Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
Money is no problem for Mets ownership.
Steve Cohen told the New York Post on Tuesday that the team would be ready to spend if needed at the MLB trade deadline. The Mets – who have the second-highest payroll in baseball – are not ruling anything out.
“It would be dumb to rule anything out,” Cohen said. “You always have to keep your optionality.”
Whether optionality is a word is something that can be debated but Cohen and his team in the front office have pulled all the right strings so far to have New York as the best team in the National League.
They spent big on free agents Max Scherzer, Starling Marte, Mark Canha, and Eduardo Escobar. They hired a new general manager Billy Eppler. Most importantly, they brought in a true leader to the clubhouse with manager Buck Showalter.
So far it’s put the Mets at 41-22.
Baseball owners tried to limit Cohen. The “Steve Cohen tax” threshold was put in place in the latest collective bargaining agreement to shame and deter owners from spending to win baseball games. When asked about it, Cohen essentially shrugged it off.
The Mets are still buyers in a market where they’re already a top spender. Possible names to look at this trade deadline are Washington’s Josh Bell or Baltimore’s Trey Mancini.
But offense might not be the target. The Mets have the best offense in baseball and have scored more runs than anyone else. Still, what’s another bat or two?
Where New York is weakest is in their bullpen. Luckily plenty of arms are available. David Robertson, David Bednar, and Jorge Lopez are just a few of the top guys expected to be traded.
Cohen wanted to win a World Series within his first five years as the Mets owner. With the way things are rolling, this could be New York’s year.
