Some MLB owners are said to be complaining behind the scenes about Mets owner Steve Cohen’s big spending, which has reached unprecedented levels. No one has said a discouraging word publicly, but multiple people said there’s some deep concern and in several cases consternation.
The owners who are unhappy to see Cohen run his payroll nearly $100 million past the second biggest spending team are concerned he’s tipping the scales too far, and in some cases that they can’t compete — first for players and later for games. Those close to the situation say other owners were OK with Cohen bringing back Edwin Diaz and Brandon Nimmo, and even bringing in Hall of Fame bound pitcher Justin Verlander since he’s replacing Jacob deGrom. But some owners see that Carlos Correa deal as “over the top.”
It seems to be something of an unwritten rule not to push a payroll this far ahead of everyone else. According to Cot’s Contracts, the Mets’ payroll is 33 percent higher than the next highest team, at $384.6M to $288.9M for the Yankees.
To be fair, Cohen didn’t set this market, as deGrom and shortstops Trea Turner and Xander Bogaerts received big deals before Cohen’s Mets really got going. And the Mets’ actual contracts seem in line or better than many (even Correa was $35M less than the Giants’ now-cancelled deal).
In Cohen’s defense, he’s doing pretty much what he said he would do. To his way of thinking, he’s fulfilling his promise to Mets fans, who have been long-suffering in many cases (the Mets sold an amazing $1M in single-game tickets Wednesday after making the Correa deal). He’s also bringing excitement to the game by putting together such a star-studded team, one that will also draw fans to opposing parks. It’s hard to see now, but in the big picture, his generosity may actually be helping the game.
Not every owner is upset. One high-ranking management person pointed out, “He’s playing within the rules. It’s his money. He can do what he wants with it.”
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