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JJ: “David Stearns Legacy Offseason… Loading…”

BQE Admin on December 19, 2025

New York New York

By John Jastremski

What a crazy few weeks to start the offseason for the New York Mets.
Of course after the way the 2025 season ended up, you had to imagine the status quo was not going to be accepted by ownership and GM David Stearns.
The Mets were going to have a much different team going into 2026, sure.
However, who could have possibly imagined that before Christmas, the Mets have said goodbye to three of the most popular players the team has had over the past seven or so years.
It started with Brandon Nimmo and then last week the Mets saw Edwin Diaz sign with the World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers and franchise home run leader Pete Alonso take his talents to the Baltimore Orioles.
Unlike the Diaz sweepstakes, the Mets had no interest in bringing Alonso back to Queens.
The Mets will point to the amount of years the Orioles gave Pete Alonso and suggest it was a length of contract they did not feel comfortable with.
There is some truth in that, but it digs even deeper.
David Stearns did not want Pete Alonso back. He didn’t want to resign him last year and simply has a different vision for building and reshaping the ballclub.
Look, if I was in David Stearns shoes. I would want Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz back on my baseball team.
Diaz is one of the best closers in baseball and Pete Alonso is one of the best slugging right handed hitters in the sport.
However, I’m not running the Mets.
David Stearns has put his reputation on the line this offseason.
Remember, Stearns grew up a Mets fan on the Upper East side as a kid.
He probably wants nothing more than returning his boyhood team to glory with a trip down the Canyon of Heroes.
Stearns clearly has a plan for what he envisions this Mets roster to be in 2026 and beyond.
At the moment, he’s not exactly the most popular person in town.
The Mets said goodbye to three players the fan base absolutely adored.
Mets fans are not exactly going to show a ton of patience with the team’s GM if the team doesn’t win and win in a big way next season.
He knows that.
David Stearns acted with serious backbone and conviction in charting the current course for the team.
He has a plan, the pieces are not officially all in place quite yet.
Will Stearns offseason be a story of vindication or of massive regret.
The plot thickens indeed…
You can listen to my podcast New York, New York on The Ringer Podcast Network on Spotify/Apple Podcasts every Sunday & Thursday. You can watch me nightly on Honda Sports Nite at 11 PM on SNY. 

Johnnies Beat Iona at The Garden

BQE Admin on December 19, 2025

Pitino Downs Former School, Zuby Block Party Continues, & Jackson Gets Start

Zuby Ejiofor leaps for the opening tip against Ole Miss just a week before the Iona matchup. The Red Storm big man recorded 8 blocks in each of the two games.

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

Rick Pitino vanquished his former team on Saturday afternoon as the St. John’s Red Storm took down the Iona Gaels at Madison Square Garden, 91-64. Pitino spent three seasons in New Rochelle, leading the Gaels to two MAAC regular season titles, two conference championships, and two trips to the NCAA Tournament. The win over Iona marked Pitino’s 20th over teams he had previously coached.

“Iona is such a special place because every coach that coaches there wins. Kevil Willard started there, I certainly was rejuvenated there,” Pitino said about his former school.

Even after another slow start (this time missing 12 of their first 13 field goal attempts, St. John’s were able to outscore the Gaels 36-26 in the opening half before pulling away in the second frame.

Scoring for St. John’s was led by Oziyah Sellers with 19, though 16 of them came in the 2nd half. His strong performance led him to a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll.

Ian Jackson got the nod at guard over Dylan Darling for the Red Storm. It was the Sophomore transfer’s first start since the opening game of the season against Quinnipiac, and he put up a solid 14 points with 5 rebounds and a joint-team-high 3 assists. Jackson made a change of his own, chopping off his iconic hair, leading to some amusing comments by his teammates and coach.

Zuby Ejiofor was the only SJU starter to record less than 13 points, but the Red Storm big man continued his tremendous work on the defensive end with 8 blocks for a 2nd straight game. Ejiofor also pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds in the winning effort. Led by Ejiofor, the Red Storm defense is finally starting to come around as a strong point.

“We realized we weren’t a very good defensive team. Last year’s team around Christmas time wasn’t a very good defensive team either and they became one of the great defensive teams in the nation,” Pitino said about their improved effort on that end of the floor. “I think we can get to that point, we just need to keep our turnovers down because you beat yourself when you turn the ball over.”

Defense isn’t the only spot where the Red Storm needs to improve. Their inability to start games hot and inconsistent shooting will be a difficult spot as the season enters conference play and eventually the BIG EAST Tournament and beyond. If they’re unable to find consistency on that end of the floor, there’s only so much the defense can do to see out big wins down the stretch.

Following Tuesday’s contest against De Paul the Red Storm is on the road to take on the Kentucky Wildcats in the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta. Tip off will be Saturday December 20 at 12:30pm. St. John’s comes back to Carnesecca Arena for their final game in Queens on Tuesday the 23 against Harvard.

Was the Mets’ Apple Rotten at the Core?

BQE Admin on December 19, 2025

Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

Not many saw this trajectory coming for the Mets’ offseason, but nevertheless the core of the team has been torn apart. In the span of just weeks, New York traded their longest-tenured player in Brandon Nimmo, saw star closer Edwin Diaz sign with the back-to-back champion Dodgers, and didn’t even present a contract offer to franchise HR leader Pete Alonso, who signed in Baltimore.

It’s a complete restructuring of the team in the wake of a brutal failure last season, where they missed the postseason despite boasting MLBís second-highest payroll.

Now it’s evident that Steve Cohen and David Stearns won’t be paying more than they’re comfortable for key players, and that includes long contract terms and deferred money that ultimately led to Diaz and Alonso signing elsewhere.

