Just before Carlos Correa signed his 13-year, $350MM deal with the Giants, the Mets made an attempt to try land the star shortstop. Mets owner Steve Cohen shed more light on that pursuit in an interview with Jon Heyman of the New York Post, as Cohen said that he contacted Correa’s agent Scott Boras an offer of roughly $300MM. By that point, however, the Giants and Correa’s camp were already deep enough into negotiations that Boras and company didn’t want to turn back.
As Cohen simply put it, “we got there late” on Correa’s market. “We thought maybe he might fall to us….He’s a great leader and a good guy. He could play third base. And he’s a great defender.”
Position changes have been floated for all of Correa, Xander Bogaerts, Trea Turner, and Dansby Swanson in various permutations by several teams this winter, as even at the very top of the shortstop market, clubs creatively explored ways to fit these players into a lineup even if another good shortstop was already on the roster. In New York, of course, Francisco Lindor is already locked into the shortstop role through the 2031 season, and thus Correa would’ve had to move to the hot corner.
Lindor’s presence made the Mets something of a bystander on the shortstop market, but when Correa lingered on the market, Cohen checked in with Boras to see if something could be done. Eduardo Escobar (signed to a two-year, $20MM deal just last offseason) is the Mets’ current third baseman, but if Correa had been signed, Escobar would’ve presumably become an overqualified utility infielder, or perhaps a trade chip.
It’s also fair to say that Cohen’s attention might’ve been busy elsewhere, preventing him from making an earlier bid on Correa. New York has already re-signed Edwin Diaz and Brandon Nimmo, and brought Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, Jose Quintana, David Robertson, and Omar Narvaez into the fold during an extraordinary free agent splurge. The result is a payroll that sits at roughly $343.56MM, and a luxury tax number of $356.3MM — both records in MLB history.
“No one likes to spend money. But this is the price” of doing business, Cohen said, as the Mets want to win but aren’t interested in trading from their farm system. If this means operating at a loss in order to chase a World Series, that is fine in Cohen’s view. Also, the owner noted that the club also had a lot of holes to fill (mostly on the pitching staff) given its own extensive free agent class. While Nimmo and Diaz were retained, Jacob deGrom, Taijuan Walker, Chris Bassitt, Trevor May, Trevor Williams, and Joely Rodriguez have all signed elsewhere.
“My team is good. But it isn’t that much better than last year. If you want a team that’s good, this is what it costs. What are you going to do?” Cohen asked rhetorically.
As much as there doesn’t appear to be a limit on New York’s spending, Cohen did say that Correa’s market conditions played a role in the Mets’ interest, as he was going to pursue a signing “that made sense…and not get crazy.” The fact that a $300MM offer on top of the Mets’ other spending doesn’t qualify as “crazy” is yet another eye-popping example of how Cohen is redefining baseball’s payroll limits, and yet “I’ve been dealing with big numbers for so long these numbers don’t scare me at all. It’s not like I’m not respectful about what these other teams have to deal with.”
Why would Cohen make this statement publicly? Narcissism?
“We Got There Late” What a comment. Did your car run out of gas? Did you miss your cab? Did the bus run late? How about “my dog ate my homework”
We should all realize there comes a time when we say just a little bit too much…
He doesn’t like he idea he was outbid.
Truth
I don’t inherently dislike Steve Cohen, and I’ve been a long distance Mets’ enthusiast for some time…..but the imbalance for the few at the top in regards to spending is out of control. My team just gave out a dumb contract to CC but we still aren’t very good. I guess Cohen wants to buy a WS. And this line: “It’s not like I’m not respectful about what these other teams have to deal with,”. IS COMPLETE BS. Come on man, really? I’m sure he thinking about the Bucks, Royals, Reds, Orioles, A’s and the Rays with such respect and consideration. Ha! Salary cap must be instituted!!!
@Trumbo, do you think this part of his comment was honest: “It’s not like I’m not respectful about what these other teams have to deal with.” ?????? I don’t think this reeks of honesty myself. Just sayin’.
The fact that his fellow billionaire owners don’t spend at the same rate is on them. This is the pros, he’s under no obligation to be politically correct with his statements despite it rubbing some the wrong way.
@giantsphan The dude is in a different financial stratosphere compared with the other owners, even the Yankees.
“I’m making money. I have this other job that generates a good living. It’s not like it’s a zero-sum game.”
———–
Cohen doesn’t care if the Mets run a deficit for the time being. He also has no other shareholders to answer to owning 95% of the team. The 5% Wilpons got paid by him so they’re not complaining nor would it sway him even if they did.
Only with a floor. You’ll never get one without the other as long as the MLBPA is involved Based on the current patterns, we’re looking at somewhere near a $100M floor and a $400M cap. There are ways to work into both numbers with 2% compounded raises for the length of the CBA or to at least do that for the floor while the $400M cap is constant. Any team that doesn’t meet the floor for the current year would have to allocate the difference accordingly to members of its 40-man roster at the end of the season.
If I were a Mets fan, I would love the team Cohen put together. The money he’s spent is irrelevant to me. It’s not my money. No one would be complaining about money spent if they end up winning a WS. However, his comment about other teams not being able to spend like he does is out of line. He probably doesn’t think that some of his comments are disrespectful. He lives in his own little world that those who made billions of dollars were a little ruthless to get where they are.
Steinbrenner (George) did the same thing. In fact, I believe he was the first owner to pay the luxury tax but he didn’t care
He wanted to win a WS and he bought an all-star team to do it. Over-spending is nothing new.
The owners all had to approve Cohen to but the team, right?
I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure they do.
@giantsphan12: “A salary cap must be instituted.”
Why and by whose authority? The MLBPA never will agree in collective bargaining to such a fixed amount for compensation that would create a zero sum game for player contracts, especially when overall revenue is growing every year.
How is it fair that player compensation be capped when overall revenue is not?
The owners tried to railroad the MLBPA into a salary cap system in 1994-95, until they were slapped down by the NLRB and the courts. It was apparent then and is apparent now that there is greater opposition between large market and small market owners than between owners collectively and players. It’s not incumbent upon players to help owners resolve differences with other owners.
