NEW YORK — Expectations for the Mets entering this season are low. But owner Steve Cohen still has a specific accomplishment in mind.
“I think the goal is to make the playoffs. Pretty simple. Let’s not think too much about it,” Cohen said Friday. “If we don’t make the playoffs, I’ll obviously be disappointed.”
Wearing a Mets cap and jacket, Cohen held a press conference at Citi Field a few hours before the Mets lost 3–1 to the Milwaukee Brewers in a game that started a day earlier due to rain.
New York is coming off a costly flop in 2023, when the team began the year with World Series aspirations after a 101-win season and a playoff appearance the year before.
Despite the highest payroll in baseball history, approximately $355 million on Opening Day, the Mets finished fourth in the National League East at 75–87. After the season, he paid a record luxury tax of nearly $101 million.
The team traded star pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander and several other veterans for minor league prospects before the deadline in early August, with the Mets saying they were looking to 2025 while still wanting to compete in 2024. Were.
“I don’t see this as a reset,” Cohen said Friday. “I would say it’s that we’re making a transition and yet still remain highly competitive. And I think that’s a hard thing to do. You know, based on what I see on the roster, I think That we have achieved that.”
Under new President of Baseball Operations David Stearns, the Mets bolstered their bullpen this offseason and improved the defense with low-profile moves. He made a splash by signing veteran slugger JD Martínez to a one-year, $12 million contract at the end of spring training.
Cohen acknowledged that first baseman Pete Alonso was eager to have more safety in the lineup in his final season before becoming eligible for free agency.
Cohen said, “There were some constraints of money, okay? I mean, everyone has a budget at some point. But generally I’m really happy with what we created.” “I think we’ve built a club that will be there in September.”
He said: “Spending $375 million (in luxury tax payroll) like last year seemed a little excessive. I’m not afraid to spend money, but I don’t want to spend money just for the sake of money – I want this organization “It should be run efficiently. I want it to be run professionally.”
Cohen was also asked about the investigation of the club by Major League Baseball. Last month, former Mets general manager Billy Eppler was suspended during the 2024 World Series by Commissioner Rob Manfred, who concluded that Eppler instructed team staff to fabricate injuries to create open roster spots.
Eppler resigned from the Mets last October amid the investigation.
Cohen said, “Obviously, it was unfortunate and they came to this conclusion. Listen, I’m glad we caught it in time.” “Obviously, we want to do things the right way here. We want to carry ourselves with integrity. And to be honest, I don’t think it was — I think that competitive juice comes out in baseball. , and sometimes maybe even in that case, in my view, it was over the line. And certainly not the way we want to do things.”
Now, with Stearns and rookie manager Carlos Mendoza in place, Cohen said he expects “very little turnover” in decision-making positions.
“In any business, you don’t want too much change. It’s disruptive to the organization,” Cohen said. “So, I think we found the right people.”
On his fourth Inaugural Day as Mets owner, Cohen said he remains popular with fans when he sees them around the ballpark.
“They’re still very supportive. I’m just waiting for this to be over. We’ve got to win at some point,” he said. “Listen, I think the goal is to make the playoffs and be there year after year, and I think we’ll accomplish that over time. I think what we’re building here is something Which is sustainable.”
