It has not been a good start to the offseason for the New York Mets. First, Brandon Nimmo was shipped out. Then, the trumpets fell silent as Edwin “Sugar” Díaz bolted for the Dodgers. But the knockout punch came Wednesday when the face of the franchise, Pete Alonso, took a $155 million deal to wear Baltimore orange. What did Owner Steve Cohen have to say?
For a team that started 45-24 last season before driving off a cliff, this offseason was supposed to be the redemption arc. Instead, it looks a lot like a demolition project. And frankly, the fans are ready to riot.
Steve Cohen Breaks His Silence
Amidst the absolute meltdown on Mets Twitter (X), Owner Steve Cohen finally chimed in. He didn’t hold a press conference; he just shot a text to the New York Post.
“I totally understand the fans’ reaction,” Cohen said. “There is lots of offseason left to put a playoff team on the field.”
It’s a calm message from the guy writing the checks, but “lots of offseason” feels like a threat when you’ve just watched your homegrown hero walk away without even receiving a counteroffer. Cohen and his President of Baseball Operations, David Stearns, seem to have a vision, but right now, that vision looks pretty blurry to the guys sitting in the upper deck at Citi Field.
The Strategy Behind the Purge
Let’s be real for a second: Cohen isn’t afraid to spend. This is the same guy who handed Juan Soto a GDP-sized contract a year ago. But this winter feels different. It feels like Stearns looked at the core that collapsed last year and decided it was rotten.
By letting Alonso and Díaz walk, Cohen saved a boatload of cash. They balked at the price tags, plain and simple. Stearns did manage to flip Nimmo for Marcus Semien, a solid baseball move, but baseball isn’t played on spreadsheets. It’s played on emotion, and losing the “Polar Bear” is a gut punch that WAR statistics can’t measure.
Can Cohen Win Back the Crowd?
The pressure is now squarely on Cohen to turn that saved cash into wins. You can’t tell New Yorkers to have patience; that’s not in the city’s vocabulary.
The market still has heavy hitters. Kyle Tucker is out there. Cody Bellinger is available. There are aces like Framber Valdez looking for a home. Cohen has the wallet to sign them all, but he has to actually do it.
Right now, the Mets have dug themselves a deep hole with their own fanbase. Cohen says he understands the anger, but unless he pulls a rabbit, or a World Series contender, out of his hat before Spring Training, understanding won’t be enough. It’s going to be a long, cold winter in Flushing.
