For Steve Cohen to become a consistent contender, stability is the first step.
For years, the New York Mets have struggled to establish a solid foundation. Every season has seen a shift in the organization’s perspective due to the instability within the franchise. They were a team that relied heavily on excellent starting pitching from 2015 until 2019. Their nascent core from 2021 was dismantled in favor of a more experienced team in 2022. To get to the postseason in 2023, they counted on the same team that had two 40-year-old aces. Let’s just say that these choices have left the 2024 Mets in search of a character.
In order to prepare for a championship, baseball teams have a plan for the future and have front offices in place for a few years at least. The Mets haven’t faced any because of both internal and external factors. The team’s performance was impacted by instability at the general manager and manager positions, as J.D. Davis said during the summer. Fans are left wondering what can be done to change the current unstable culture within the Mets.
1. Maintain stability in the roles of general manager and manager.
Since Fred and Jeff Wilpon’s ladder years, the Mets have experienced frequent changes at the general manager position. This has been unusual for the team, as they saw stability under Steve Phillips from 1997 to 2003, under Omar Minaya from 2005 to 2010, and under Sandy Alderson from 2011 to 2018. Following Alderson’s resignation in June 2018 following his second cancer diagnosis, General Managers have come and gone. The Mets finally settled on David Stearns after going through Brodie Van Wagenen, Jared Porter, Zack Scott, and Billy Eppler.
A rotating door of field managers coincides with an ever-evolving front office. Bobby Valentine (1996–2002), Willie Randolph (2005–2008), and Terry Collins (2011–2017) provided stability for the Mets. The Mets have had Mickey Callaway, Luis Rojas, Buck Showalter, and now Carlos Mendoza since Collins resigned in 2017. By the end of 2023, Brandon Nimmo was even frowning in response to this kind of organizational turnabout.
The Mets will be able to develop a long-term plan for the team with the assistance of stable front office and coaching personnel. The Mets’ trajectory has been erratic over the last few years, swinging from trading their hall-of-fame talent for Drew Gilbert and Luisangel Acuna to trading top prospects for players like Edwin Diaz, Francisco Lindor, and Javier Baez. The team has only had two winning seasons since 2016 as a result of this kind of ongoing philosophical change. In order to make this change, the front office must continue in the same direction going forward: steer clear of the “quick fix” and instead center the business around a youthful pool of talent for long-term success.
2. Build through the farm system
For years, the Mets have tried their hand at the “quick fix” model. With a fantastic starting pitching staff and no true closer, the Mets had a poor offense in 2018. Van Wagenen made a bold trade of Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano for Jarred Kelenic. Cohen and Porter traded Andres Gimenez for Carlos Carrasco and Lindor in 2020 in an attempt to start a new regime with a bang. Scott made the decision to trade Pete Crow-Armstrong for Baez at the 2021 trade deadline, when the Mets were just.500 as a team. It would be an understatement to say that the Mets destroyed their farm system on unimportant playoff teams.
A team’s farm system produces players who are devoted to the team and want to play for them. When they make their major league debut, they are developed alongside other young players to improve team chemistry. Even during the summer, David Wright made references to this when discussing his friendship with Jose Reyes and his commitment to being a homegrown Mets player. Gaining too many players with proven success elsewhere, like Max Scherzer and Lindor, makes it difficult for these players to establish long-term relationships. The 2021–2023 Mets and the San Diego Padres’ most recent campaign are prime instances of this philosophy gone awry.
Seeing their young talent succeed at the major league level also brings sentimentality to the fan base. Since Tom Seaver and Dwight Gooden were around, homegrown players like Wright, Reyes, and Alonso have been the most well-liked Mets players. Fans have a different kind of bond with the players on the field when they watch their own prospects go through the minor leagues and win a National League East championship rather than relying on free-agent “mercenary” players. A more sustainable approach may also be this, considering the quantity of young talent on rookie contracts.
3. Avoid spending “like drunken sailors.”
Cohen promised to create a winning team that would last by not overspending on free agents during his inaugural press conference. The Mets have far too often been saddled with bad contracts that were signed to multi-year agreements. To mention a few, there is Yoenis Cespedes, Robinson Cano, and Jason Bay. Ask any Yankees fan about Giancarlo Stanton to see how other teams have fared in the long run from bad contracts.
Even with Cohen’s resources, a franchise will eventually be unable to support too many long-term contracts. He has erred in the past by overspending on players who are past their prime, such as James McCann and Starling Marte. Along with approving the Lindor trade and 10-year contract, Cohen also noted that this team has plenty of prospects at shortstop and that Gimenez has grown well in Cleveland.
With the appointment of Stearns as president of baseball operations, the Mets will experience sustainability for the first time since Alderson’s initial resignation. He does not have a reputation as an executive who grants a lot of long-term contracts. Stearns is renowned for appreciating his prospects and for only changing the course of the franchise when absolutely necessary. Teams that aim to win championships have added after first building through the farm system and after they were designed to succeed. The Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves are two excellent instances of this. As a supporter, one hopes that Stearns can continue to build for the future rather than just 2024 and offer that stability.