Cohen buying the Mets (Post # 134, Team to be put up for auction)

[Claymation]

Sonny: If you’ll indulge an econ question from a dum-dum, what exactly did Steve Cohen buy for $2.4B? He gets Wilpon debt, no TV, “maybe some” of the land development, and…? He owns the Mets now I guess but I’m surprised bc it looks like a decade+ to get out of Wilpon’s mess with much of the revenue streams cut off


Craig Edwards: He gets massive paper losses which can reduce his tax liability elsewhere. Any debt the team has gets paid off from revenue generated by the team so his equity increases by hundreds of millions of dollars without doing a thing. He was willing to buy at $2.6 B before the pandemic so the price could be artificially low. The tv contract runs out within a decade and he has the means to do his own thing if he wanted depending on how the tv landscape shapes up, essentially creating a billion dollar (maybe multi-billion dollar) company with little of his own investment and MLB team prices have gone up about 8% annually after inflation for the last 40-50 years.

From Fangraphs

[mookiewilson]

You're being objectively non-objective with respect to Cohen here. I have no glorified view of a hedge fund manager who was essentially under SEC investigation for a decade before he finally ponied up a billion dollars (fun fact, my sister has worked as global chief compliance officer for several international hedge funds over the years and they all know what Cohen was up to was skirting the rules for years.

All that said, the man is a lifelong Mets fan who has also been part owner for some time. He's watched, in misery as we have, the Wilpons run this organization into the ground. He has zero need to own an MLB team to enhance his wealth. Does he want to enhance his wealth with the Mets - sure, who wouldn't? But I think Cohen understands that to enhance the value of a MLB organization you have to 1) have the capital to invest to make it a top organization, 2) invest that capital, 3) create a powerful developmental program that creates a steady flow of high end young talent, and 4) win.

Without all of the above, this is a bad investment for Cohen. So what's his incentive to not invest in the team to win? The Wilpons on the other hand never had the real capital to run the team, so they couldn't get past the first step. They had no business at all owning this team. This is an entirely different situation.

Don't forget letting Jiffy Jeff get involved with the team. This kid had no business being in there.

[Zmaster52]

Another player I haven’t seen mentioned that would be worth targeting is DJ LeMahieu...if he’d be willing to play third.

Mets upgrade the defense at third, center, and catcher then this team will be a lot better, maybe even good enough to mitigate some of the poor pitching.


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[Paulie6986]

Pitching, pitching, pitching, catcher and CF,

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[YoungStuna]

Outside of Bauer, the starting pitching options aren’t too appealing IMO. I think Stroman is a must re-sign, as much as he screwed us over this season by opting out. Even with Cohen money I doubt we’ll be blowing past the luxury tax. I’d be very happy with an offseason of Realmuto, Stroman, and a high end pen arm like Hendricks to pair with Diaz and Lugo back in the pen where he is likely best suited if he doesn’t show anything in his next two starts.

I know we need a CF, but I don’t really want to break up this offense.

[metswon69]

Another player I haven’t seen mentioned that would be worth targeting is DJ LeMahieu...if he’d be willing to play third.

Mets upgrade the defense at third, center, and catcher then this team will be a lot better, maybe even good enough to mitigate some of the poor pitching.


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I would love LeMahieu but i doubt the Yankees let him walk. Not to mention, he's another guy who you would put at 3rd but isn't a 3rd baseman by trade. He's an amazing bat. RH version of McNeil.

They need pitching. Everything else is whatever. I understand offenses can change year to year but they have a solid bat at every position besides catcher. If Brodie is here, I expect him to make a hard push for Realmuto given he did previously in trade. I would be all in for Bauer too. I like Stroman but I also think contact/GB pitchers don't do well with this defense. If they can get him cheap, bring him back.

The FA market might be very murky this offseason. Teams need to determine what their budgets will be with less to no fans.

