3 ways the Mets can achieve stability

3. Avoid spending “like drunken sailors.”

In Cohen’s opening press conference, he stated the organization would not overspend on free agents and build a sustainable winner. In too many circumstances, the Mets have been burdened by bad contracts that were signed to multi-year contracts. Jason Bay, Yoenis Cespedes, Robinson Cano, just to name a few. Other teams have experienced the lasting effects of bad contracts as well, just ask a Yankees fan their opinion of Giancarlo Stanton.

Having too many long-term contracts will eventually become unsustainable for a franchise even with Cohen’s resources. He has made mistakes in spending on veteran players past their prime like Starling Marte and James McCann. Cohen also approved the Lindor trade and 10-year contract which is not needed on this team given their plethora of shortstop prospects and the fact Gimenez has developed nicely in Cleveland. 

In hiring Stearns to be president of baseball operations, the Mets will have their first taste of sustainability since Alderson stepped down the first time. He is not known as an executive who hands out too many long-term contracts. Stearns is known to value his prospects and will make franchise-altering decisions only when necessary. Teams that compete for a championship have built through the farm system first and added once they were built to win. The Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros are great examples of this. The hope as a fan is that Stearns can provide that stability and stay the course of building for the future, not just 2024.