If you’re a Mets fan, you’ve probably spent most of Wednesday refreshing Twitter and pinching yourself to make sure this isn’t a dream. I’m here to deliver good news: it’s not. This is actually real life. Even if it feels like we’re in an alternate reality right now.
Steve Cohen showed the Mets’ fan base last winter that anything could be possible with him in charge. He first proved that with a Black Friday spending spree. Then, he did it again by convincing Max Scherzer to come and pitch in Queens (for record money, of course).
New York headed into this offseason with many impact free agents hitting the open market. After one of the best regular-season performances in franchise history, there was only one choice for Cohen and Co. to keep the good vibes going. They needed to spend money and lots of it.
The Mets had already put together an impressive winter before swooping in and agreeing to terms with Carlos Correa. But once his $315 million deal becomes official, it just further solidifies what’s already viewed as unbelievable by many. This latest big splash brings the Mets’ offseason spending to more than $800 million. For 2023 specifically, New York’s payroll plus luxury tax penalty puts them over the $500 million mark.
Regardless of what the Amazins do, there will be people out there wanting to shortchange it. Whether it’s talking about how the farm system will suffer, or that they’re still a second or third-place team in the NL East.
None of that matters, though.
As we get closer to Spring Training, we’ll start to see places like Baseball Prospectus, FanGraphs, and others release projected standings. Unlike this time last year, the Mets will probably be a lot closer to the top of those projections (if not at the top). Their odds of reaching and advancing deep into the postseason will also be among baseball’s highest.
None of that matters, either.
While Cohen’s latest spending spree has made virtually all Mets fans jump for joy, the hard part is next. We’ve seen how New York has structured the majority of these free-agent deals. Many of them are expensive, but they’re also short in length with hopes a championship can be achieved within the next couple of seasons.
Every team starts out a new year with the goal of winning a World Series. But when you build a team that costs more than half a billion dollars, it’s not just going to be a goal. That’s going to be what everyone in New York expects from the Mets.
Bravo to Cohen for doing what he thinks is necessary to get his club over the hump. However, he definitely knows that every misstep will be scrutinized even more now. And each year the Mets come up short, there will be plenty of jokes about how you can’t buy a championship.
This is just the cross New York will have to bear with baseball’s richest owner leading the way. You’d have to think the players are willing to deal with it after seeing how Cohen is investing in the roster.
Will the Mets win 101 games again next year? It’s possible, but I wouldn’t count on it. Will they win their first division title since 2015? It’s certainly possible, but that’s not an indicator of postseason success. The 87-win Phillies are just the latest example of how it’s important to just qualify for the big dance because anything can happen once you’re there.
If the Mets don’t win the World Series, it’ll be a huge disappointment. But let’s be honest, it’d be that way regardless of how much money they spend. When given both options, I’d take this one knowing New York has done everything possible to put itself in a position to win a title.
Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
