It’s morning again in Flushing.
A new era of New York Mets baseball began on Tuesday with owner Steve Cohen’s introductory press conference over Zoom. Team president Sandy Alderson refamiliarized himself with the New York media on the call as well.
Cohen and Alderson fielded questions for 90 minutes and answered them with a breath of honesty and passion that has seldom been heard from the top of the Mets food chain over the better part of the past two decades. At one point, over 100 media members were logged into the call.
Here are some of the major takeaways from Cohen’s portion of Tuesday’s press conference.
Spending big, with limits
“I do believe this is a major-market team and it should have a budget that is commensurate with that,” Cohen said.
That’s a welcome line for Mets fans frustrated with the team’s lack of big spending over the years. Of course, this was assumed to be the case when Cohen and his near -$15 billion net worth first moved towards taking control of the organization.
And although he refused to state a payroll limit, it’s safe to assume that a Cohen-led Mets team will approach and perhaps cross the luxury tax threshold. Don’t expect rogue spending, however.
“I can promise you we’re going to act like a major-market team,” he said. “Are we going to act like drunken sailors in the marketplace? No.”
Let the experts handle the baseball operations
Cohen openly expressed his desire to have the Mets dive into the latest trends in analytics, scouting, and player development. Unlike previous ownership, he won’t be the one making use of the toys he provides the organization with.
“I played little league once, but that’s about it,” Cohen said. “I’m going to let the professionals – Sandy and whoever we bring in – let them run baseball. It’ll be a two-way conversation but ultimately they’re the experts.”
For years, reports surfaced of the overinvolvement of ex-COO Jeff Wilpon in baseball operations matters. It seems clear that such meddling is a thing of the past.
“In the end, I’m not hitting the baseball. All I’m doing is providing the resources to my management team,” Cohen said.
He has a day job, too
Steve Cohen didn’t need to buy the Mets. He’s already set his family up to be more than comfortable for generations to come.
But Cohen is a fan (he first attended games at the Polo Grounds in 1963), and owning the team has been a lifelong dream. He doesn’t need the Mets to be his money-maker. He’ll leave that up to his hedge fund, Point72.
“I’m essentially doing it for the fans,” Cohen said. “When I really thought about this, I can make millions of people happy. What an incredible opportunity that is.
“It’s really about building something great, building something for the fans, winning, and I just find this an amazing opportunity.”
Bigger than baseball
Within minutes of Cohen’s approval by the other Major League Baseball owners on Oct. 30, he announced plans to cover the lost wages of Mets employees due to the COVID-19 pandemic and over $17 million in donations to small businesses in New York City. That urgency appears to be a core value, not an aberration.
“We’re committed to support our communities,” Cohen said.
His wife, Alex, will lead the Mets Foundation (“She’s all in too,” Cohen said.”) in its efforts to providing assistance to a variety of local educational, social, and athletic programs and other charitable causes.
Cohen also touched on the relevance of social justice conversations in baseball.
“I think these are important questions that America is discussing. Black lives do matter.
“If my players want to express themselves, they’re entitled to do it. It’s freedom of speech. The only thing I ask for is if they’re going to do it, make sure when you’re between the lines you’re giving a hundred percent.”
