Mets: Three moves we should expect to see the Steve Cohen regime make

Swipe a Yankees free agent

The New York Yankees actually have a few notable free agents this winter. Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton, and DJ LeMahieu are all coming off the books. I wanted to and may still explore these options (and more) but for now, I just want to talk about how sweet it will be for the Mets to swipe away a Yankees free agent.

We all know there’s a rivalry between these two ball clubs. Sharing a city and public transportation will do that.

Tanaka seems to make the most sense for the Mets because of their need for starting pitching. I would pass on Paxton based on his performance and look to see if there’s any way to fit LeMahieu into the lineup—which I don’t think there really is.

If not the Yankees, Cohen could win over some fans by signing a player from another rival. Realmuto, of course, comes out of Philadelphia. This could be a little vengeance for losing Zack Wheeler to them last winter.

An alternative to this big expectation could be that the Mets outbid the Yankees or another rival for a free agent both desire. The Yankees will need to replace the players they are in danger of losing. They are also constantly adding to their own roster, too.

These two franchises can go head-to-head in a free agent bidding war. I don’t think Cohen will want to come away as the loser in any war like this, especially if the Yankees are involved.

One thing Cohen should aim to do as the owner is take back New York. He can begin this process in year one.