The Mets Have Undergone a Shift in Culture: A Look at the First Steps in the Process
The 2020 season marked the end of a long era in Mets’ history. It was the final season under the Wilpon Regime, as the sale of the franchise to Steve Cohen was finalized on October 30, 2020. Cohen now owns 95% of the Mets.
Previously, Sterling Equities, founded by Fred Wilpon and his brother-in-law Saul Katz, served as majority owners of the Mets. They assumed majority ownership in 2002 and the years since have been a rollercoaster.
The first round of excitement occured around 2005, which was the first full season at the MLB level for both David Wright and Jose Reyes. The future appeared bright in the most undeniable way. Reyes possessed an uncanny ability for baserunning, which was shown in full force in 2005 when he lead the league in triples (17) and stolen bases (60). Wright became the heart and soul of the Mets, hitting over .300 with 25 or more home runs from 2005 through 2008. The starting pitching rotation consisted of Tom Glavine and recently acquired Pedro Martinez.
But since then, the bright spots have mostly been darkened by a mix of bad luck and bad decisions. The 2015 Mets nearly brought a championship to the regime, but fell short by 3 wins in the World Series. Between the star-studded rotation of Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, and Noah Syndergaard and the magic of Daniel Murphy and Yoenis Cespedes, the Mets formed a foundation of a championship-caliber roster. The 2015 roster in part remains firm in the foundation of the current roster, but a change in culture can ultimately lead the new Mets club to a World Series win.
The Mets have been busy this offseason since the change in ownership. Cohen immediately cut ties with high ranking Baseball Operations executives upon taking over the club. General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen, Special Assistant to the GM Omar Minaya, Vice President/Assistant GM of Scouting & Player Development Allard Baird, Assistant GM of Systematic Development Adam Guttridge, and Executive Director of Player Development Jared Banner were all dismissed.
Shortly thereafter, the Mets and President Sandy Alderson announced Luis Rojas would remain the manager for 2021. Then, free agency kicked off and things have not slowed down since. The first major signing was announced when the Mets agreed to terms with reliever Trevor May. The move was not seismic, but it did indicate the new wave approaching. The Mets are going to spend and spend now. Fewer than two weeks later, the next addition was reported. The Mets signed catcher James McCann to a four-year deal worth over $40 million.
The Mets had been desperate for a starting catcher. The team released Travis d’Arnaud in May of 2019, who then blossomed into one of the best hitting catchers in baseball. Part of the reason d’Arnaud was released (aside from his own struggles in Queens) was the arrival of Wilson Ramos. Ramos was the last to sign as a free agent to become the Mets’ starting catcher. The first season of his two-year, $19 million contract went fairly well. Ramos hit .288 with 14 home runs and a .768 OPS in 2019. It did not carry over into 2020, for what that season is worth. He batted .239 with a .297 on-base percentage. He also struggled to throw out base-stealers. He threw out 15% of runners in 2019 (league average was 26%) and he threw out 18% in 2020 (league average was 24%). The move to James McCann, who was an All-Star in 2019 and a Gold Glove finalist in 2020 strengthens the position in both facets of the game. Of course, it comes at a financial commitment of more than $40 million, but that is what the new Mets will be more willing to do: spend more to get more.
Recently, MLB Insider Buster Olney went on ESPN Radio and said he would “bet the family farm” that George Springer would also sign with the Mets. Springer would instantly become the biggest free agency signing for the Mets since Carlos Beltrán signed a seven year and $119 million deal prior to the 2005 season. Beltrán is the only player in Mets’ history to sign a deal from free agency worth over $110 million, so it was very uncommon for the Wilpon regime to spend big on free agents. In Cohen’s first offseason as majority owner, he very well is expected to change that. Signing Springer or another top tier free agent (rumors of Trevor Bauer have also made waves) can bring extraordinary expectations and excitement surrounding the 2021 season in Queens.
The Mets’ Baseball Operations department has been roughly as active as their free agency presence. The organization recently announced the hiring of new General Manager Jared Porter. Porter is highly regarded by players and executives and is the product of multiple successful front offices. Porter certainly signifies an important change in the culture of the Mets in that the club wants to surround itself with players, coaching staff, and front office members that have experience with winning teams. Just after announcing the hiring of Porter, the Mets hired Dave Jauss as their bench coach. Jauss, like Porter, worked for the Boston Red Sox during their 2004 championship season.
All signs point towards a massive change in the culture of the New York Mets forthcoming. However, as much time as the richest owner in baseball may think he has, he must remember that this is New York. The success of this offseason and the 2021 season will shape the opinions of many fans as to whether they should expect a new wave of greatness or the “same old Mets.”