For as far as I can remember, the New York Mets were everyone’s favorite lovable losers. As a Mets fan, there have been many many years of suffering. That’s why on November 6th, when it was finally announced that the New York Mets had new ownership, to Mets fans that felt like winning the World Series in itself.
For far too long, the Mets have dealt with incompetent owners, but this trade signals the start of a new era. One that I am calling simply The Steve Cohen era.
I know that Steve Cohen took over ownership in November, but today’s deal with the Indians in which the Mets got All-Star SS Francisco Lindor and RHP Carlos Carrasco from the Cleveland Indians, signified the beginning of the Steve Cohen Era. There have been many bad moves in Mets franchise history, probably none worse than the money they are still paying Bobby Bonilla.
Mind you Bonilla retired from baseball in 2001, but every July 1st (which has been dubbed Bobby Bonilla Day), he receives a paycheck from the Mets in the amount of $1.1 million, and he will continue to get this until the year 2035.
You read that right! A man who no longer plays the game of baseball still makes 1.1 million dollars from the Mets to not be on their team.
This is exactly why the Mets needed this type of ownership to come in and change the atmosphere around Flushing Meadows. Just look at Marcus Stroman and newly acquired catcher James McCann already praising their teams’ new owner.
Stroman took to Twitter and said “You are a Legend @StevenCohen2.” and also said, “Not only two of the best in the game…but two of the most humble, down-to-earth human beings on the planet!”. McCann said “That’s Big Time” with 2 fire emojis. In just under 4 months’ time, Steve Cohen has already changed the atmosphere in the clubhouse.
Here are some other signings/trades the Mets had done under previous ownership. Mo Vaughn, prior to being traded to the Mets he was averaging a 305 batting average 35 HRs per season, and 111 RBIs per season.
In 2001 he missed all of the season due to a torn bicep so what perfect time for the Mets to trade for him. They proceeded to trade Kevin Appier to the Angels for Mo Vaughn, who the Mets paid $46 million over three seasons to play 158 games total over three seasons.
Jason Bay signing in 2009 was another dull moment in Mets history, with Bay and Holiday set to be free agents the Mets went with Bay and gave him a four-year $66 million deal.
He managed to hit a total of 26 home runs in 3 seasons and never batted above 259. Holiday on the other hand went on to hit .312, .296, and .295 with 28, 22, and 27 HRs. The contract Holiday signed you ask? Seven years, $120 million, which equals out to be about $17.1 million per year, Bay’s contract $16.5 million per year.
Good call Wilpon… I could go on and on about bad ownership but I won’t. 2021. The year the Mets finally got right and stopped being “little brother” to the Yankees. I am with Cohen if the Mets don’t win a World Series in 3-5 years I will be very disappointed.
But for the first time in my life, I can actually say I see the Mets winning a World Series.