case in point is former Yankees pitcher Anderson Severino, who fans also felt was not worthy of being a Met. But that’s not all, because the Mets doubled down on that with Nick Burdi, too.

Clearly disappointed, a fan threw a pun: “Stearns sees guys who were good in 2022 and is in love with them.” But honestly, it’s more like the Mets might be obsessed with the Yankees because they always pick up their leftover players—like Burdi! The Yankees had signed him in 2023 as a let’s-see-what-happens flyer. He had the pedigree of a former second-round pick with a fastball but zero track record, given injuries kept derailing him. Please, before ending in pinstripes, he bounced between the Cubs and Pirates, never throwing more than 8 2/3 innings in a season. Even then, the Mets are back at the Yankees’ recycling bin!

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One fan said, “SLOP.” And honestly, it’s understandable why fans are mad or frustrated. And more so because Alonso is a beloved player with the fan base. However, the bitter truth is that maybe things are strained between the player and the front office. The rumors were already making the rounds last off-season. Steve Cohen himself was visibly upset at how Alonso and Scott Boras were going about the free agency. So maybe it’s them cutting the ties now.

In frustration, a fan claimed, “Here we go again. DFAs and minor league journeymen. Show how smart your system is.” Like the “Yankee way,’ there is no Met way. For now, though, they have Juan Soto and the $765 million they locked him in with. After that rather disappointing year, they know that building a strong team is the need of the hour. And like it or not, depth pieces are needed—and this Edwards signing is just another one of those.

“Who? More bargain bin minor league signings. Plan the parade!” said a fan, and the sarcasm is clearly visible. The burn among the fans is real because on one hand, you have teams like the Blue Jays signing Dylan Cease, chasing Kyle Tucker, and wanting to retain Bo Bichette, and on the other hand, their own team forgets retaining; they don’t seem to be in a rush to sign any big names. And Steve Cohen is a billionaire; if there is anyone who can hand out those checks, it is he. So fans are angry.

For now, the Mets should be in an urgency much like the other teams, and the winter meeting is here; if not now, then when?