Since taking over as owner of the New York Mets in 2020, Steve Cohen has been quite clear that he is ready to spend the team into greatness.
His biggest splash came in this past offseason, when the Mets brought in superstar Juan Soto on a staggering 15-year, $765 million contract that was more than 22 other MLB teams spent combined and made him the highest-paid player in sports.
Speaking at spring training, Cohen admitted that even with his deep pockets and willingness to spend, the team probably went a bit overboard this year.
“I’ve always wanted to be a little more measured in payroll growth, and then we get there and it’s never quite there,” Cohen told reporters on Tuesday. “I have the ability to spend if I have to, and I want to win. 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.”
When asked where he’d like payroll for the Mets to settle at, Cohen said that he’d like to get under “the Cohen tax,” referring to the moniker that has been given to the luxury tax threshold after his spending spree.
“Nobody wants to pay tax. Those are expensive taxes,” Cohen added.
Cohen said he came into the offseason with a thought of how much he was hoping to spend, but had already “blown through it.”
Still, Cohen wasn’t deterred by the expenses.
“I want a winning team,” he repeated. “I want to put the best team I can on the field.”
Baseball is expensive business, but Mets fans can rest assured that Cohen is not afraid to put his money where his mouth is when it comes to building a roster.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Even Steve Cohen Is Shocked at How Much Money the Mets Spent This Offseason.