I disagree man. I feel like what the owners of the A’s, Marlins and other teams that refuse to spend are doing is far more disrespectful. We had the Wilpons here for many years pocketing revenue accrued from the luxury tax that the dodgers and Yankees would pay. That money that could’ve went into bettering the team on the field went right into their pockets to make up for the loss they suffered with madoff instead. No sir. An owner that wants to spend is a good thing. Every team should have an owner that wants to spend. You can’t cry foul at someone wanting to win when you have others tanking and just trying to make a profit. Salary floor is more like it. Make others spend. Make it more of a competition to sign guys. Make guys want to go play elsewhere because they see them trying to win. Don’t punish the ones that are trying to win
The problem is billionaires invest in baseball franchises for many different reasons and you don’t need to have any particular interest in baseball to own a team. That’s what is cool about Steve Cohen, he is a billionaire who owns a team but is also an exuberant fan of baseball. Now is there a way to ensure that every owner of a baseball team has to also be a fan? Probably not, but there are things you could put in place that could deter owners who wouldn’t be good for baseball. Couple things off the top of my head are ensuring the owner doesn’t have ownership over other sports franchises (i.e. John Henry?) another is creating a review board made up of current and former ballplayers, fans, and normal citizens who vote on whether a certain owner can purchase a club keeping the best interests of the sport in mind.
@HEP
At least he’s acknowledged that he’s operating at a loss. Can’t expect every team to operate this way. It will be fun watching them lose to teams that have payrolls $200MM less.
I don’t think it’s disrespect how many owners are billionaire and they put nothing back into the team and pocket the money. Pirates marlins Oakland for example.. maybe they can’t spend like cohen but they can do more. As a fan I’m glad this guy cares like this. Let’s go!
Cohens comment about spending all this money and still having just similar talent to last year is a lesson that it’s very difficult to buy a World Series.
Scouting and player development is where you invest your money. Some have said Cohen is buying FAs while the minors system builds up. For how long? To what end?
Keep in mind in 2-3 years, Max and JV will more than likely be gone or retired. How can you fill 2 elite starter spots like that?
He’s certainly not the first and won’t be the last Uber rich MLB owner to throw cash around; they all find out that it takes a lot more than cash to hoist that trophy at the end of the year.
@H E, I totally agree with you. When compared to the other billionaire owners,
you’re right, they each choose how to run/spend/manage their teams and it’s a relative even field. But, it’s not an even playing field for the small market teams (like those I mentioned above) and to make a statement as though Cohen cares or
considers that seems disingenuous. Lastly, while the Astros did the cheating thing, they did/have built a system that keeps producing championship teams for the past 1/2 decade. They didn’t “buy” their team of top-tier players. As a fan of the game, I enjoy watching a team that has strategized over years to build a team/system of champions rather than show up and throw $500MM at the team in hopes of “buying” a WS. That’s all I’m saying, and, it’s just my opinion.
It’s just a waste of time to bring up a salary cap. It is never, ever, ever going to happen. That is the hill the players will die on. I don’t know know why every article with something about big spending clubs, elicits calls for a cap. People in hell want ice water. There’s just as good a possibility of that as MLB getting a salary cap.
@tad, I agree that the cap will never happen as the MLBPA will never allow it. But…..if creating a cap also forced the owners to create a floor, that could be a great thing. It would create improved team equity across the league, forcing the teams who benefit from profit sharing to spend…presumably creating more competitive teams. And two, a floor tied to salaries may allow younger players to make more earlier in their careers. I’d rather that 50% of the guys who make it to the BIGS make enough money to support their families for life, even if they get hurt or cut before making it to FA. To me, it is more equitable than allowing the very select few who are superstars in FA to get 100s of $MM, essentially “hogging” all the cash for themselves (I realize it’s the system, not the individual players).
Win a World Series….make money off it for decades…….
Still selling the ’68 Detroit Tigers…..
giantsphan12, There’s no doubt a cap and floor would make MLB more competitive. But talking about one is purely academic, since it will never happen. I just don’t see the point in advocating for it. It’s like continuing to wish we could fly like the birds. It’s a situation we just have to accept, realizing that what we’d like is impossible.
After years of owners who were arguably the worst in baseball, I don’t care how much he spends, nor do I feel bad for other teams. The Wilpons threw nickels around like they were manhole covers and not just on payroll. They also ran player development and the medical staff like it was a sleezy used car lot. Spending exorbitantly while hoarding prospects is the only way for us to compete after the last several decades of mismanagement.
They’re not close to running at a deficit, even with this payroll. Add in the increase in value year to year of franchises, and payroll could go higher than the Mets’ for all the big market teams and they’d still run a significant profit.
Correct, that, and the only reason the Dodgers didn’t buy also buy a full season WS is because of the nature of baseball’s postseason and a few Dave Roberts’ decisions.
@Lyman Bostock. Not all. I believe if more than 4 MLB owners had voted against Cohen he would not have been allowed to join the club.
@giants fan
But you’re ok with teams tanking for multiple years to collect picks to build that system?
@JackStrawb
Franchise value doesn’t put any money in the owners pockets, unless they borrow on it, until they sell the team. If the value of your house goes up, the only thing that changes is how much tax you pay on it- MORE. No one sends them a check. I guess we should believe you, though, rather than the guy paying the bills.
“My assistant spilled coffee on my contract.”
Thanks fre5hwind, I missed that one along with the flat tire & someone in my family was murdered…
We tend to get petty when we don’t get our way…
fre5hwind, It took me a few mins for it to click but once it did hahahahahaha
Curly, that’s what I’m saying. It was a strange, apparently defensive posture for him to take…As if he hasn’t made any moves of note thus far…
He need not pander to anyone. He’s done great so far.
TJ, spot on. This GM loves to see himself in a mirror… mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the best GM of all!
