LONDON — Steve Cohen didn’t want to talk about the trade deadline.
He continued to insist it was too early, and he also understood that the truest statement about whether the Mets would buy or sell by July 30 would be made non-verbally by the actions of the team, not by himself.
Then the Mets came out and, for 3 hours and 27 minutes, argued both sides of the argument, oscillating between painful to watch and ultimately moving, finishing the London series with a 6-5 victory thanks to a string of strong late at-bats, surprising Phillies ineptitude and a masterful game-ending play by Luis Torrens.
The game had a playoff atmosphere, and not just because 55,074 fans were in attendance at London Stadium. Both managers knew that resting the first and last games of the series would allow them to use their bullpens aggressively, leading to a lot of mid-inning relief changes and aggressive pinch-running, something that hasn’t been seen much in recent years.
But the situations for the two teams were very different. The NL’s best team, the Phillies, were looking to tie their best record after 65 games and would almost certainly make the playoffs with a 45-20 record even if they split the two-game series. For the Mets, the difference between finishing good enough to be eight games back (28-36) in the NL wild-card race instead of 10 (28-36) in the more generous race is big, and manager Carlos Mendoza acknowledged that “there’s a sense of urgency.”
Even if Cohen says they’re not there yet, the calendar says they will be.
“It’s pretty amazing,” Cohen said. “Everybody wants to talk about the Mets all season, but it’s not the season. It’s the trade deadline. It’s coming, guys. I’m telling you, it’s coming. It’s coming soon. But until then, we’re just going to be focused on winning games.”
“We’ll worry about the trade deadline when the time comes,” he added.
But that day is approaching. The Mets have perhaps a month to prove they shouldn’t go into full-on sale mode for a second straight year. Asked why a team that was projected to win more than .500 games is struggling toward a sale again, Cohen argued that a process that reporters and fans don’t see every day is starting to work much better.
“The Mets’ decision-making is a lot sharper than it’s been in the past,” Cohen said, noting that the team didn’t waste any more time acquiring Omar Narvaez, acquiring Torrens from the Yankees for $100,000 to fill in for a few weeks until Francisco Alvarez returns. Cohen noted that Torrens has helped the Mets win games during that time, saying, “When you’re competing for a playoff spot, winning one game or two really matters.”
Torrens then helped secure another game-winning hit, backpicking Alec Bohm with a runner on first in the top of the fifth. He singled to start a three-run charge in the top of the sixth to tie the game. He then walked three to overcome a 4-3 deficit in the top of the ninth. Then, with the Phillies trailing 6-5 and the bases loaded with one out, Nick Castellanos squeezed in front of home plate.
In perhaps the Mets’ play of the year, Torrens fielded with his bare hands, stepped back to stand at home for a force out, then spun 360 degrees to throw to first base to complete an inning-ending double play, only for pinch runner Garrett Stubbs to slide in and trap his left leg, taking him down at home.
The Mets must decide in the next few days whether to keep Torrance or Tomas Nido, who is out of options and playing well, but the bigger decisions continue after the Mets move to Europe and now home.
“We’re four games away from the wild card. [before Sunday’s action]”We shouldn’t be proud of that,” Cohen said. “We’re still nine games away from that.” [.500]But it gives us a chance to have a successful season, so that’s how I see it.”
Cohen spent a week in London, arriving early so his Point72 company could do business from its many outlets across the city, and he appeared to be relaxing and having fun, going on a pub crawl with Mets fans and mingling with dignitaries and fans on the field before both games of the London Series.
He continues to insist that the goal is to build a sustainable winning team, and that to achieve that, selling another year to further develop the system would be the smart move for this unreliable team. But Cohen said it’s not “black or white” for the Mets to acquire a prospect they like enough to trade for, and that winning is worth it. And he declared that his desire in 2024 is not to target the trade deadline, but to win more.
Of course, that would be the loud statement he craves.