“In the years that I’ve been with the Mets, I have not seen this much moving in a new direction,” said all-time great Met Kieth Hernandez.

Former manager Terry Collins shared insight on the shakeup, saying “this core has not won. Maybe it’s time to go with a different core.”

Ultimately, the bulk of the Mets’ failure last season came down to their pitching staff, one that’s only gotten weaker in recent weeks. While the offense certainly came up short more than a few times, starting pitchers consistently failed to last and the bullpen was ineffective far too often.

Now those problems are exacerbated by the loss of Diaz, Gregory Soto, and Tyler Rodgers. Additionally New York missed out on Padres reliever Robert Suarez (now with Atlanta), and still have holes to fill in their rotation.

The core certainly did not get it done, but it’s hard to see the Mets bouncing back and making the playoffs with this much upheaval in the offseason.

Nets Match Franchise Record for Margin of Victory With 45-point Win Over Bucks

BQE Admin on December 19, 2025

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

The Brooklyn Nets delivered a wild smackdown to the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday night, an impressive showing even with Milwaukee missing star big man Giannis Antetokounmpo. Their 45-point win is tied for the largest in franchise history, previously set in New Jersey back in 1993. Their previous record in the Brooklyn era came in 2022 when they defeated the Wizards by 42.

Despite the 127-point performance, no Net scored more than 17 points. Instead it was a terrific all-around performance with 9 different players scoring in double figures, including all 5 starters. Every Net recorded at least one rebound and all aside from Jalen Wilson recorded at least one assist. They beat the Bucks in both stats, also winning the battle in turnovers, blocks, steals, and fouls.

Rookie Egor Dëmin led the charge with his second-best performance in Brooklyn. His 17 points came with solid efficiency, shooting 6/8 and 3/3 at the FT line, also picking up 3 rebounds and 3 assists. While Michael Porter Jr. hit 2 of 7 three pointers and only managed 12 points (about half of his season average) the Net newcomer added 6 rebounds and 5 assists to round out his game.

The Nets were without Head Coach Jordi Fernandez, who missed the game with the flu. Assistant Steve Hetzel picked up his 1st career NBA win, echoing the same gameplan of constant ball movement and defensive effort.

“It’s a 45-point loss to a team trying to lose. They have 4 or 5 wins or whatever it is now,” lamented Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma. “That’s the beauty of this league, right? There’s so much talent and if you’re not ready you can get your butt whooped by any team.”

It was Brooklyn’s 7th win and the Bucks without Giannis certainly were not ready, though the Nets were by no means playing to lose. While they’re not constructed to contend by any means, they still have plenty of talent and when they connect on the gameplan they have shown immense promise.

Meanwhile in Milwaukee, things aren’t exactly going much better than in Brooklyn. It seems Giannis is destined for a trade in the near future and without him it’s possible the Bucks plummet from the 10th seed in the East, where they only hold a 11-16 record. If the Nets can catch their stride, especially depending on how the roster looks down the line, they could easily go on a winning stretch and find themselves in that very same play-in position.

Liberty Welcome New Head Coach Chris DeMarco to NYC

BQE Admin on December 19, 2025

From left to right: Liberty CEO Keia Clarke, General Manager Jonathan Kolb, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Nyara Sabally, Head Coach Chris DeMarco, Isabelle Harrison, Sabrina Ionescu, and Owner/Governor Clara Wu Tsai

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

New York’s newest head coach landed in the city last week for an introductory press conference and youth clinic. Golden State Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco fielded questions at the Barclays Center before swapping his suit and tie for a tracksuit and heading across the street to the Brooklyn Basketball Training Center.

After his introductory press conference, DeMarco made his first appearance at the Brooklyn Basketball Training Center across the street!

After spending well over a decade in the Bay Area and helping oversee the development of one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history, DeMarco is coming to NYC, ready to set his sights on a new challenge as he becomes the 10th to lead the original WNBA franchise.

He’ll finish his assistant coaching duties with the Warriors at the end of the year, coincidentally right after they come to the Barclays Center to take on the Brooklyn Nets on December 29.

Chris DeMarco will finish his tenure with the Golden State Warriors after they visit the Brooklyn Nets at the end of December.

“We needed somebody who understands the habits that go into building a dynasty,” said General Manager Jonathan Kolb. “Someone that’s been in a championship culture and understands the cost of greatness and the accountability that’s required to sustain it.”

DeMarco is one of now seven former NBA assistants set to coach WNBA teams in 2026, joining high profile coaches like Becky Hammon, Natalie Nakase, and Nate Tibbets. It’s a strategy that has worked out well for plenty of teams, especially the Las Vegas Aces who picked up their third championship, all won under Hammon’s leadership. 

The Liberty also saw their 2025 campaign ended by a star-studded team led by Tibbets, who spent 12  years as an assistant for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trailblazers, and Orlando Magic. Now New York will look to replicate the formula, also hoping to retain their top talent.

“I’m honored to be in a head coaching role in the WNBA. The league is expanding rapidly, it’s exciting and it’s where I want to be,” said DeMarco. “There’s tremendous growth each year and I get a chance to coach the greatest basketball players in the world.”

“t’s where I want to be. There’s tremendous growth each year and I get a chance to coach the greatest basketball players in the world,” said DeMarco.

Much of the offseason depends on how the collective bargaining agreement shakes out, but once that hurdle is cleared the Liberty are expected to be very aggressive in free agency to retain some stars and bolster their core.

The Liberty will not make a 1st round selection in the 2026 WNBA draft after trading their pick alongside last year’s 1st in the Natasha Cloud deal. Still, they’ll have plenty of assets and allure to bring in what they need to pursue a second title when the season tips off next year.

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