Of course, who he actually sees in his mirror is Bette Midler (actually Manfred in drag)
TJ, I must confess, I laughed so hard at this post, I slapped my leg.. I love this site, so much & many others like you who grudgingly accept me. Some tool called me a racist on a former post & I almost quit. Ain’t gonna work. It’s too much fun!!!
Manfred in drag, I’ve always wanted to say that, sssshhhh!
To instill in Mets fans that he’s trying to win. I personally don’t think he was making a real attempt to sign Correa bc how can you really be “too late” with Boras who is going to use all teams’ offers as leverage. Cohen talks a good talk but also walks it.
YBC he’s definitely been walking the walk! I couldn’t imagine any fans thinking him not signing Correa was indicative of his desire (or lack thereof) to win. He seems to be taking it a lot harder than the fans. That’s the vexing part.
@TJ He’s just hyping up his own fanbase. Most of them aren’t diehards like us so they don’t care to read between the lines. “Hey we tried to sign another superstar but not this one but we’ll be for sure signing others next year.”
YBC, Agreed. He should have said what YOU just said! The way you say it comes off as a positive…Not defensive..No excuses..
Sounds like the Mets are in on everybody? Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Very odd comment on his part. Late?
Super odd. As if he was shut out and stood no chance. It’s a weak comment on his part all around.
NY media and fans want all the stories.
It is a poor comment to me because there is no reason to encourage other owners to get upset about his possible spending being beyond what he has actually done. Plus the comment will harm the team’s relationship with Escobar and maybe even McNeil and it is doubtful it would motivate Escobar to do better. Money is already a motivator.
Yeah Manny you hit on numerous good points. He didn’t owe anyone an explantion as to why he didn’t sign Correa.
Are you sure the players wouldn’t be happy to have such an open and honest owner? Doesn’t everyone just want transparency from their boss?
Are you sure they wouldn’t be happy to have added Correa, who gives them a better chance at winning?
I don’t think the players mine playing for a few shows who’s owner will try to win at all costs.
He’s being TOO honest and his comments beg more questions than answers. I still don’t understand what he was trying to convey.
Lyman, to me, it seemed like he was explaining why they didn’t sign Correa and defending why they didn’t sign him at the same time, all while saying that it wasn’t really even possible because they were late to the deal, whatever that means. I’m not trying to just talk out my a$$ I just truly don’t understand any of what he meant.
I mean that’s fair Trumbo Jumbo.
I didn’t read the interview, but Heyman probably asked him about it. He was just candid. I personally like it. It also lets fans and the players know how serious he is about winning. So I’ll take it for face value.
It’s impressive as well as informative that Cohen was even willing to consider a contract like that after the payroll is already as high as it is.
I honestly thought he was nearing his limit. This tells me that if it’s a player he really likes he’s still willing to go huge. I didn’t know that before I read he was willing to sign Correa at 300 or more million. I was actually surprised.
Lyman, yeah that makes sense. I’m probably just so surprised because the running joke around here the past few weeks is how much this guy has done and spent so far and he just seemed kinda hung up on Correa still. I think most people have no idea how good the Mets are going to be this season.
Narcissists don’t admit defeat. I truly believe he’s a rich guy who treats the team like it’s his fantasy league – and has fringe benefits. I also see him as a long standing fan who wants to the the hero in the eyes of Mets fans after the years of playing second fiddle to the George Steinbrenner days. He has a successful company in a competitive field – no different in baseball.
Not sure if Correa would make sense – his value is truest at SS. Machado entering next years class may be intriguing, however…
He is like Ballmer in the NBA, paying all this money, running his mouth, and his team chokes every year. Mets gonna Met.
What they now need is a lefty bullpen guy (Chafin/ or Matt Moore) and a DH how about Luke Voit
Mets have Dan Vogelbach, Darin Ruf, and Escobar could get DH AB’s if Baty wins the 3B job. They seem to be covered
Vogel and Ruf stink, they need some power in that lineup
Vogelbach had an .879 OPS vs. RHP.
HEY! Eat those words! Vogelbach is the best thing on the base paths since the Curly shuffle! Nyuck, nyuck
Curly:
LOL! Vogelbach is the best thing since “Big Sexy”.
Amen, halleluiah, let the big boy run!!!!
Babe Rif? Nah, he don’t stink. He has his good days.
Babe Ruf? Nah he doesn’t stink. He has his good days.
You just reminded me of a guy I played ball with in HS Curly. He was definitely a “big boy” as well….300lbs straight up and down…The hilarious part was that he ran SUPER fast for such a big guy…Fast in general in fact haha. It really looked like a freak of nature to see this guy run. It was terrifying because if he ran into you then you were dead.
Actually I was very fast (extremely quick) & at a sports camp I met a guy who was 5’6 who ran faster than I did.. Never got over that.
I never liked anyone who could run faster than me!
I’m surprised the Mets haven’t done something about his weight. Surely they must have a fitness coach. Milwaukee also has a big player. I can”t think of his name but it’s not Tellez. He mostly pinch hits.
My ex wife ran circles around me, I didn’t like her either
Curly I pulled a muscle in my back this A.M. and I am trying to temper my spontaneous laughter at all costs! Be considerate!
Seriously though you are on a heck of a roll hahaha You have a Rodney Dangerfield delivery!
Uncle Stevie spitting facts!
lol. Ok buddy
You feel bad for billionaires? What kind of sick upbringing did you have?
Hahahahahahaha
So, Correa saved Cohen the nearly 700 million he would get over 13 years with the 90% overage penalty (assuming his spending habits don’t change). That’s great news for him! I am honestly surprised that this wasn’t a Boras-planted rumor.
The penalty isn’t on the entire contract but rather it’s one year at a time when payroll goes over spending limits.
Somehow I think he knows that. His screen name says it all.
Yes. I know. This is why I said, “assuming his spending habits don’t change.” As in he doesn’t cut spending the next 12 years after 2023
Had Cohen sincerely wanted Correa, he could have and would have made an offer in November.
…while also convincing Correa to play third base.
As the article stated, they had far more pressing needs than Correa at the start of the offseason.
The fact is this…..
