The mood around Citi Field is turning sour, and for a New York Mets franchise with a history of heartbreak, that’s saying something. The loudest criticisms have centered on David Stearns’ performance at the trade deadline. Fans were clamoring for a starting pitcher to solidify the rotation, and when the deadline passed with nothing on this side, the anger was palpable. Stearns’s reputation, once seen as the savior who could build a sustainable winner, is now facing its first major backlash.

But while the frustration over the starting pitching situation is understandable, it’s a distraction from a different, and far more critical, move Stearns made this past offseason. It was a move that drew its own share of criticism at the time, but in hindsight, it has proven to be another great decision. Mets fans, so quick to condemn, need to realize that Stearns was absolutely right to let one of their favorite players walk away.

Candelita’s fading flame

After a resurgent 2024 campaign with the Mets, José Iglesias became a fan favorite. Arriving on a minor league deal, he took the league by storm with a .337 batting average, a .381 on-base percentage, and an .830 OPS in 85 games. His 137 wRC+, a metric that adjusts for ballpark and league effects, indicated he was 37% better than the average hitter. His defense was just as impressive, as he posted 2 Outs Above Average and 4 Defensive Runs Saved, proving he was still an elite defender at shortstop.

Beyond the numbers, Iglesias was the heart and soul of the 2024 Mets. His song “OMG,” released during the season, became the clubhouse anthem. It was played after every Mets home run, a symbol of the team’s incredible turnaround and a source of inspiration for players and fans alike. With his on-field production and off-field influence, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Stearns would re-sign the veteran infielder. When he didn’t, and Iglesias ultimately signed with the San Diego Padres, the fan base erupted, seeing it as another example of the front office failing to recognize and reward a key player.

This is where the narrative shifts, and where Stearns’s foresight becomes apparent. While Iglesias’s 2024 season was magical, it was also a significant outlier in his career. His .382 BABIP (Batting Average on Balls in Play) was remarkably high, suggesting a great deal of good fortune on batted balls. Advanced metrics from Statcast pointed to a potential little regression, with an expected batting average (xBA) of .312 and an expected weighted on-base average (xwOBA) of .362, both lower than his actual production.

The feared regression has come to pass in 2025. With the Padres, Iglesias is now a shell of his 2024 self. His advanced metrics are abysmal, with his wRC+ plummeting to just around 73, meaning he’s been 27% worse than the average hitter. His wOBA is a career-low .270, a far cry from the .362 mark he posted last year. While he has managed to hit with little power and a poor slash line, it is a clear indication that his incredible run of production was not sustainable.

So, while Mets fans may be frustrated with the lack of a marquee trade, they should be grateful for the cold, hard logic that guided Stearns’s decision to move on from Iglesias. The beloved “Candelita” of 2024 was an anomaly, and the smart move was to not commit to a player who was due for a massive drop in production. It may not have been the emotional decision, but it was the right one, and it’s proof that even when it feels like everything is going wrong, Stearns has a firm grasp on what it takes to build a winner.