New York Mets Owner Steve Cohen Hints Towards Trade Deadline Plans in Since-Deleted Tweet

Steve Cohen took to social media Wednesday, addressing fans' concerns about the New York Mets blowing up their roster for the second summer in a row.

Sep 17, 2023; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets owner Steve Cohen on the field before a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field. / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen may have just tipped his hand on what his team might be doing with their roster this summer.

A Mets blogger, John Mackin Ade, recently wrote a column about why he thought New York's front office needed to blow things up as soon as possible, assuming they wanted to be a World Series contender by 2026. The Mets are 19-23, and with Pete Alonso about to enter free agency, their future remains uncertain as things currently stand.

Mackin's post got shared on X, the social media platform formally known as Twitter, and the piece caught Cohen's eye. The billionaire executive left a reply, insinuating that the Mets could become sellers as the 2024 MLB Trade Deadline approaches.

"All in the future , not much we can do until trade deadline," Cohen wrote.

Cohen deleted his post shortly after.

Steve Cohen hinted at the Mets being big sellers at the trade deadline. He quickly deleted his post pic.twitter.com/flxplgVoQa

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 16, 2024

Cohen, whose net worth is $19.8 billion, became a minority owner in the Mets back in 2012. He then acquired a controlling stake in the franchise in 2020, immediately pouring record amounts of money into New York's payroll.

That philosophy paid dividends in 2022, when the Mets went 101-61. A late surge from the Atlanta Braves cost them the NL East crown, however, and New York ultimately lost to the San Diego Padres in the three-game NL Wild Card Series.

Cohen was willing to spend more money the following offseason, shelling out big contracts for Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, Edwin Díaz, Brandon Nimmo and José Quintana. Even with the highest payroll in league history, though, the Mets were in last place for most of the summer.

By the time the 2023 MLB Trade Deadline rolled around, the Mets front office sold off Verlander, Max Scherzer, Mark Canha and David Robinson for spare parts in order to shed salary. New York finished the season 75-87, then made very few splashy moves this past winter.

Based on Cohen's tweet, there's a chance that the Mets go down the same path here in 2024.

Alonso, even with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, could likely net a significant package of prospects in return. Quintana may not have quite as much star power, but he would serve as a value add for a contender looking for a short-term boost to their rotation.

The five most notable veterans New York added this offseason – JD Martinez, Harrison Bader, Sean Manea, Luis Severino and Adrian Houser – are also candidates to get flipped, considering their expiring contracts.

The Mets are paying $65 million to players no longer on their roster, as well as $81 million in luxury tax penalties. Cohen may be a billionaire, but he showed last year that he isn't content spending big on a losing team.

If he gives the front office similar instructions this year, New York could once again be punting on the second half of the season altogether.

Still, the Mets are just 1.0 game back of the third NL Wild Card spot, so even a brief winning streak could change the tides.

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