Top players have incredible egos in all pro sports (talk to an agent…it isn’t the money, it’s who got the larger contract).
Carlos Correa believe he’s the best all around SS in MLB. There is no way he would have gone to play for the Mets at a lower salary than Lindor and also moved off SS.
Yes, I know about A-Rod and Jeter. But A-Rod was trying to get off of a team that had him under contract, and no team in MLB would give the Rangers anything decent back for him if they were going to take on his outrageous (at the time) salary (Red Sox almost did but wouldn’t go high enough).
Correa wants to be the DA MAN. He believes he’s better than Lindor (and I do as well providing he’s healthy). The man is 29 and in his prime. No way in the world was he going to change positions and take less money when he has the option to go to numerous other teams that will pay him and play him.
That’s a good assessment. Team Puerto Rico would have looked good on the left side of the infield though!
The funny part is, the Mets aren’t better than they were last year, like, at all. And then getting 1 hit in the playoffs is just something Cohen can look forward to as he makes the Mets unable to become profitable
Thankfully, he is a 95% owner. The other 5%, according to ESPN, is the Wilpons. I do feel bad for them, but it’s not really their money. Only 5 cents per dollar goes from their share, so it is manageable. Speaking of redundancy, why not just sign Judge, Benintendi, and maybe resign some of their free agents? I am not getting this idea of trying to recoup some draft picks while losing quite a few from overspending and being penalized in their top pick. Eventually, this spending has to end.
You feel bad for billionaires? Ew, bootlicker.
deGrom made 11 starts in 2022. Verlander made 28. Boom! They are better.
I do think the Mets are better anyway, but I hate this analogy because injuries happen and more will happen in 2023.
dugmet: Spot on. Verlander was worth almost the same WAR as DeGrom, Bassitt and T. Walker combined last season. Then they added Senga. And Quintana. I’m not saying the Mets are vastly improved, mostly because they still lack the power to seriously compete in the playoffs, but for damascusnj to suggest they didn’t get better “like, at all” doesn’t make much sense. Cheers.
H E Pennypacker;
I use WAR as a general guide to what sorts of players one man
is grouped with.
Maybe 15 years ago I added up all WAR (manually) that individual players had produced playing for specific teams – i.e. if a player played for multiple teams I only took the WAR he generated for the team I was computing.
I did one league. The teams individual WAR’s didn’t correspond to where they finished in the standings.
I don’t watch baseball to see a player build his statistics up. I watch games to see which team wins, and follow the season to see which teams win their division and make the playoffs.
Analytics have been in MLB for well over a century, they slowly got computerized in the 60’s and with affordable computers they took off with the Moneyball craze in the early 2000’s. If there was a pattern that successfully forecasts what wins divisions and championships, that would have been found long ago. Stats are nice to argue, but I prefer watching games – see what the players, managers and coaches are doing on the field.
If Scherzer and Verlander manage to both stay healthy I think we might see something we haven’t seen since Maddux and Glavine. Those 2 are super competitive and are used to being the Ace of their staff. I hope they stay healthy, heck I might even go to a Mets game or 2. Tired of the Cashman led Yankees. They obviously need a change. He is a solid GM but isn’t the right fit for them.
Ditto coffinnail!!
@Samuel You were calculating WAR by hand 15 years ago? Was WAR even a stat anyone was tracking 15 years ago?
More impressively, Samuel is missing 9 out of 10 fingers too! It was amazing to see him counting with two stumps and one finger.
He may have a partial nub also, I don’t recall.
The awesome picture you just painted for me Clip haha I wish I could still see his posts. But when I told him that the JUCO’s out in SoCal were not being scouted properly he saw no choice but to mute me.
That’s strange, Samuel muted me too but I can still see his posts. I just can’t reply to them and he doesn’t see any of mine. I wonder why it’s a two-way street for some but not others. Anyways you’re not missing much my friend Trumbo, just Sammy being Sammy.
Haha I was stunned because he was my 1st pal on this site. He dropped me like 3rd period French.
@ISOB Samuel strives and fails repeatedly to be the smartest guy in the room, hence his misguided essay posts. He mutes everyone who proves him wrong based on evidence and can’t be convinced to join his circle-jerk.
I wish he owned the Cubs
We ALL wish he owned our respective team. What a difference an owner like this makes for the fans of the game.
Cohen wouldn’t make the Yankees hit in the playoffs despite them having an 800m payroll
100% correct
He’s in the Mets business. Met fans love Cohen.
I’ve got mixed feelings on Steve Cohen. If you’re a fan of the Mets, he’s a great owner. But if you’re a fan of baseball, I don’t know…
I’m not sure there could ever be a salary cap in baseball, I don’t think the Players Union would allow it. But if they did they’ve got to put in a salary floor too.
And it is fascinating to see the way the Mets have just gone on this insane spending spree. Now let’s see if all that money translates to a World Series championship.
so your gonna ignore the fact that the Dodgers have done it and the Padres seemingly do it every year. Spend stupid money that is
The Dodgers and Padres have never had a payroll as high as the Mets. Cohen is breaking baseball in some ways, and I think the game will be better for it. Cheap owners need to spend more. Not in the Cohen category, but no team should be spending less than 100M a year.
But there were years the highest spending team was far ahead of the next highest. In 2009, the yanks had a $201m payroll and Mets were next w 135m, so they spent 49% more than the Mets. I don’t think the Mets are currently outspending the next team by that high of a percentage, unless I’m wrong on that.
As currently projected Mets are around 13% than the Yankees, but 34% higher than the 3rd highest payroll (Phillies). We see giant gaps when we get to the 5 spot. So it’s still pretty lopsided,but to your point, more teams spend now than back in the late 90s early 00s.
I don’t think money will ever translate directly to a championship.
That said I don’t foresee this lasting. He’s putting all in right now but will not just keep throwing away double money on investments. It’s completely counterintuitive to his entire life and business model of success.
Clipper: Agree, sir. It’s been said ad nauseam, but this is right in line with the plan Cohen laid out when he first purchased the team. He will not continue to spend like this down the line.
