New York Mets owner Steve Cohen deserves credit: he’s only needed five years to become one of the most hated owners in New York sports.
After arriving with lofty expectations, partly because his last name wasn’t Wilson, Cohen has drawn massive backlash in recent months. The Mets’ disastrous September collapse, and Cohen’s subsequent decision to keep manager Carlos Mendoza and lead baseball executive David Stearns, were seemingly the final straws for a long-tortured fanbase.
This past offseason didn’t help Cohen’s chances of regaining the fans’ trust, either. All-Star closer Edwin Díaz and first baseman Pete Alonso both departed in free agency, two extremely unpopular moves. Although the Mets landed Blue Jays infielder Bo Bichette and Brewers ace Freddy Peralta, those moves simply haven’t been enough to get Cohen back in WFAN callers’ good graces.
In fact, the Dodgers — who added Díaz to a loaded roster with three championships since 2020 — brutally reminded Mets fans of why they currently detest Cohen.
The Dodgers finally broke out the trumpets for Edwin Díaz
Monday night provided the Dodgers fans still basking in the team’s second consecutive World Series title with another reason to feel optimistic about their chances of a three-peat. Díaz took the mound midway through a 7-7 tie with the crosstown Angels to his trademark trumpets, the first time “Narco” blared through the Dodgers Stadium speakers.
Edwin Diaz enters to Timmy Trumpet for the first time at Dodger Stadium pic.twitter.com/nHKUMSqhu8
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 24, 2026
The problem isn’t so much that Cohen didn’t re-sign Alonso or Díaz. Well, it is a problem, at least on paper, but it’s not the problem.
To his credit, Cohen has spent big in ways the Wilson family never did. But when Cohen took over in the fall of 2020, it came with the sense that he wouldn’t let his best — and more importantly, most beloved — players leave unless absolutely necessary. At least when Jacob deGrom signed with the Rangers after the 2022 season, fans could point to deGrom’s age and injury history.
Alonso, though, was a beloved fan favorite and the Mets’ all-time home run leader. Díaz shook off an ugly first year in Queens to regain his place as one of the league’s elite closers. Keeping both was probably unrealistic, but seemingly letting the duo go without a fight? That’s where the narrative went from “this is getting bad” to “we may have found our new lowest point.”
Will the Mets truly regret letting Alonso and Díaz walk?
If you have no emotional stake in the Mets, then it’s easier to look at Alonso and Díaz’s departures and think it might not be that bad. Alonso turned 31 last December, and giving a power-heavy first baseman a five-year contract carries significant risks. Baltimore signed Alonso likely expecting at least 35 home runs a year. What happens if he drops to 25 homers, even with the revised dimensions at Camden Yards?
As for Díaz, I’ve always viewed closers like kickers: One injury or poor season can derail their entire career. Phillies fans saw it nearly 20 years ago with Brad Lidge, and Aroldis Chapman needed a few seasons to regain his All-Star form after struggling to end his Yankees tenure.
That’s not to discredit either player, though, nor am I trying to immediately assume the worst. I personally think Alonso will remain a reliable middle-of-the-order bat and an excellent veteran addition to an Orioles team seeking a return to the postseason. As for Díaz, the Dodgers simply need a competent regular season and an elite postseason.
Then, there are the Mets. Winning cures all ailments, but the club’s championship window is rapidly closing despite Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor’s presence. If it’s any consolation, at least Cohen hasn’t usurped James Dolan’s place on the most-despised New York sports owner throne just yet.