Steve Cohen believes life will go for the Mets.
After Japanese free agent ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto spurned the Mets’ offer and accepted a 12-year, $325 million contract from the Dodgers on Thursday, Cohen, in an interview with The New York Post on Friday, did his best to circle the wagons to help support fans who feel their offseason aspirations have come up short.
“I think the whole organization tried our hardest, and someone was going to win and someone was going to lose and that is the way it goes,” Cohen said to The Post from the Caribbean, where he is currently vacationing. “I feel good about our efforts and I left it all on the field. Life goes on.”
Cohen’s efforts included a trip to Japan with president of baseball operations David Stearns to meet with Yamamoto and his family, and a hosted dinner party at his Connecticut residence, which included his wife, Alex, Stearns, new manager Carlos Mendoza, and pitching coach Jeremy Hefner.
Photo by Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
According to the Post, Cohen, who declined to offer specifics about the negotiations, was never offered an opportunity by Yamamoto and his representatives to increase the bid. The Mets’ offer for Yamamoto was reportedly the same as the Dodgers (12 years, $325 million). If the Mets were provided an opportunity to increase their offer, would Yamamoto have given them additional consideration, or were the Dodgers his coveted destination all along?
Either way, Cohen, knowing that free agent starting pitchers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery are still available, says he is ready to move forward pragmatically.
“We’re going to be thoughtful and not impulsive and thinking about sustainability over the intermediate long-term, but not focused on winning the headlines over the next week,” Cohen said. “Last I looked, there’s never one player that is going to make or break your team. We’ll build it. It will happen. Slowly and surely you will see changes and improvements. We have got the right management in place with a shared vision.”
The vision includes, despite current disappointment, life going on for the Mets.
