I have a strange job. And this might be the weirdest part.
I know more about the Nasty Boys than the Nasdaq, but I’m here again to advise one of America’s all-time great investors on how to invest his money.
Steve Cohen, who is not only a billionaire, but a debillionaire, is probably not sitting in his office in Greenwich, Conn., waiting for me to tell him how to spend his money. I understand, but I won’t give up.
A few weeks ago, I suggested Cohen surprise us by signing National League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and Josh Hader, the best closer in the world who isn’t Edwin Diaz.
Well, that bunk yacht was probably sailing a long time ago.
Much to the chagrin of the crosstown Yankees, Hader is the Astros’ new closer. And while Snell is still looking for a job, it’s unlikely he will join the Mets. While they’re checking in on him (they’re checking on everyone), new baseball president David Stearns appears to have completed a solid, cost-effective rotation.
The problem now is the batter. The Mets need that. And clean-up hitter Pete Alonso deserves one walk per year.
And lo and behold, two true middle-order hitters remain unemployed. And look at J.D. Martinez and Jorge Soler not just as two good hitters, but as two potential lineup protectors, and maybe even a couple potential bargains.
Teams often think the same way, and everyone seems to be prioritizing good starting pitchers these days. This may explain how Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a 5-foot-10 right-hander who never pitched in the MLB, became the most coveted free agent pitcher in history and ultimately set records. in a $325 million contract with the Dodgers. (Even the Mets, who have been mostly conservative this winter, offered $325 million.)
Meanwhile, the team is effectively ignoring a highly skilled hitter. Teoscar Hernandez had to sign a one-year contract. With the exception of two-way great Shohei Ohtani, not a single hitter signed even $50 million this winter. (That will change if Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman find jobs.)
I can see why Cohen and Co. won’t be hot again in free agency this winter. The so-called Steve Cohen tax isn’t just called that. The tax rate of 110 percent above the top tax rate was set with one person in mind. Yes, it’s Cohen. He has an estimated net worth of nearly $20 billion by Forbes magazine, which understandably gave his competitors quite a bit of cause for concern.
As of today, Cohen’s Mets almost always give their fans something between concern and excitement. I like what they’re doing, but it looks like fans’ expectations of a billionaire powering up the Dynamo every year are in jeopardy.
Fans deserve better. Ditto for Alonso, who has hit more home runs than anyone since entering the league.
Alonso averaged a customary 46 RBIs (45 RBIs in 162 games) last year despite the revolving door of expectations of a No. 5 hitter. But his unsightly, uncharacteristic batting average of .217 is definitely a result of being thrown into the game.
The Mets did the right thing by keeping their homegrown slugger, but the lack of a proven slugger who can hit behind Alonso is their real weakness (and probably the reason why Alonso would be released as a free agent later that year) even).
As it stands, the Mets’ payroll is still over $300 million, in fact just a hair behind the superteam Dodgers with Ohtani and Yamamoto, and plenty of reason to believe they will be World Series favorites in the near future. There is. got it. Cohen’s high bill means expectations are low for him, at least for 2024.
But there is still a chance to deliver on the promise of competitiveness. The rotation, which looked nearly empty at the start of the winter, now appears to have more depth than the Yankees, who are favorites to win the AL championship. The bullpen, which looked even worse, is still under construction and may be okay once it’s finished.
What’s the lineup? Well, I really need help with that. And we shouldn’t shy away from the obvious.
Martinez is one of the most consistent hitters in baseball. He batted clean up for the National League in last year’s All-Star Game, but there’s no way the Dodgers would replace him if the best player in the world wasn’t their eternal goal. His 134 OPS+ in 2023 was just one point above his impressive career mark.
Soler was a one-man wrecking crew member who hit 48 home runs in home games at pitcher-rich Kauffman Stadium and won World Series MVP honors with the rival Braves just a few years ago. In fact, he outscored Martinez in home runs last year (36 to 33) and had 28 fewer RBIs (103 to 75), which may have something to do with being a Marlin instead of a Dodger.
It’s no surprise that the Mets showed strong interest in Justin Turner, who recently joined the Blue Jays. However, there is no evidence they made an offer to Turner. I’m skeptical the Mets will make an offer, since Turner managed to get $13 million and was certainly less expensive than Martinez or Soler, who are both aiming for multi-year deals. Cooperative play for both hitters.
But they have committed to competing this year, and they owe it to their fans to do so. What’s more, they owe a lot to Alonso.
