You PAY to WIN the GAME

Good vs Evil. It’s a tale as old as time. The contrast in what is right and wrong has been the centerpiece for infamous art, literature and films throughout time. In sports, it’s typically the difference between teams/players who draft and build their team, in comparison to teams who just pay for their rosters. The best example that can be seen is the New York Yankees. For decades, George Steinbrenner would outbid anyone to get the guys he wanted, and the result? 5 World Series victories and building a dynasty dubbed “The Evil Empire”. The success of the team, combined with their methods to get to that point, is what earned them this status.  The Yankees haven’t won the World Series in over a decade so their empire is fading away, but a new one is being built right across town in Queens, NY: home of the New York Mets.

Steve Cohen is the closest we’ll ever get to another George Steinbrenner. He wants to see his team win and will open up his wallet to make it happen. Late last night, Cohen put his final stamp on a wild spending spree in the offseason with the 12 year, $315 million signing of Carlos Correa. After the Correa signing, Cohen has invested over $800 million in the future of his team among 8 players. Not to mention the contracts they have on the books from signing Francisco Lindor and Max Scherzer the past 2 off-season’s. In total, the Mets payroll will be $384 million, easily exceeding the largest luxury tax threshold of $100 million for anything over $293 million spent.

So, what exactly does this mean? Steve Cohen will pay $484 Million this season in an attempt to win a World Series. When asked for his thoughts on the amount of money he would now have to pay in luxury tax , Cohen said “What the heck’s the difference? If you’re going to make the move, make the move”.

To describe Cohen as “All-In” would be an understatement. This type of aggressive ownership is great for baseball. In the 90’s when the Yankees dynasty was humming, there were few brands more recognizable than the Bronx Bombers. In turn (among other factors), Major League Baseball soared out of a dead era and began one of their most popular ones. I see the same thing happening here with the New York Mets. The talent compiled with this spending is extremely impressive, let me just highlight their roster.

• Pete Alonso: 2x HR Derby Champion, 2x All-Star
• Francisco Lindor: 2x Gold Glove, 2x Silver Slugger, 1x Platinum Glove, 4X All-Star
• Carlos Correa: 1x World Series, 1x Gold Glove, 1x Platinum Glove, 2x All-Star
• Max Scherzer: 3x Cy Young, 2019 World Series MVP, 8x All-Star
• Justin Verlander: AL MVP, 3x Cy Young, 2x World Series, 9x All-Star
• Koudai Senga: 1x Gold Medalist, NPB Pacific League Triple Crown (Wins, ERA, K’s)

This roster is immensely talented; what I highlighted is just scratching the surface on what makes up a World Series caliber team. In 2023 and beyond, look for the New York Mets to become the new villain of Major League Baseball; becoming a team that does whatever it takes to win and makes no apologies about it.