NEW YORK — Expectations are lower for the Mets entering this season. But owner Steve Cohen still has a specific achievement in mind.
“I think the goal is to make the playoffs. Pretty simple. Let’s not overthink this,” Cohen said Friday. “If we don’t make the playoffs, obviously I’d be disappointed.”
Wearing a Mets cap and jacket, Cohen held a news conference at Citi Field a couple of hours before the Mets played their opener against the Milwaukee Brewers, pushed back a day because of rain.
New York is coming off an expensive flop in 2023, when the team began the year with World Series aspirations following a 101-win season and a playoff appearance the year before.
Despite the highest payroll in baseball history, about $355 million on Opening Day, the Mets finished fourth in the National League East at 75-87. After the season, they paid a record luxury tax of nearly $101 million.
The team traded star pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander and several other veterans for minor league prospects ahead of the deadline in early August, with the Mets saying they were pointing toward 2025 while still looking to compete in 2024.
“I don’t view it as a reset,” Cohen said Friday. “I would call it we’re transitioning and yet still being highly competitive. And I think that’s a hard thing to do. You know, based on what I see on the roster, I think we’ve accomplished that.”
Under new president of baseball operations David Stearns, the Mets bulked up their bullpen this offseason and improved the defense with lower-profile moves. They made a splash late in spring training, signing veteran slugger J.D. Martinez to a one-year, $12 million contract.
Cohen acknowledged first baseman Pete Alonso was eager for more protection in the lineup heading into his final season before becoming eligible for free agency.
“We knew there were some constraints given contracts that we’re paying for that obviously run off at the end of this year or maybe at the end of next year. So there were some money constraints, right?” Cohen said. “I mean, at some point everyone’s got a budget. But generally I’m really pleased at what we’ve created. … I think we’ve built a club that’s going to be there in September.”
On his fourth Opening Day as Mets owner, Cohen said he remains pretty popular with fans when he sees them around the ballpark.
“They’re still pretty supportive. I’m waiting for that to run out. We’ve got to win at some point,” he said. “Listen, I think the goal is to make the playoffs and be there year in and year out, and I think we’re going to over time accomplish that. I think what we’re building here is something that’s sustainable.”