They only have $112M on the books after 2024. Even with arbitration raises and theoretically resigning Alonso / McNeil, they’re still a ways away from where they stand today. The Mets also have a lot more talent knocking on the door than rival fans and writers give them credit for.
The Dodgers have been playing with the same advantages for years. It doesn’t buy championships though. This idea that Cohen is bad for baseball is mostly due to envy, so I take it with a grain of salt.
Also, Congrats on Judge! I’m happy to see him stay in New York where he belongs. Cheers.
Perfectly said, Pennypacker. Jealousy with a side of envy usually harbors the negative comments.I’ll joke about what he spends but I love it. And if I was a Mets fan I’d be ecstatic, especially coming from the Wilpons. This guys has been a blessing to the Mets franchise because he finally operates them like a big market. Mets fans have suffered for years and endured poor ownership (like many clubs).
Honestly, the more owners we get like this in baseball, the better for everyone involved with the game, imho. I know that’s not a popular opinion though…
Not popular but true, Clipper. I think Cohen’s approach will eventually have a domino effect with ownership changes across the league. It’s arguably already begun with the Nationals – they realized they can’t compete anymore.
Should make NYM fans confident that there will be multiple more moves to assemble a complete team on opening day
Given how all but 13 of the top 50 free agents on MLB Trade Rumor’s tracker are signed, I can’t see this happening. Also, considering how they didn’t sign many guys they gave qualifying offers to, they seem like a team that spends a lot of money and hoards prospects so they can balance the roster. I don’t see that happening this offseason, even if Cohen wants to spend. Perhaps next offseason, they might.
1000% believe Cohen will throw everything he’s got for Ohtani next offseason. May not get him but he’s gonna try. Right now they really only need one more high leverage arm in pen and a RH bat with decent pop to DH that can also either be 4th OF or sub Alonso at 1B. Predicated of course on Ruf being dealt. He was so poor at the plate last year, the already tightly wound fans would mutiny if he’s there on opening day
I don’t think anyone outbids the Dodgers for Ohtani next year. Their lack of spending this year is to go hard for Ohtani next year.
It’s going to be fascinating to see what happens in the next 3-4 years with the Mets. It’s very easy to understand their short-term plan, but I’m really curious if they keep McNeil and Alonso while signing marquee FAs like Ohtani and Machado after he opts out.
Pachoo:
It’s all up to Ohtani where he wants to play out his career. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Dodgers land him, I wouldn’t discount Eppler’s impact, and I could definitely see the ever present “Mystery Team” making a run at him. It will be wild.
Cheers.
The Mariners were his second choice when he was interviewing teams a few years ago. And the Mariners have the money to do it.
Ah, the “Mystery Team”(s) are already starting to emerge!
Brett Baty will be rookie of the year. Mets won’t care about a 3b next year.
Ew, just ew…..but funny. Cohen must have an endgame with all this spending….outside of a championship….?
Phillies fan here, so watching/listening to all this Mets stuff is fascinating….
Hunter re-signed to a minor league deal
Arrogant,a legend in his own mind! Carlos is a Shortstop and has a ring,not desperate
Ring*
Can you imagine if this guy was here before the draft pools and international spending limits
Heyman: GIGO.
Heyman’s an idiot.
Please stop listening to him, MLBTR.
Players with huge contracts often get complacent. Oh, they might not mean to, but they do. I mean, you’re GUARANTEED all that money regardless of your performance, so complacency is gonna happen. It’s just human nature, just like guys having career years the year before free agency. Swanson is a 95 OPS+ offensive player who strikes out a ton, and who just happened to up that OPS+ to 117 during his walk year. Hmmmm..He’s a good defender, a good leader, and he has good speed, but I’ve watched him for 6 years. He’s good, but he ain’t all that.
Heard all that about hosmer when he signed with the padres
“Got there late” and “fall to us” are contradictory.
Basically was thinking nobody was going to step up and pay Correa. The giants did so now the excuses fly. He doesn’t want it to sound like someone outbid him.
Yeah “fall to us” is a pretty obnoxious way for him to put it either way.
It sounds as if he thought they were a shoe-in for him or something.
The only shoe-in here TJ, is a GM putting his foot in his mouth…
Grade A stuff Curly hahaha
Grade B you shouldn’t eat, I’m a victim of my environment, that’s what the millenniums tell me, Woob woob woob woob
I’d appreciate if you would stop posting any articles that have Jon Heyman as the source. He posts fake articles like Aaron Judge going to the Giants
And Arson Judge too! He was so excited to be the first one he didn’t reread his tweet first before posting.
Oh, that’s what that meant. I kept seeing people commenting about that and I didn’t know what it meant. Heyman is even more of an embarrassment for spelling that guy’s name incorrectly
Arson Judge and Coke Hamels were the two greatest gifts of the offseason.
Those are funny type-o’s lol.
I wish mine came out that way
Couple years ago instead of Mookie Betts he typed Moose Betts. You would think he would learn by now to proofread.
I should start proof reading mine too honestly.
But Moose Betts is another good one!
Haha legendary. I hope he makes a roster full of typos.
Darn New York traffic!
He’s gonna offer Ohtani $1 billion next year, isn’t he?
“Eleventy” billion dollars, sir
If anyone knows money, it’s a wealthy industrialist and philanthropist (and bicyclist) like H.E. Pennypacker. In fact, from what I hear, he buys and sells men like Ohtani and Cohen every day!
Eric T: We’ll done!
Machado or Devers are a Met a year from now, right?
Machado makes a ton of sense with the Buck connection.
Sure. As a backup plan to Ohtani.
Definitely below Ohtani in terms of priority. Agreed.
Also, Cohen has zero credibility now that he referred to Correa as a great leader. Correa insulted Derek Jeter an all time great, he cheated to a WS championship (albeit so did many Yankees), and also downplayed and defelcted any responsibility from the trash can scandal. He’s an all around rat and no one would probably call him a leader
Agreed wholeheartedly
Yeah, but he’s like, really good.
