Steve Cohen tells season-ticket holders in letter that 2024 Mets will be 'formidable'
Mets owner Steve Cohen talks to the media in the dugout before a game against the Royals on Wednesday in Kansas City, Mo. Credit: AP/Charlie Riedel
BALTIMORE — The Mets’ post-trade deadline explanation/apology tour has extended to their season-ticket holders, who received an email on Friday that promised a “formidable” team in 2024.
The email, which took the form of a letter with the names of owners Steve Cohen and Alex Cohen at the bottom, featured the same sentiment as that expressed by general manager Billy Eppler during the past week and by Steve Cohen in Kansas City on Wednesday. These Mets fell woefully short of expectations, so they decided to pivot by “repurposing” Cohen’s investment, as Eppler said.
“When our players arrived in Port St. Lucie for spring training, you had high expectations for the club and so did we,” the letter read. “We added several key pieces to our team, but things have not turned out how we planned. You are rightfully disappointed and so are we.”
Hence “the decision to expedite that process” of bolstering the farm system via a sell-off at the deadline.
The letter mentioned four groups of players, beginning with the prospects acquired (who are going to “rise through our system as they develop and learn to win together”) and the players traded.
Then came “our core group” for 2024, “including Brandon Nimmo, Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil and Edwin Diaz.” And a foursome of rookies got a mention as something to be excited about: Kodai Senga, Brett Baty, Mark Vientos and Francisco Alvarez.
Notably absent from the letter was any acknowledgment that 2024 likely will be a step back from trying to win a championship as the organization attempts to plot a more successful 2025 and beyond. Cohen recently said he likely won’t go after top free agents as hard as he has in the past and that next year’s Mets “won’t be as star-studded a team as it was.”
The letter concluded with: “We can’t stress enough how grateful we are for your continued support. Without you, none of this would be worth it. We believe in this organization and our future, which only got brighter over the last few days.”
Personnel news
The Mets called up two pitchers: Tylor Megill, who started against the Orioles, and reliever Jimmy Yacabonis. Yacabonis had a 9.00 ERA in five appearances early this season and was designated for assignment in May. To clear roster spots, the Mets demoted righthanders John Curtiss and Reed Garrett to Triple-A Syracuse.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
