New York Mets owner Steve Cohen has made it clear that he will do whatever it takes to keep his promise to Mets fans, no matter the price.

In a wide-ranging and eye-opening interview with Jon Heyman of The New York Post, Cohen spoke about missing out on star free agent shortstop Carlos Correa, spending a boatload of cash this offseason and being in play for other big name free agents further down the road.

Perhaps the biggest nugget to emerge from the interview was the fact that blowing through the luxury tax threshold and having to deal with the so-called “Steve Cohen Tax” doesn’t faze him one bit. Rather, Cohen made clear he will continue to spend whatever he has to in order to keep improving this team and keep his promise to Mets fans, which is to win and win big.

“I made a commitment to the fans,” Cohen told The Post. “If it means I have to spend money to fulfil that commitment, so be it. My team is good. But it isn’t that much better than last year. If you want a team that’s good, this is what it costs. What are you going to do?”

The Mets made a huge splash this offseason by signing three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander to a two-year, $86 million deal, and they followed that up by signing José Quintana to a two-year, $26 million deal, Kodai Senga to a five-year, $75 million contract, David Robertson to a one-year $10 million deal, and veteran catcher Omar Narváez to a one-year, $8 million contract. The front office also re-signed star closer Edwin Diaz to a five-year, $102 million contract, and outfielder Brandon Nimmo to an eight-year, $162 million deal.

As a result, the payroll for the 2023 season is at around $350 million and the total tax is past $70 million. But, with Cohen himself wanting to add more offense, the spending may not be done yet for the Mets who have been the biggest and most aggressive spenders this winter. And Cohen continued to double down on not being worried about making a personal loss.

“It’s OK, it’s not the end of the world,” Cohen said about losses. “The tax was 70 cents. Now 90 cents. It’s only another 20 cents. It wasn’t like all or nothing. You have to decide. You either pay it or you don’t. I’ve been dealing with big numbers for so long these numbers don’t scare me at all. It’s not like I’m not respectful about what these other teams have to deal with. I’m making money. I have this other job that generates a good living. It’s not like it’s a zero-sum game.”

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Perhaps the biggest indicator that Cohen isn’t worried about the steep personal cost that comes with blowing through the luxury tax thresholds is the fact that he was all in on Correa. Our very own Michael Mayer reported on Tuesday that the Mets had made contact with agent Scott Boras about the potential of signing Correa. Ultimately, the free agent shortstop signed a 13-year, $350 million contract with the San Francisco Giants.

Heyman notes in his article that Cohen was willing to go to the $300 million mark for Correa, but it didn’t help the Mets joined the party late with Correa already way down the line in negotiations with the Giants by the time Cohen made contact. Cohen’s love of Correa as a player shone through in the comments he made to Heyman.

“We thought maybe he might fall to us,” Cohen said.” “We got there late. He’s a great leader and a good guy. He could play third-base. And he’s a great defender. We would have gotten a good ballplayer, and it would have given us a great ball team.”

While Cohen ultimately missed out on Correa, he told Heyman that “we’re definitely trying” when it comes to the Mets becoming a perennial winner. Plus, Cohen also stated in the interview that there will “always be another free agent.” With that in mind, don’t be surprised if the Mets and Cohen are all in on two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani next year. Because, as the interview makes clear, Cohen will spend whatever he has to in order to bring unprecedented success to Queens. Just as he promised Mets fans when he gained ownership of the franchise.

Check out the full New York Post interview by clicking HERE.