I keep asking my Giants fan friends how they are gonna root for this guy. They all said “I dunno but we have a long time to figure it out”
Solid answer.
@GhostofRandtSavage: They once rooted for Barry Bonds, didn’t they? What’s the big whoop?
Next story:
“Cohen attempts to buy MLB”
In reality, can you imagine if he did land Correa? What a dynamic change to the Mets on both sides of the ball. Lindor and Correa as the left side of the IF?
Would be the two worst deals in sports history. On the same team nonetheless
Cohen the new George Steinbrenner.
2023 – 2030 – The Mets pursuit of buying a championship, “We never got there.”
101 wins right out of the gate. So far so good.
I know it’ fun to pile on Cohen, but (and I’m speaking as strictly a Yankees fan) Mets fans had to suffer through the Wilpon years, where ownership was always cutting corners. I think most fans prefer a home-grown team with stars that came up through the farm system, but that’s very difficult to pull off, If Cohen wants to spend, and is willing to pay the CBT, let him spend. I see a lot of commenters on this site complaining about cheap ownership. Mets fans can take some hope that their ownership won’t leave a hole un-filled just because of money, and won’t tank. In today’s weird baseball world, that’s pretty good.
Yea the Mets suffered so much under the Wilpons. They made two WS appearances and had good teams that competed. 11 second place finishes in the NL East under that ownership. It’s not as bad as Mets fans make it out to be. In the same timeframe Seattle had 7 second place finishes and just as many division titles with no WS appearance. Mets had a far better run during that time frame than the Orioles, Reds, Mariners, Royals, Marlins, Jays, Tigers, Rangers, Brewers, Rockies, Padres, D Backs, and Pirates. The pirates haven’t won a division since 1992. I know some of these teams have won a WS but teams like the Marlins Royals and Jays capitalized on their chances while the Mets didn’t.
The rewriting of history of the Wilpon era is hilarious. Mets spent plenty. Mets landed quite a few marquee FA. People talk about the end of the Wilpon era as if it were the entire era.
Not trying to rewrite the history, and I regret posting already, but there was a before Madoff and an after Madoff. That’s reality, and now I’m returning to my Yankee fandom. https://www.forbes.com/sites/christianred/2021/04/16/the-new-york-mets-franchise-paid-a-heavy-toll-for-fred-wilpons-and-saul-katzs-ties-to-bernie-madoff/?sh=39aff95e3c80
Yes. This is very true. And the pre-Madoff Mets spent like a big market team. So the”long years of suffering under the Wilpons” is really just the post-Madoff years. Plenty of other franchises suffered far longer under terrible ownership. Some never get out.
Before Madoff, the Mets were coming off of a three-year, 274 win run. They signed Beltran, Delgado, Glavine, Pedro, extended Wright and Reyes, and more. After 2008, the Wilpons essentially ruined the Mets. Everything they did from free agent pursuits to infrastructure was done on a shoestring budget. It was painfully clear the Wilpons didn’t have the resources to own a team in Idaho let alone the world’s top media market. Not only were the Mets being run by criminals, they were being run by criminals WITH THE FULL SUPPORT of the MLB, Selig and Manfried. That’s objectively disgusting. No offense to the small market teams, but what Mets fans endured from 2009 until the Cohen-era began certainly does qualify as “long suffering”.
And yet the Mets still made the World Series during those long suffering years. How many teams would love to say that?
Yeah, as much as I hated those years for FA we missed out on, there were some good drafts and trades that made 2015-16 possible. Harvey, degrom, syndrrgaard, Murphy, conforto, cespedes of course. We did see though how too many eggs in the cespedes basket hurt us once he was consistently injured.
@VonPurpleHayes When people refer to the Wilpon era, they’re referring in no small part to the brutal embarrassment of the whole enterprise. Here you go:
https://goodfundies.com/a-complete-history-of-media-reports-chronicling-the-wilpons-meddling-in-new-york-mets-baseball-6c0055acaa2?gi=3770c5d77bbd
He’ll have the highest payroll this season, but looking back on his spending spree, at least he didn’t really make any desperate signings like the Padres did. Not a Mets fan, but I’m willing to bet his plan works before San Diego’s.
Do we judge success only on a WS win? The Padres just went to the NLCS. The Mets just won 101 games. I would say both plans have sort of worked already. These are exciting franchises that are currently raking in profits from entertained fanbases. Winning the big one would be the icing on the cake, but I think both owners are happy with their product.
What is so odd about his comment? They were focused on re-building the rotation and bullpen as well as resigning Nimmo. Once all that was done Correa wa still out there and they decided he was a viable option but by the time they realized this and made an offer it was too late because the deal with SF was pretty much complete. So yeah they got there late (too late) for any offer to be considered.
All you guys that are making fun of Steve Cohen wish you had an owner like him
I haven’t taken a tally, but I do think more people on these boards are praising Cohen than insulting him. I just think the whole thing is fascinating. I would love to see what the Cohen-effect has on baseball 5 years from now.
Let’s take a vote! lol
Mark me down as a pro-Cohen guy. I mean I hate him, but he’s a perfect baseball guy.
Sounds like someone’s jealous
Steve should try to sign Swanson.
I like Mr. Cohen.
But what he, Peter Seidler (Padres), John Middleton (Phillies), the Dodgers financial owners and others are doing in making a joke of the luxury tax is accelerating the move to #5.
This is where I see MLB going in the next 20-30 years:
1. MLB will expand to 2 more teams, even if the A’s and/or Rays move.
2. The Playoffs will also expand by 2 more teams.
3. Due to the expanded playoffs MLB will cut back to between 145-154 games during the regular season. Season is too long, Players wear out by the playoffs.
4. Because the playoffs will go into November, and Late March/ early April has postponements occur due to bad weather, all MLB teams – even in warm weather areas – will have to have retractable roofed parks.
