The Cohen Culture: How the Mets New Owner Has Quickly Shifted The Outlook of a Franchise

Written by: Kyle Coreth

January 9, 2021

For years the Wilpon family ownership of the New York Mets instilled the mindset of being a small market ballclub in the biggest market in the nation. Top free agents and players available via trade were never seen as true options because of the price their contracts demanded. Whenever the team had taken these risks their returns would never be worth the investment – think Jason Bay, Robinson Cano, Oliver Perez, to name a few. The team would have to rely primarily on development through their farm system to compete, or in this case, simply stay afloat. Alas, there was a brief period of hope as most of the 2015 NL Champion Mets roster was homegrown talent – however, one could argue that their run to the World Series that year does not happen without trading for star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, who they would later re-sign to a 4-year/$110 million contract. Sadly, Cespedes would join the list of sizable contracts that didn’t pan out as the team has had just one playoff game since losing the 2015 Fall Class to the Royals and has idled in mediocrity since. The team has enjoyed some strong individual player performances though, with Jacob deGrom emerging as the team's ace and picking up a couple of Cy Young awards en route to becoming arguably the best pitcher in baseball, along with young first baseman Pete Alonso earning the 2019 NL Rookie of the Year honors. So why has the team not returned to the playoffs despite fielding an improving roster? One could very easily look to the catalyst of their 2015 World Series run for the answer – a bona fide star to elevate the team back to contender status. However, operating as a small market team under the Wilpon regime put doubts into fans minds that this would ever happen again, especially after the aforementioned Cespedes contract failed to meet expectations. Many fans had for years accepted the fact that as long as Wilpon was in charge, the team would likely remain stagnant. Luckily, we were all treated to a breath of fresh air when news came out that the Wilpon family was motivated to sell the franchise by the end of 2020, which we now know would eventually be to billionaire hedge fund manager, and lifelong Mets fan, Steve Cohen.

In just a few short months as the Mets’ majority owner, Cohen has made it clear that he is not your typical run-of-the-mill sports owner. This is not another business mogul investing in the business of a sports franchise solely for profit, this is as if a billionaire fan somehow miraculously got the keys to the city. Cohen proved this in his first press conference as owner, showing his knowledge on the current state of the team, and stating he’s willing to spend money to win (a foreign territory for Mets fans). One of his first orders of business was to start cleaning house with the firing of GM Brodie Van Wagenen and hiring Sandy Alderson as team president, the same man who was GM of the team from 2010-2018 and heavily responsible for constructing the 2015 National League champions. Cohen stated it would be “slightly disappointing” if the team does not raise the World Series trophy in the next 3-5 years. Is this a tall order for a team that has gone four straight seasons missing the playoffs? Possibly, but Cohen has certainly stated he is willing to open up his wallet to make that happen, which is what Mets fans love to hear as the team now has the richest owner in all of Major League Baseball, by a considerable margin (for reference, Cohen is worth $14.6B, the next highest is Washington owner Ted Lerner, worth $4.8B)

So what does that mean for the 2020-2021 MLB offseason? Will the Mets be after some of this year's most sought-out free agents such as reigning NL Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer, JT Realmuto, George Springer? Well, as mid-January approached, and some Mets fans were already showing signs of frustration that their new owner hadn’t made a splash on the open market yet, especially with other National League teams like the Padres making valuable veteran additions to their collection of young studs, Cohen urged fans via his Twitter account to be patient. He proved to be a man of his word, as on the afternoon of January 7, news broke that the Cleveland Indians had traded their star shortstop Francisco Lindor and pitcher Carlos Carrasco to the Mets in exchange for infielders Andres Gimenez, Amed Rosario, and prospects Josh Wolf and Isaiah Greene. Likely the biggest trade the team has made since acquiring Mike Piazza in 1998, this signifies a new era for Mets fans. The owner cares about the success of the team and has shown he plans on running it like a big market franchise. Lindor has one year left on his current contract, but hope is the Mets are able to sign him long-term, and it is hard to believe this trade is made without confidence in that happening.

Reports say the Mets may not be done spending as they still have eyes on other free agents, primarily George Springer. What this trade does possibly more than anything is make the Mets a destination for more big name free agents. Players want to play in New York, and it’s not just for the team across town in the Bronx. The Mets now have a pitching staff consisting of Jacob deGrom, Marcus Stroman, Carlos Carrasco, and a returning Noah Syndergaard by mid-season. A lineup that includes Frankie Lindor, Jeff McNeil, Michael Conforto, Dominic Smith, James McCann, and possibly more to come. Let’s not declare the Mets fixed after just a few months of the offseason before a game has even been played, but Cohen has immediately changed the fan morale and outlook on the culture of this franchise.