The Mets are amid one of the most underwhelming seasons in franchise history. Despite boasting the highest payroll in baseball, the blue and orange were the biggest sellers at this year’s trade deadline, leading to some concerns amongst fans regarding the competitiveness of next year’s squad.
These concerns have led to some action as owner Steve Cohen sent a letter to season ticket holders Saturday night.
Here are some of the critical points quoted from the letter that breaks down the Mets 2023 and plans for 2024.
“When our players arrived in Port St. Lucie for Spring Training, you had high expectations for the club, and so did we. We added several key pieces to our team, but things have not turned out how we planned. You are rightfully 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 in a sustainable way is to build a pipeline of high-caliber talent in our farm system that will fuel our major league team for years to come.”
“As we approached the trade deadline, we made the decision to expedite that process. It became clear we needed to pivot and build for the future. The trades we made over the last several days have allowed us to do that. In a very short period of time, we have infused an unprecedented amount of top-tier prospects into our system that would otherwise have taken years to accumulate.”
“We promise you we will work hard to field a competitive team in 2024. Our core group of experienced players, including Brandon Nimmo, Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil and Edwin Diaz, plus supplementation in the free-agent market, will allow us to put together a formidable team next season.”
What does this mean for Mets fans?
Mets fans can take two things from this message from the man they call Uncle Stevie. First, he expected things to go differently than this way in 2023 but is looking to make the best of it. As a fan, that’s all you can hope for from an owner.
Second, despite selling off this season, the Mets are looking to field a competitive team next season. The fact that Cohen said he is willing to spend more money in free agency to supplement the core should excite the Flushing Faithful as it means that Cohen is fearless in opening his pockets despite the unsuccessful first go around.