3 instant reactions fans had to the Wild Card Series loss

Having one the highest payrolls in the league doesn’t always work

$282 million. It’s the amount of money that Owner Steve Cohen spent to build the 2022 New York Mets roster. In the offseason, the Mets paid big money to sign players like Max Scherzer and Starling Marte. Sure, those additions helped the team reach the postseason for the first time since 2016, but when a team spends that much, the expectation is to do better than a first round playoff exit. 

Look at the Cleveland Guardians. Year after year, they can be found at the bottom of the list in terms of highest payroll, yet they're on their way to the Division Series for the fourth time in seven years. The Mets, on the other hand, will now have to look themselves in the mirror this offseason with a lot of green in their hands, but no ring along with it. 

This is not going to stop the Mets from spending money each offseason, as this loss might make Steve Cohen want to spend even more (I heard Aaron Judge is going to be available next month), but signing big name free agents for boatloads of money does not mean that the parade should be planned once the pen hits the dotted line.