New York Mets: Steve Cohen to change front-office dynamic
MLB owners voted to approve Steve Cohen as the newest owner of the New York Mets.
On Friday, MLB owners voted to approve Steve Cohen as the next owner of the New York Mets. According to the Associated Press, owners approved Cohen’s bid to purchase 95 percent of the organization by a count of 26-4.
While Cohen has owned a minority stake of the Mets since 2011, the new controlling ownership brings an aura of excitement for New York fans.
It’s expected that Cohen, the CEO and president of Point72 Asset Management, will bring deeper pockets to the franchise. Especially in free agency. Forbes estimates Cohen’s net worth at $14.6 billion.
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So, how exactly will Cohen change the dynamic of a franchise historically known to tighten its pockets in free agency?
On the eve of MLB free agency, which kicks off Sunday night, steps have already been taken.
Cohen has been vocal about bringing back Sandy Alderson to the franchise as president. This move was announced at the end of last week.
New York’s new owner is also expected to beef up the franchise’s analytics staff and technology. According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the Mets currently employ only six employees in analytics. Commonly, teams staff up to 20 employees in this department.
Two names have been rumored to join Alderson and Cohen in the Mets’ new-look front office. These names include Bobby Heck, a special assistant with the Tampa Bay Rays, and Billy Owens, an assistant GM with the Oakland Athletics. Historically, Tampa Bay and Oakland are league leaders in implementing an analytics strategy.
While Cohen and Alderson begin to round out any remaining changes to the front office, fans are still curious about specific free agency moves.
It’s expected that the new-look Mets will be unafraid of spending deep in free agency. Additionally, there are a number of top-line free agents available this offseason, including catcher J.T. Realmuto, starting pitcher Trevor Bauer, and outfielder George Springer.
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Simply put, if the New York Mets are successful in signing one or multiple of these star free agents, the dynamic will have officially been changed. And, for a team that finished eight games under .500-baseball during the regular season, any of these stars will surely make a big difference in the Mets’ on-the-field product.