Mets’ David Stearns surprised by Craig Counsell’s Cubs move: ‘Didn’t see that coming’

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — David Stearns wasn’t prepared Tuesday to discuss the Mets’ new managerial hire, as he awaits it to become official.

But the team’s president of baseball operations did acknowledge the surprise of another target’s landing.

Carlos Mendoza was hired as the Mets’ new manager on Monday, the same day the Craig Counsell bombshell dropped: the former Brewers manager was joining the Cubs on a five-year contract worth $40 million.

The Cubs fired David Ross to create an opening for Counsell.

“I didn’t see that coming,” said Stearns, who headed the Brewers’ front office during most of Counsell’s tenure as manager. “I love Craig. Craig and I are going to be close hopefully for a long time — I think he is good at what he does — but throughout this whole process I told Craig he needs to make the right choice for himself and his family for what gets him going and I am happy that he did.”

Sports Illustrated reported the 53-year-old Counsell wanted to remain close to his Wisconsin home and receive a significant salary bump, both of which were attained with the Cubs deal.

“He was all but out over the past few days,” a source close to Counsell told the website. “New York was not at the top of his list.”

Stearns said he never got a read on whether Counsell was interested in the Mets.

“Craig can play things very close to the vest and in this case clearly he played it very close to the vest because none of us knew where this was headed,” Stearns said at the general managers’ meetings.

The Mets were running “a robust process” throughout the managerial search, according to Stearns, and after it became evident Counsell wasn’t an option were in position to change course.

Mendoza, 43, spent the last four seasons as Yankees bench coach and has deep roots in player development.

Stearns said he spoke to eight candidates for the position and four interviewed in person.

The Mets have a general manager vacancy following Billy Eppler’s resignation amid an MLB investigation that he manipulated the injured list.

But Stearns, citing the attention that needs to be allocated in other areas, said he does not intend to fill the opening this offseason.

“We’ve got enough going on right now,” Stearns said. “I think we have got a front office group that is working well together and we’re learning each other. Frankly that is a process that requires immense time and so we’ll tackle that at a different point.”

Stearns indicated the institutional knowledge that assistant GM Ian Levin and chief of staff John Ricco bring to the equation is invaluable.

Ricco, who twice served as the team’s interim GM, has assisted in the “managerial process,” according to Stearns. And Levin has spent over a decade in various organizational roles.

“Institutional knowledge is incredibly important and especially in a place like New York, to have people … who have gone through a lot of twists and turns with the Mets can help me understand how the organization works, how it functions,” Stearns said. “It also can give me ideas of how we can be better. They have seen a lot here, not only them, but others, and have some really good things about how we can push forward.”

As for Eppler’s resignation — which occurred only three days after Stearns was introduced as the new team president — Stearns said he was “stunned” it occurred.

Stearns said he only learned that Eppler would be departing a day before the official announcement.

“It’s certainly not what I had anticipated,” Stearns said. “Then as we got to the end of that week and moved past I think we realized we have jobs to do and as an organization we need to move forward. I am really proud of the front office group, many of whom didn’t know me very well at that point, but were extremely professional, responsible and helped us move forward very quickly.”