Mets' David Stearns opens up about team's approach towards adding $600,000,000 Shohei Ohtani 

Two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani has hit free agency, and potential suitors are falling in line to acquire the former MVP. Among them is Steve Cohen's New York Mets who are not going to 'shy away,' according to Mets president of baseball operations, David Stearns.

SNY's Andy Martino asked David Stearns about the team's appetite to land the former Angels star.

“I think Steve has proven he’s willing to invest in talent,” Stearns said. “This is an organization that’s proven it’s willing to invest in talent, and we’re not going to shy away from that. I’ve said this at my opening press conference, and I’ll continue to say it: we need to find the right time to do it.

He continued:

“We can’t do it with every player. We can’t do it in every offseason," he said. There are going to be points where we get really aggressive because we think it’s the right time, right opportunity right player, and there’s going to be points where we’ll be more reserved.

"Time will tell what this offseason brings; but sure, we’re clearly, as an organization, not afraid to make investments when they’re the right investments.”

Last season, the Mets were on a roll in the offseason to acquire All-Stars. However, that didn't result in immediate success, as they went on to trade them all for value midway through the season.

It remains to be seen whether they acquire Shohei Ohtani in this offseason. With the buzz around, it's expected that Ohtani will sign a record-breaking 12-year, $600 million deal this offseason.

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Shohei Ohtani's injury update

The former MVP's season was cut short on Sept. 15 when an MRI revealed that the injured right oblique he had been nursing for nearly two weeks had irritated the muscle.

Shohei Ohtani had a successful surgery to repair his elbow post-injury, as informed by his agent, Nez Balelo. Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed Ohtani's 2018 UCL reconstruction, popularly known as Tommy John surgery, performed the procedure at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic in Los Angeles.

While not much is clear, it's assumed that Ohtani might be back on the mound by the 2025 season. He may take up the designated hitter role in the 2024 season.