As has been the case on several occasions since he assumed ownership of the New York Mets in the fall of 2020, Steve Cohen suggested while speaking with reporters on Tuesday that he doesn’t want to be responsible for the most expensive roster in MLB every year.
That doesn’t mean Cohen isn’t already thinking about what could be for his club when Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reaches free agency shortly after the 2025 World Series concludes.
“I have the ability to spend if I have to,” Cohen explained while addressing the Mets’ luxury-tax situation, per Tim Healey of Newsday. “I want to win. And I want to put the best team I can on the field. But free agency is expensive. It’s just the way it is, and it’s always more expensive than you can imagine.”
According to Tim Britton of The Athletic, the Mets “project to be close to $75M” in luxury-tax fees this year after they signed All-Star outfielder Juan Soto to a 15-year, $765M contract that could reportedly exceed $800M. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Buster Olney mentioned on Tuesday that the Mets have already “talked internally” about adding Guerrero to the lineup as soon as next offseason.
Per Jeff Passan of ESPN, Guerrero could ultimately receive one of “the largest contract offers in baseball history.” The slugger turns just 26 years old in March.
While Cohen referred to Guerrero on Tuesday as “a great ballplayer,” the owner was careful not to say too much about an asset who is currently attached to a different club.
“I’ll worry about that next year,” Cohen said about Guerrero’s future. “You can’t have too many long-term contracts because then you lose your roster flexibility. So you’ve got to be really careful. But I’ll let my baseball people make that decision.”
The Mets signed shortstop Francisco Lindor to a 10-year contract extension that could be worth up to $341M before the start of the 2021 season. They later locked outfielder Brandon Nimmo down via an eight-year contract reportedly worth $162M in December 2022.
“I take it year to year,” Cohen responded when asked for how long he can keep outspending other owners. “I can finance it. Is that the most optimal way to run a team? Probably not.”
Nevertheless, it sounds like Cohen will be more than a spectator once Guerrero begins his free-agency journey this coming fall.
