Mets owner Steve Cohen addressed a number of topics Monday morning in Port St. Lucie…
Shaking up the core
Change was needed with this core simply because…
“We haven’t won, and I really want to win,” Cohen emphasized. “Each year that goes by, I get more annoyed. It’s hard to know what to make of those chances, and sometimes they happen in a way that you don’t fully anticipate or expect.
“But the other side of it is, we have a really sharp baseball management group, and these guys were prepared and had alternatives, and like I said -- saying goodbye is always tough, but saying hello is kind of fun.”
Say hello to Bo…
One of those new faces the Mets brought in was Bo Bichette.
They, of course, landed Bichette shortly after losing out on Kyle Tucker to the Dodgers.
Cohen explained how he went to bed annoyed about missing the star outfielder, but the front office moved quickly to land a strong alternative shortly thereafter.
“The way I describe it is, when the news came down with Kyle, literally the body was still warm and we were getting calls from agents, literally within five minutes later -- I was like ‘the body is still warm here,’” he said.
“I went to bed annoyed, but the agent for Bo called us right after and discussions started -- you never know how they’re going to go, but they moved real quickly.”
In Bichette, the Mets pick up one of the league's premier hitters with RISP.
“It’s always better to have players that have performed in the clutch,” Cohen explained. “He’s not a home run guy, but he led the league in doubles last year, and doubles score runs too -- having those players who have preformed under pressure is usually a pretty good sign.”
Them pesky Dodgers…
Speaking of the Dodgers, Cohen was asked if he feels the Mets closed the gap between them and the two-time defending champs.
“They’re formidable, they have the ability to spend -- so do I, by the way,” he joked. “They’ve built a great team, but I think we’ve built a great team too. I think we’re going to be really competitive this year, and the goal is to meet them somewhere along the way.”
Impressions of the 2026 team… so far
Cohen only arrived in PSL on Monday, but he feels a different vibe around this club.
“I feel like there’s a different energy here than last year,” he said. “I don’t know what it is, it just feels really optimistic -- a lot of new faces, so I’m really excited by this team, I’m excited by the energy of this team, and we’ll see what happens.”
His goal for this team, though…
“Table stakes is making the playoffs, gotta make the playoffs,” Cohen explained. “I missed the playoffs last year, missing the playoffs two years in a row, that’s not good -- and then obviously you want to go deep.
“You can’t lose lose a short series, you can’t control what goes on, anything can happen in those short series -- but I think the idea is keep putting yourself in that position year in and year out, which we haven’t done.
“It’s been off and on, so we have to do better, and those are the goals I’m seeking.”
Confidence in Mendy…
Even after a down 2025 season, Cohen remains confident Carlos Mendoza is the manager they need to achieve his goals.
“Carlos is a great manager, he’s a great guy and a great motivator,” he said. “I believe a manager’s main job is the culture, obviously there are in-game decisions, but it’s really about creating the right culture, and I think Carlos does it really well.”
Mendoza is heading into the final year of his contract with the club.
Thoughts on Carson Benge...
Benge is one of the young pieces who could help Mendoza and the Mets return to the postseason.
The top prospect is being given every chance to make the Opening Day roster out of camp this spring...
"Obviously there's a great deal of expectation with Carson," Cohen said. "You've got to give him a bit of a break, right? He hasn't played in Triple-A yet, so it's hard to know how that's going to go, but he certainly has preformed in a way that would make you excited about the possibilities."
Benge, and the organization's other young pieces, will certainly benefit from being around the club's veterans.
Thoughts on a potential salary cap...
Cohen insisted he is solely focused on the 2026 season, and isn't worried about what may come in 2027.
As far as where he stands on a potential salary floor/cap...
"I'm listening to all of the arguments, but I've always been a league-first owner," he said. "I haven't made up my mind yet, but we'll see where it goes -- sometimes I put the league's interest above my own interest."