Steven Cohen is a billionaire with a low-key approach. Major League Baseball will certainly like the results of today’s press conference, but there were some hints that spending isn’t an issue and making the team better right away is important to him.
“I went to my first Mets game at the old Polo grounds, Me and my friends sat in the upper level at Shea,” Cohen said. “This is a dream come true.”
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He thanked former majority owner Fred Wilpon, He called him a gentleman and said he watched a lot of games with him. Cohen was brought in 2011 as a minority owner.
“These are the greatest fans in baseball. The support is incredible,” he remarked. “You want to win the World Series, and so do I. I want a team that’s built to be great every year.”
A sports team is a trust, a trust between the fans and in cooperation with the city and Cohen gets that.
“You hold a team in trust for the city and the fans.”
Cohen reached out to Mets fans on Twitter. Something the Wilpons would never lower themselves to do, especially Jeff Wilpon.
“We may not always agree, but I will listen to what they say,” Cohen added. “I’m going to be an owner who builds a team that has continued success. I will hire great baseball people like Sandy Alderson. When we need to fill a gap, we will fill it via trade or free agency. We will use the best analytics and strengthen the farm system. You build champions and don’t’ buy them. we have a great core. I’m all in. Let’s Go Mets.”
All of this sounds great. He wants to win today but build to be a perennial winner. That’s not easy to do, but Major League Baseball is making it easier by expanding the playoffs this past season and possibly next season.
Noah Syndergaard is recovering from Tommy John surgery. He is looking for a contract extension going into the last year of his deal and outfielder, Michael Conforto is doing the same. He’s the lynchpin in the Mets outfield and their everyday lineup, and Cohen talked about rewarding homegrown players, and it’s expected he will do that with both of them.
Alderson said that manager, Luis Rivera is likely coming back in 2021 so that’s that. The Mets are still looking for a general manager, and Alderson will do that while Steve Cohen works his “day job”. BTW, Cohen talked about how his day job will help finance the Mets, and that was music to the ears of the fanbase.
I think the Mets’ top need in the free-agent market would be former Phillies catcher, J.T. Realmuto. The Mets are lacking an everyday catcher, and the last time they got a superstar catcher, that was Mike Piazza and they did get to World Series even though they lost to the New York Yankees in 2000. He did transform the team.
The trade could be Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor. It’s widely known that they have to move him to save money, and the Mets have some prospects they could offer up. Lindor is in the last year of his deal, so the Mets have to be careful about what they give up. Lindor is declining slightly, he only batted .125 (1-8). He’s only 26, but he has a lot of mileage. He would solve the Mets leadoff problem.
A lot more can happen, but Cohen is just getting started. Expect more on the Mets soon.
