When the 2023 Major League Baseball season began the New York Mets were the team with the highest payroll in the entire league reaching $364 million dollarsHowever, that million-dollar investment did not help them to be competitive in the East Division of the National League, where they are located 21 games from the top with a negative record of 50-59.
This bad sports moment is recognized by team owner Steve Cohen, who this Saturday sent a letter addressed to Mets fans explaining the current situation of the team and how they plan to reverse it in the future.
“Things have not turned out as planned”, started the text. “I know the fans are disappointed and so are we. This is not where we wanted to be in 2023. Our goal is to be a consistent contender. The only way to do this sustainably is build a high caliber talent pool in our farm system that will feed our Major League Baseball team for years to come,” Cohen said in his statement.
Cohen and the Mets front office look set to change course over the next few years, trading veterans like Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander and Tommy Pahm for prospects Luisangel Acuña, Jeremy Rodríguez, Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford. Added to the young people who already belonged to his farms such as Francisco Álvarez, Mark Vientos and Brett Baty; It suggests that the New York board of directors will stop thinking about immediate investment and will go for investing in the future.
“We will be competitive in 2024, but I think 2025 and 2026 is when our young talent will have an impact“Cohen confessed to the New York Post. “We already know that spending a fortune does not guarantee you a trip to the playoffs,” left the team owner as a lesson this season.
On the other hand, the general manager of the team, Billy Eppler, commented for the New York Post his impressions after the end of the trade deadline in the Major Leagues.
“I’m really excited about the acquisitions we’ve made. We are just trying to replenish and recharge the system on our farms. You’ve got to go through some pain to get where we want to gobut I feel that the organization is taking steps towards a better future”, explained the director of the franchise.
The Mets reached the playoffs via wild card last year after finishing a regular season with more than 100 wins, but before 2022, the Queens team had 5 straight seasons without reaching the postseason and ending with negative records.
For the Metropolitan team, the answer is clear, since the money alternative did not work to be competitive; now they will go for betting on young talents and try to compete in the near future.
Keep reading:
· “2024 will be a year of transition”, Max Scherzer reveals the conversation he had with the general manager of the Mets
· Venezuelan Francisco Álvarez was chosen National League Rookie of the Month for July with the New York Mets
· The trade period in the Major Leagues is over and here are the most outstanding trades of the season
