5 biggest mistakes the Mets have made since Steve Cohen took over as the owner

Since Steve Cohen took over as the owner, things have gone very well for the most part. The New York Mets have signed future first ballot Hall of Famers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander in back-to-back offseasons.

They just won 101 games last season and have a chance to be even better in 2023. The farm system is improving, they have a core that looks like they'll be together for a while, all is good in Queens right now.

With all of the good mojo running around, there have also been some bad decisions made since Steve Cohen took over. Some by the front office, some by Cohen himself.

5) Biggest NY Mets mistakes since Steve Cohen took over: Promoting Zack Scott

Brodie Van Wagenen was fired as Mets General Manager right after Steve Cohen took over the franchise. This, obviously, was a good move. Replacing him went just about as poorly as you can possibly imagine.

They hired Jared Porter, who didn't last long. Scott was brought in to be Porter's assistant, signed in that same offseason. He had worked for 16 years with the Red Sox including each of the last two as their Assistant General Manager. He was promoted to Acting General Manager just eight days after Porter was let go. Scott lasted longer than Porter did, but not too much longer.

Scott oversaw a poor trade deadline and then was busted for driving drunk in August and was placed on Administrative Leave. He was let go soon after. Things just didn't work out at all.

4) Biggest NY Mets mistakes since Steve Cohen took over: Signing James McCann

James McCann signed with the Mets on the same day Jared Porter was hired. McCann, a free agent in the same offseason as Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto, signed a four-year $40.6 million dollar deal to come to New York.

This never made any sense from a pure baseball standpoint when you had an owner who has proven to be willing to spend almost whatever it takes to win.

McCann had a really good season in 2019, when a lot of other hitters did as well with the juiced baseballs being used. McCann hit 18 home runs and was an all-star for the White Sox. He then hit another 7 in just 31 games played as he split time with Yasmani Grandal in the shortened 2020 season.

McCann was always a good defender but never hit. That's why the Tigers gave up on him. He then had a solid year's worth of at-bats and for some reason, the Mets felt that it was a good idea to guarantee him four years when the best catcher in baseball required just five at a slightly higher annual value.

In his two seasons with the Mets, McCann slashed .232/.294/.349 with 13 home runs and 64 RBI in 182 games. His offense disappeared after showing up briefly and his defense wasn't good enough to avoid making him a roster casualty. McCann was traded to Baltimore this offseason and the Mets had to eat most of his contract to get them to take him. This idea never made sense and did not work from the beginning.

3) Biggest NY Mets mistakes since Steve Cohen took over: The Javier Baez trade

The Mets, who were struggling to stay in contention with Jacob deGrom on the sidelines, opted to trade for Javier Baez at the deadline to try and spark the team and make a run to the postseason.

Baez was of course involved in the "thumbs down" controversy which outraged fans everywhere, but he was actually quite good as a Met. Baez slashed .299/.371/.515 with nine home runs and 22 RBI. He did his best to try and keep the team in the postseason hunt but unfortunately, they fell short.

Trevor Williams, also acquired in this deal, was the best part. He looked good out of the bullpen for the Mets in 2021 and was unbelievable in a swingman role for the club in 2022. The pieces the Mets acquired actually were good. Williams is the reason this move isn't higher on this list.

The problem is, Pete Crow-Armstrong was included in this trade. The former first-round pick was sidelined after undergoing shoulder surgery, but that still felt like a lot to give up for a rental.

The Mets had a chance to bring Baez back but opted not to. Baez had an awful year in Detroit so maybe that was for the best. Crow-Armstrong however has developed into one of the best outfielder prospects in baseball. There's a very good chance this trade can haunt the Mets for years to come.

2) Biggest NY Mets mistakes since Steve Cohen took over: The Joey Lucchesi trade

The Mets were the third team in a trade that looked decent at the time, but is aging horribly. The Mets were involved in a trade along with the Padres and Pirates that sent Joey Lucchesi to New York. Joe Musgrove went to San Diego, and David Bednar along with Mets prospect Endy Rodriguez ended up in Pittsburgh.

Musgrove has gone from solid to really good in San Diego, and had the performance of his life in Game 3 of the Wild Card series against the Mets. David Bednar was an all-star for the Pirates this past season and looks like he'll be a dominant reliever for many years.

Endy Rodriguez is the piece that hurts. He wasn't super well known at the time of this deal, but he's developed into a high-end prospect with the Pirates. He'll be up with them this year, and could even make their Opening Day roster.

All the Mets got for a high-level prospect in this package that included two other studs was Joey Lucchesi. In his two seasons with the Mets, he's made 11 appearances (eight starts) and has a 4.46 ERA in 38.1 innings pitched.

He missed a large portion of 2021 and all of 2022 after undergoing Tommy John. The southpaw now appears to be on the outside looking in when looking at a potential roster spot. The Mets likely gave up a future starting catcher at the bare minimum for just a depth arm.