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With not much going right for the New York Mets this season, some fans are already looking forward to 2024, and one player in particular.
Shohei Ohtani has been outdoing himself game after game this season, putting up video game numbers that the game has never seen before. He is hitting above .300 with 31 home runs, alongside an impressive 3.01 ERA. Ohtani is already being dubbed by some as the greatest of all time, and his free agency this offseason will be sure to break records.
The Mets have been rumored to be involved from the start, and with the Los Angeles Angels unlikely to deal Ohtani, just about every team will be involved in a bidding war. While this dismal Mets season might be enough to deter Shohei away from Queens, there are still plenty of reasons why he would be a perfect fit with this team.
Above all else, the Mets would most likely pay Ohtani the most money he'll get
At the end of the day, the area where the Mets will have the biggest advantage over their competitors is with Steve Cohen's wallet.
The Mets have shown a willingness to spend in free agency under Cohen's tenure unlike any other team in major league history. With multiple players signed to $30+ million dollar contracts this season, the Mets should have no hesitation when it comes to paying Ohtani what he deserves. While it will most likely set the record for the most expensive contract in history, the Mets should have the best chance financially of matching his asking price.
From a front office perspective, paying Ohtani wouldn't be that painful on their books in the long term. The Mets will have a lot of money freed up once Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander's $43 million a year contracts end in 2024 and 2025 respectively. They will also have several other contracts off the books, such as Mark Canha, Carlos Carrasco and (finally) Robinson Cano.
Steve Cohen cannot be happy with how this Mets season as went, which will most likely incentivize him to spend even more towards a World Series ring. Who better to spend it on then the best player in baseball? Considering how bad the Mets have looked this season, the money is the best bet for convincing Ohtani to head east.