Steve Cohen’s Deal to Buy the Mets Unlikely, M.L.B. Commissioner Says

Not too long ago, it was easy to imagine the Mets emerging from spring training with a newfound sense of hope and optimism. They were going to be led by a new manager, Carlos Beltran, a well-liked and respected former player. They would have a new owner, Cohen, who as one of the richest men in America could easily increase payroll while covering the team’s financial shortfalls, which resulted in the team losing $50 million last season, according to a person familiar with the team’s finances.

Fans seemed largely unconcerned by Cohen’s brushes with the law in his investment business, including his agreement to pay a $1.2 billion fine in 2013 to to settle charges related to insider trading at his firm.

Instead, the franchise is now in turmoil. Beltran was fired last month, before managing a single game, after he was the only player personally named in M.L.B.’s blistering report on the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal. And unless there is a last-minute change of heart, the Mets will continue to be dogged by ownership uncertainty.

Not everyone is concerned. Asked about the questions surrounding the team’s management, General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen said late last month that it was business as usual for the franchise.

“Our goals are to win now and win in the future,” Van Wagenen said at a Mets town hall meeting in January. “We’ve been very, very direct and we haven’t shied away from that, from that mission statement and we won’t as we go forward. The day-to-day operations of our club have been consistent in which I started, I would anticipate that being the same going forward.”

David Waldstein contributed reporting.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/06/sports/baseball/steve-cohen-mets.html?emc=rss&partner=rss