5. ALL revenues will be shared equally by all teams. Perhaps as the league goes to streaming services.
The reasons for #5:
Fans now in their 30’s and 40’s do not understand the large market, mid-market and small market structure. They’re professional team sports fans. The NBA and NFL don’t have the sort of imbalance of revenues that MLB does. The expansion above (#1 above) will go into small markets or lower mid-markets, as all large markets have teams. Furthermore, they’ll cut into revenues of teams that now get revenues from those areas.
A professional sports league cannot tell 25% or so of their national fans that they have to operate at a disadvantage when constructing rosters. Fans of those teams won’t accept them being feeder teams to the large markets. They have teams in the other pro sports leagues and aren’t at that sort of disadvantage.
@Samuel—
I just don’t see 8 owners ever agreeing to share all of their revenue, no matter how imbalanced it gets between large and small revenue teams.
I do see SM teams gaining draft-picks and higher international spending pool monies as a way to help their teams compete.
Giving MLB owners way too much credit with #5 there.
MLB LOVES the imbalance. It NURTURES the imbalance.
And from their perspective, why not?
The TV networks want big markets, the accountants want big markets and the fans (just a guess, but the top 10 teams likely account for 50%-60% of ALL MLB fans) by and large, love it.
As long as one of two small market teams are good at any given time, they will be used like Horatio Alger stories to pretend the playing field is level.
Number 4 is long overdue
I feel as though all the signings has to do with the casino approval they looking to acquire. Reminds me of Ozark netflix series.
Reminds me of The Sopranos.
Yep. What could possibly go wrong with MLB getting in bed with sports betting and MLB team owners opening casinos?
It’s like the warning of your friend who tries to jump a bicycle off a house roof, and just before he does he says…,”Hey, watch this!”
I almost choked on my ice cream cone reading that right now Clip
What could possibly go wrong with MLB getting in bed with sports betting and MLB team owners opening casinos?
============================
What would go wrong? There was never a necessity to be close to a casino, or own a casino, in order to gamble. If someone wanted to fix a game, they will fix it.
Sports betting used to be illegal in most states, even in casinos. I believe it was only Vegas that allowed it. Now it’s everywhere. There’s not escaping it though. It’s here to stay.
“No one likes to spend money” … Cohen said.
Must not have a trophy wife.
“It’s not like I’m not respectful about what these other teams have to deal with.”
Man, that sounds like such condescending, rationalizing, self-approval.
I mean, “these other teams” – are you effing kidding me?
A day late and $60 million short.
It’s kind of a dig towards the Giants if the implication is that an offer by the Mets for 300M is somehow in the neighborhood of the Giants’ offer of 350M (although I don’t think I’ve seen any number of years for the nebulous 300M “offer”, so perhaps they are comparable on a per year basis). It also seems like, if anything, the Mets’ offer would have to be marginally MORE generous than that of the Giants if it would certainly require Correa to give up his position of choice. I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with Cohen’s approach (it’s certainly better than that of the Wilpons, lol), but if he’s going to comment on every free agent his team doesn’t sign, it’s going to get really old really fast to us non-Mets fans (and possibly to Mets fans, who may assume any non-comment is a bad sign). Although it’d be hilarious if he did comment on all Mets offers. “We offered Tyler Danish MLB minimum wage plus a Bourke Street Bakery $10 gift card; he said he’d chew it over with his agent.”
Thank God Cohen was late. I don’t want Correa anywhere near my team. I admit hes an above average ball player, but hes not great. Above average ball players shouldnt be getting 350 million dollars, I don’t really care that he plays a premium position. He plays about half the season and puts up about 20-25 hr with around a .275 average in a full season. Don’t know what his average OBP is, didnt check. Superstars dont deserve anywhere near 300 mil but if we are talking about the best players in the game like Judge, Harper, Trout, Arenado, look at their hitting stats. All hit about .300 with 40-50 homerun potential, they should be paid the big bucks. Lindor is now the second most overpaid player in baseball, right behind Correa. Correa is also probably the most sneakiest and distrustul person in baseball. I wouldn’t put it past him to start faking injuries or perform way below his contract year standards like Ellsbury and Chris Davis. If I was the Giant’s owner, I’d be having heat sweats and panick attacks everynight. Imagine throwing 350 million dollars in a fire
You’re delusional. Not a Correa “fan” myself but he’s a better career SS then Lindor and the stats back that up. He shouldn’t have aimed for anything less than the $341 Lindor got. Personally, I could see Lindor turning average long before Correa. Don’t get me wrong, Lindor had a great year in 22’ but he hasn’t done anything since 2018 either.
Correa isn’t above average. He is great. In top 10 in baseball. He just won’t fulfill the entirety of the contract as most don’t. He’s also injury-prone which makes his potential less in his favor
@Yanks2 In what world is Correa a top 10 player? I could name 20 players that are better than him. Judge, Harper, Arenando, Trout, Ohtani, Betts, Freeman, Goldschmidt, Trea Turner, Soto, Machado, Altuve, Devers, Riley, Acuna (When healthy), Seager, Tatis, Guerrero, Julio Rodriguez, Jose Ramirez. I didnt even include any pitchers
Correa is better offensively and defensively than Seager, Tatis, Rodriguez, Ramirez, and Acuna
Ramirez had a career year and Tatis’s stats are now trivial due to steroids
No he’s a lesser player than those listed… better defensively yes, but so far off offensively it doesn’t make up for the deficit. He’s at best in the top 25-30 in mlb, which is very good, but he’s not elite. He’s barely top 5 SS.
Welp, I know where Ohtani’s going next year! :/
Was searching for this thought, but there’s too many posts already…
What if this was a play by Boras and Uncle Steve went along with it to maintain/bolster his relationship with the agent? Savvy business move or collusion?
That would fall under collusion, but it’s collusion that helpe the players and hurts other owners so it would never be punished.
The Mets are spending the cash at a time when the Dodgers and Red Sox are attempting to duck under the CBT. The mere fact that they are reluctant to part with prospect talent for short term upgrades, lends a possible scenario where they too could jettison veterans and bring up kids to sneak back under the tax should they reach their epitome.
