NY Mets owner Steve Cohen needs to back his statement to the fans with action

New York Mets fans woke up on Monday morning, realizing it was not a dream, although definitely a nightmare: just a year removed from a miraculous NLCS run, the Mets would be missing the playoffs after a devastating game 162 loss to the Marlins sealed their fate (sound familiar?).

We knew the discourse across the league would be loud surrounding the Mets' utter failure, but at around noon on Monday, the man who everyone has on their minds spoke for himself. Steve Cohen, who had set championship expectations for "the next 3-5 years" when he bought the franchise in 2020, put out a statement on X after failing to reach the postseason in year five:

Steve Cohen's apology to Mets fans is an encouraging sign, but only if he puts his money where his mouth is.

Sure, that might sound like a ridiculous statement; after spending $800 million on Juan Soto, how has Cohen not put his money where his mouth is? The answer is simple: by failing to build a competent roster around him and the other stars that seemed to be the only contributors in a miserable year for the Mets.

The 2024 Mets were a band of misfits that squeaked into the playoffs with 89 wins and made an improbable run to the NLCS. Let's not forget it took them until the 161st game to clinch the third and final NL Wild Card spot; they were not a juggernaut, and adding one superstar player was not going to make them one.

What the Mets need to focus on this offseason is building proven talent around their core, rather than spending millions on reclamation projects like Frankie Montas. You don’t spend $800 million on a superstar to then pay premium dollars for players meant to be low-risk, high-reward bargains; it undermines the whole investment.

A lot of work needs to be done this offseason to right the wrongs of the 2025 Mets. Before they can even think about a roster shakeup, changes need to be made to the coaching staff, and most importantly, a general manager needs to be hired to deal with the club at its big league level; let Stearns oversee the organization as a whole (he has done an excellent job with the farm system), but he can't do it all.

There are a lot of lessons to be learned from the 2025 Mets. The 2024 team was built on magic, not talent, and you can't rely on that method for perpetual success; this year proved that the clock can strike midnight, and your carriage can indeed turn back into a pumpkin.

Cohen's sincere apology is enough to turn heads, but it'll only mean something if he focuses on acquiring real, proven talent to surround his stars and young guys. The core is there, but it needs to be backed by rock-solid depth, not a house of cards.