Steve Cohen first went to Mets games with his dad at New York’s old Polo Grounds in the early 1960s. He continued going to games with his friends in the upper decks of Shea Stadium, and his father-in-law can be found at nearly every Mets game to this day.
So there are plenty of reasons why Cohen called Tuesday — the day he was formally introduced as the Mets’ new owner via a virtual news conference from Citi Field — a “dream come true.” There are many Mets fans who feel the same way about Cohen taking over ownership of their favorite team.
“You may ask what kind of owner I’m going to be,” said Cohen during his opening remarks Tuesday. “I’m going to be an owner who builds a team that has continued success. We want to create a blueprint for winning.”
Cohen stressed that he and his new team president, Sandy Alderson, are hoping to make the Mets winners through sustainable processes — and not just sheer financial might.
“We are starting with our homegrown talent and building from there,” Cohen said. “When we need to fill a gap, we will fill it. That might be through a free agent or it might be through a trade. We’re going to strengthen our farm system, keep our players healthy and use the best analytics.
“You build champions, you don’t buy them. We’ve got a great core on this team, and we’re going to get better and I plan to make the investments we need to succeed. We want to win now, but we’re also building for the long term.”
Cohen has already made headlining changes to the Mets after closing a record $2.4 billion deal to purchase the team. New York parted ways with general manager Brodie Van Wagenen on Friday along with several other members of the 2020 front office. Alderson must name a GM to serve beneath him. Alderson said it is highly likely that manager Luis Rojas will remain in his position for 2021, but he added that it will ultimately be the incoming GM’s final decision on Rojas’ status.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].