David Stearns steps down as Brewers president in potential Mets boon

The tremors of this major Milwaukee shakeup could be felt all the way in Flushing.

David Stearns is stepping down as the Brewers president of baseball operations, the club announced Thursday morning, and will remain with the team as an advisor to owner Mark Attanasio and the baseball operations department. Senior vice president and general manager Matt Arnold will now run the Brewers’ baseball ops.

“This is not an easy decision for me and is something I have been wrestling with for a long time,” Stearns said in a statement. “Mark Attanasio and I have had an open dialogue and we both knew this day could eventually come. It has been a priority for both of us that any transition would take place while the organization is in a healthy position with solid leadership and a talented roster going forward. That is certainly the case today.”

Stearns expanded on his reason for stepping down in a press conference later Thursday morning.

“There are other parts of life, and at this point I’m looking forward to gaining some time that I haven’t really had before. I’m looking forward to taking a deep breath, I’m looking forward to spending time with my family, looking forward to spending time with friends and I’m looking forward to pursuing some other interests,” he said. “I’m also not going anywhere. I’m going to be here in Milwaukee. I’m committed to serving Mark and Matt in an advisory capacity as the organization works through this transition.”

Stearns, a 37-year-old New York City native who became Brewers GM in 2015, has long been linked to the Mets amid their search for a top baseball executive under owner Steve Cohen. The Post’s Jon Heyman reported in May that “the feeling” is Stearns has interest in joining the Mets. The Brewers declined the Mets’ request to interview Stearns last offseason before the Mets hired Billy Eppler as their new general manager. The Mets also expressed interest last year in Arnold, who received a contract extension from Milwaukee.

Other teams would still need to be granted permission to interview Stearns because he’s under contract for one more year. But whether it’s sooner or later, him stepping down increases the possibility of him jumping to another organization, and the Mets ostensibly would be interested if he’s available after previously attempting to interview him.

Sandy Alderson is stepping down as team president once the Mets hire his replacement. He is expected to be part of the search for his successor.

Stearns came under fire after the Brewers traded All-Star closer Josh Hader to the Padres before the MLB trade deadline this year while the team was in first place in the NL Central. It had been speculated that the Brewers were not going to pay top dollar to lock Hader in long-term, but Stearns’ statement explaining the deal rankled the fan base.

“The players we are receiving in this trade help ensure that the future of the Milwaukee Brewers remains bright while not compromising our desire and expectation to win today. This mix of present Major League talent and high-level prospects furthers our aim to get as many bites of the apple as possible and, ultimately, to bring a World Series to Milwaukee,” Stearns said in the statement after the trade.

“Trading good players on good teams is difficult, and that certainly is the case with Josh. We also recognize that to give our organization the best chance for sustained competitiveness, to avoid the extended down periods that so many organizations experience, we must make decisions that are not easy.”