The New York Mets are falling in the MLB power rankings and the highest payroll in baseball has delivered a losing record through the first 65 games of the season. As losses mount and frustration grows, owner Steve Cohen finally addressed the growing turmoil in New York.
Cohen, who bought the Mets for $2.4 billion in 2020, is spending nearly $350 million on the payroll alone this season. Despite rostering the highest-paid starting rotation in the league, New York entered play on June 11 ranked 22nd in quality starts and 26th in ERA.
Related: New York Mets star Pete Alonso to miss significant time
While the Mets have been connected in some recent MLB trade rumors to some of the top players available, a 13-14 record in the last 30 days has prompted some to call for significant changes.
In an interview with Joel Sherman of the NY Post, Cohen made it clear that blowing up the roster and the coaching staff isn’t even under consideration. While he recognizes everyone in the organization deserves blame, he doesn’t believe significant changes would solve the issues.
“When things get really bad, I’m not going to blow up. I don’t think that’s the proper response. I don’t think it solves anything, other than it gives people a one-day story. But it doesn’t really solve anything. There’s plenty of blame to go around from a performance point of view. So blowing up, I’m not sure it solves anything. It would demonstrate, ‘Oh, he really cares. He’s one of us.’ But the reality is it’s not going to solve our problems. And I think in some ways it can be demotivating.”
New York Mets owner Steve Cohen on the possibility of making changes after slow start
New York’s issues might only get worse in the immediate future. Pete Alonso, who led the team in home runs (22), RBI (49) and OPS (.872), is sidelined until July. To make matters worse, Francisco Lindor (.211/.256/.413) and Jeff McNeil (83 wRC+) have struggled at the plate in the last 27 games.
The Mets don’t currently have the pitching or consistent run production from their lineup to make a serious push in the MLB postseason picture. If the club can’t turn it around with upcoming sets against the New York Yankees, Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies, wholesale changes might become necessary.