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NY Mets Rumors: Verlander deflated, Steve Cohen blame, some trade buzz

By Mark Powell

DETROIT, MI - MAY 4: Justin Verlander #35 of the New York Mets watches from. the dugout during the sixth inning of a game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on May 4, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - MAY 4: Justin Verlander #35 of the New York Mets watches from. the dugout during the sixth inning of a game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on May 4, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) /
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Mets, Steve Cohen, MLB Rumors
Mets owner Steve Cohen. (Syndication: The Record) /

NY Mets Rumors: Does Steve Cohen deserve blame for collapse?

Yes, New York’s on-field product has been putrid and the front office has made all the wrong moves. However, all of this goes back to the man in charge — Steve Cohen. In the end, all Cohen can do is act in the team’s best interest, and let the Mets decision makers work freely with all the resources they need. He has done just that, but did it ever occur to him that perhaps the wrong people have too much say?

Buck Showalter has made mistakes time and time again this season. Those flaws have been highlighted by the Mets losing record, and should it continue, he could be a scapegoat after the season. Billy Eppler, meanwhile, failed to make the right decisions this offseason. New York is the most expensive team in baseball. Where has it gotten them?

Cohen knows better than most though that any failure goes all the way to the top. He will have to take some blame, even if it’s unwarranted. However, as Andy McCullough of The Athletic points out, Cohen did what every Mets fan asked of him this offseason:

"“Because he owns the team, and the owner decides both who gets a pass and who gets a bus pass to the next gig. It seems odd to blame Cohen for doing what most fans beg their owners to do every winter: Spend irrational sums of money on free-agent contracts that anyone with access to an actuarial table can tell you is a risky move. If you would like your owner to spend less, I have great news for you. It’s a 30-team league and a lot of stewards operate with far less interest in largesse than Cohen.”"

In the end, Cohen acted like a fan. He has the same demands as the fanbase, but for now is holding back the urge to act irrationally. Even the richest man is baseball needs to learn how to act more like an executive, and he’s doing so on the fly.

The Mets have a highly-ranked farm system and some serious assets they can trade in late-July. In theory, they should be set up for a quick retool.

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