The New York Mets and owner Steve Cohen have made it clear to the league: they are willing to spend.
It all began last winter when the team made a move to acquire star shortstop Francisco Lindor from the then-Cleveland Indians.
A year ago today, the Mets traded for Francisco Lindor.pic.twitter.com/RB0cY8yejR
— SNY (@SNYtv) January 7, 2022
This received well-deserved attention, highlighting the organization’s commitment to building their team.
While this didn’t culminate into a playoff appearance in 2021, it has set them up in a good position.
They entered this offseason with a clear goal in mind: make it back to October baseball.
So far, they have made the moves to accomplish this and don’t appear to be done.
2021 Offseason Splashes
The Mets rung in the offseason by making a pair of signings to strengthen their outfield.
First, they inked Mark Canha to a two-year deal, with him looking to be the team’s starting left fielder in 2022.
Though Canha has struggled in recent years, he has shown glimpses of being a productive power bat.
However, this signing was ultimately overlooked by their deal with Canha’s teammate in Oakland, Starling Marte.
Marte is one of MLB’s more underrated players, bouncing around different teams during the last couple of seasons.
Despite this, he has produced at a high level wherever he has gone.
Last season he hit .310 with 12 homers and 47 stolen bases with the Athletics and Arizona Diamondbacks.
The center fielder will step into the Mets lineup and be an instant contributor, pairing nicely with Lindor.
IT'S THE STARLING MARTE SHOW pic.twitter.com/Mi1acYW8rr
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) August 21, 2021
Offensively, the Mets were not done there.
They made another under-the-radar move to sign switch-hitting third baseman Eduardo Escobar, a name that may go overlooked.
Escobar was named to his first career All-Star appearance in 2021, hitting 28 homers with a .253 average.
In 2019 he was even better, tallying 35 homers and a .269 average.
He will enter their lineup and give the team even more depth, adding another power bat that might thrive with protection around him.
On the same day, the Mets also signed ace pitcher Max Scherzer to a massive three-year, $130 million deal to pair him with Jacob deGrom.
On Opening Day in 2019, Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom faced each other and combined for 22 strikeouts.
Now they are teammates. pic.twitter.com/b00lCTd29Y
— MLB Vault (@MLBVault) December 1, 2021
These moves quickly vaulted the Mets into being one of the NL’s favorites.
Cohen Is Not Done and Will Still Spend
Even after making this flurry of moves, Cohen doesn’t appear to be done.
Amidst the MLB lockout, he has been one of the few owners to push the luxury tax threshold up.
Other owners even seem to be worried about him using his wealth on the team.
Because of his open willingness to spend, the owners have suggested adding a third and fourth punishable tier to the luxury tax.
Steve Cohen, that rare rich guy who isn’t worrying about or working against new taxes #mets https://t.co/OBbmeFzxka
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 9, 2022
While this is making it harder on the owners, it shows his commitment to spending money on the Mets.
Every free agent going forward will be on their radar with a chance of bringing their talents to Queens.
After the lockout ends, this means that a name like Kris Bryant could very well end up with the Mets for 2022.
However, this has the biggest implications for free agencies moving forward.
This is most notable for superstar outfielder Juan Soto, who has hinted at interest in playing in New York.
Cohen’s aggressiveness now could help set the foundation to land a transcendent player like that in the future.
He is not only a rich owner with the financial means, he is also a fan of the franchise that wants his team to actually succeed beyond just the profit.
As such, he will not rest until the Mets win another World Series, whether that happens in 2022 or not.
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