I think this could and will happen. I think some Mets fans may fall out of love with Cohen when he lets fan-favorites like McNeil or even Alonso walk. Despite what seems likes non-stop spending, I still think the plan is to reset in three years.
@Fink Ployed It puzzles me deeply: Why would one, as fan, actually ‘like’ Cohen?
His first year was an embarrassing fiasco which was saved from being worse than any Wilpon year on record only by Trevor Bauer signing instead with the Dodgers.
Cohen spends foolishly, first in talent on Lindor at a position the Mets were well-upholstered for, before papering that blunder over with 1/3 of a billion dollars in a bidding war against themselves.
Cohen then spent foolishly on Scherzer in a desperate bid for legitimacy. Having accumulated an ancient pitching staff with injury concerns his FO then trades pitching away at the 2022 deadline rather than adding it. To get Javy Baez the Mets traded away a stellar prospect at a position of need, but now husbands #20 and up prospects as if they’re made of platinum.
And in no small part because of silly spending payroll is in the stratosphere, but with Rodon going for a $27m AAV and the Mets in desperate need of another sure, top starter to supplement their ancient pair, Senga + Narvaez are likely to cost $30m overall for the 2023 season. How does that make sense?
Pulling up short at the finish lines seems increasingly likely to be among the things Cohen will be known.
Bodes well for signing Otanhi next winter!
It will be interesting to see if the big spending pays off. The Mets can easily afford the money penalties, but they’re also in the area of draft penalties. Not sure exactly what those are, but losing draft picks could hurt them down the road. They’ve kept the farm mostly in tact, but there are no guarantees that those prospects will develop.
@tad2b13 The consensus puts the Mets better than, but close to 10th among MLB farm systems. The foolish trade for Baez may have cost them their CFer of the next decade, but as your say there are no guarantees.
Still, they’re in pretty good shape as regards letting payroll decline over the next five years as minor leaguers are seeded into the system. It’s important, though, not to fetishize prospects. Letting the NL East elude them thanks to a cheapness with even prospects up around #20 for the Mets putting them all but off limits, cost the team dearly.
It’s still not a well-run organization, and Cohen’s intense involvement isn’t a plus. The Mets need a smart, experienced, successful GM, a smart experienced successful President of Baseball Operations. They need to ease Wilpon holdover Alderson out of the organization, and they need to evaluate Alderson’s son, currently assistant GM, for his actual abilities.
Until then, as we saw in 2022, money isn’t a substitute for great judgment or for a general lack in your executive talent.
Yeah I agree they’re in pretty good shape. Better to have a 10th ranked system than a 20th or worse. But the Giants had a 10th – 11th ranked system that suddenly took a step back and fell to 18th.
My point was that the draft penalties that come with exceeding the tax threshold prevents them from restocking the farm. At least, not as effectively.
It’s honestly amazing the level of ignorance here. You rip the guy for spending and then he waits out the market a bit and tries to get a steal and you have a problem with that. He states facts. He flatly doesn’t care about the tax. He is a multi-billionaire that profited $2B last year overall. It’s like complaining at a Sotheby’s auction that your ten dollar bud was beaten. Get used to it. He is not only rich but extremely successful and he can spend where and when he wants. If you feel the guy spending to talented players is the issue here you missed the point. Teams like Miami, Pittsburgh, Oakland as well as mid tiers like Cincy, Milwaukee, Arizona, etc are the real issue. They got in a pool and don’t know how to swim. The predators will continue to feast on them.
I’m happy to be a fan of a team whose owner spends $$$ like a drunken sailor, but when you make a statement like this,
“I’ve been dealing with big numbers for so long these numbers don’t scare me at all. It’s not like I’m not respectful about what these other teams have to deal with.”
you’re only gonna alienate people. Better off not saying anything. Just spend your money, build your roster and keep your mouth shut.
Not a drunken sailor in my opinion. Every single signing this year helped the club. On paper. He reviewed the situation and made the vast additions he could.
As far as alienation, he does not care. I’m a fan of the team so his personality matters little to me. No one pays to watch Steve Cohen. We pay to watch a strong and competitive product and we are assured he will put one out there much more often than not. If other billionaire owners are hurt by that we care not.
I had a Padres fan call me jealous recently. I’ll say it again. I watch baseball for entertainment and for the first time in my lifetime my owner assured me I will be entertained. I’m totally cool with that and couldn’t possibly care less about what a Padres fan or any other thinks. This team will lose out more often than win. Good thing I have football, music, movies, tv……. And much more importantly, family and friends to entertain me. Win lose or draw I will watch. More often than not, with a likeminded fan like Mr Cohen, we will enjoy our Fall-Autumn entertainment now that a real owner is in charge
“It’s also fair to say that Cohen’s attention might’ve been busy elsewhere, preventing him from making an earlier bid on Correa.”
—That’s just silliness. Even if Cohen is seriously involved in the day to day, he’s bidding on just a few big FA’s. He’s laid out the parameters for his front, Eppler, and shouldn’t have to be on the phone wrt each of 3-4 FAs more than once a day, if that. JV had also already been signed, limiting the time required for this.
I really hope the owner isn’t involved in the details of the Omar Navarez signing or adding Tommy Hunter on a side deal, but if he is and it’s distracting him from getting Correa, he’s truly bad at multitasking and prioritizing.
” “No one likes to spend money. But this is the price” of doing business, Cohen said, as the Mets want to win but aren’t interested in trading from their farm system. If this means operating at a loss in order to chase a World Series, that is fine in Cohen’s view.”
===More foolishness. Cohen isn’t operating at a loss even at this payroll. Factor in the average increase in franchise values year to year and Cohen could run a $500m a year payroll and turn an overall profit.
Terrible article.
Funny how everyone talks about Cohen and the Mets spending. According to Spotrac they are 3rd in FA spending. Sure they are #1 in payroll but this ain’t just the Mets. Sure the Mets signed Verlander, Robertson, Senga, etc. but they also lost deGrom, Walker, Bassit, Lugo etc. They had a bunch of their OWN FAs like Diaz and Nimmo.
https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/tools/offseason/