Steve Cohen is having the offseason everyone hoped for

When Steve Cohen took over as New York Mets owner, what everyone wanted to see was an offseason leaving little doubt that the team was a contender. From the players to the coaching staff to the people in the front office, the change from the Wilpon regime was all about getting better, exciting fans, and making the best moves possible.

Last winter wasn’t a spectacularly stellar one for the Mets. While they did get some good players and took a couple of risks on players with upside, many of the additions didn’t turn out to be so sweet.

This time around, Cohen and Company isn’t taking those same chances.

Steve Cohen’s Mets are looking the way we always pictured they would

It all truly began with the decision to sign Max Scherzer. Although the Mets already added some quality major leaguers prior to their record-setting contract with Mad Max, this was the move that was straight out of the playbook we had all written for Cohen.

Nothing flexes your financial might like signing a player to the largest average annual contract in MLB history. For it to be Scherzer, a guy I don’t think anyone thought would have any interest in coming to New York for either ball club, made it even more special.

Stacked with some fantastic new players, the Mets had one other major decision to make. They parted ways with Luis Rojas after the 2021 season in a move many will forever agree was the right one to do regardless of what he goes on to do or what his replacement accomplishes.

Rather than take a risk on yet another newbie to managing, the Mets hired one of the most experienced guys out there: Buck Showalter. I hate to call it a no-brainer. But with Buck, at least you know he can handle the job. He is about as opposite as Rojas as you can get. For a team that may have had some behind-the-scenes issues in 2021, the addition of Showalter can help correct the lack of guidance.

Armed with Scherzer and Showalter for next season, the Mets should also receive some praise for the hiring of Billy Eppler. Ultimately, how much he can do does depend on Cohen’s willingness to spend. There’s also the factor of who is available to acquire and which of them has no interest in coming to Queens.

Eppler falls into the same category as Showalter as a guy who has on-the-job experience in his role. There’s no ex-agent or highly-regarded executive from another organization taking over the general manager spot. Eppler may not have had much success with the Los Angeles Angels, but at least the gig won’t be all brand new to him.

There’s a New World Order at Citi Field this season. The Mets added leaders and fat resumes to the organization. It might not be the complete dream team envisioned. It’s still a perfect way to point the franchise in the right direction.