[mookiewilson]

Pitching, pitching, pitching, catcher and CF,

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Not a bad list to start with Paulie, but I think you should add pitching to it. We may need one or two of them.

[mookiewilson]

Outside of Bauer, the starting pitching options aren’t too appealing IMO. I think Stroman is a must re-sign, as much as he screwed us over this season by opting out. Even with Cohen money I doubt we’ll be blowing past the luxury tax. I’d be very happy with an offseason of Realmuto, Stroman, and a high end pen arm like Hendricks to pair with Diaz and Lugo back in the pen where he is likely best suited if he doesn’t show anything in his next two starts.

I know we need a CF, but I don’t really want to break up this offense.

If you're talking 3rd or 4th starter money for Stroman, then I agree. He is an innings eater but we need to shore up the defense as he's a groundball pitcher. If he's commanding 1st or 2nd starter money then I'd look elsewhere.

[YoungStuna]

If you're talking 3rd or 4th starter money for Stroman, then I agree. He is an innings eater but we need to shore up the defense as he's a groundball pitcher. If he's commanding 1st or 2nd starter money then I'd look elsewhere.

What would you consider 3rd/4th starter money?

I wouldn’t pay him as much as the Phillies paid for Wheeler obviously. Our defense is good enough for Stroman to be effective IMO. Our infield defense is much better than our outfield defense.

[Zmaster52]

If you're talking 3rd or 4th starter money for Stroman, then I agree. He is an innings eater but we need to shore up the defense as he's a groundball pitcher. If he's commanding 1st or 2nd starter money then I'd look elsewhere.

An infield of McNeil-Gimenez-Cano-Dom seems to be pretty solid defensively. I think JD Davis should be traded, especially if we get Realmuto and a good RH cfer.

I would offer Stroman something like 4/68 and see if he takes it.


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[mookiewilson]

What would you consider 3rd/4th starter money?

I wouldn’t pay him as much as the Phillies paid for Wheeler obviously. Our defense is good enough for Stroman to be effective IMO. Our infield defense is much better than our outfield defense.

Between 10 and 15 mil a year. Since he didn't pitch this year, i'd bring it down more toward the 10 range and give some stat incentives. Maybe I sound mean like that but who knows what a year off will do. Plus I would request him to throw for me in the offseason given that he went a full year without pitching a game. And i'd do that with any pitcher or player who opted out this season.

[mookiewilson]

An infield of McNeil-Gimenez-Cano-Dom seems to be pretty solid defensively. I think JD Davis should be traded, especially if we get Realmuto and a good RH cfer.

I would offer Stroman something like 4/68 and see if he takes it.


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As much as I want Realmuto here, if BVW is the GM next season, he will not bring Realmuto here. Just a gut feeling.

[YoungStuna]

An infield of McNeil-Gimenez-Cano-Dom seems to be pretty solid defensively. I think JD Davis should be traded, especially if we get Realmuto and a good RH cfer.

I would offer Stroman something like 4/68 and see if he takes it.


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Unless we’re getting something good back for JD, I’d hold onto him despite his defensive shortcomings. We need his RH bat to balance out this LH-heavy lineup. I hope Alonso can figure it out next year.

I also really like McNeil in LF, he’s moving extremely well out there this season.

[YoungStuna]

Between 10 and 15 mil a year. Since he didn't pitch this year, i'd bring it down more toward the 10 range and give some stat incentives. Maybe I sound mean like that but who knows what a year off will do. Plus I would request him to throw for me in the offseason given that he went a full year without pitching a game. And i'd do that with any pitcher or player who opted out this season.

I’d offer 3-4/$60-75M.

Stroman is not a 4th starter, he’s a #2-3 guy. He made the All-Star team last season on the Blue Jays.

[YoungStuna]

As much as I want Realmuto here, if BVW is the GM next season, he will not bring Realmuto here. Just a gut feeling.

Why is that?

BVW wanted to trade for him before signing Ramos.