BUILDING BLOCKS
Cohen gushes over 'exciting' growth in Mets' farm system
PORT ST. LUCIE — In front of him Mets owner Steve Cohen sees a team he expects will compete for the playoffs. And beyond that there are even larger possibilities.
“For the first time I am excited about what we’re building in this farm system,” Cohen said Sunday in his annual spring training State of the Mets address. “We haven’t developed pitching in a long time and for the first time it looks like we have depth down there.”
Names such as Christian Scott, Blade Tidwell, Mike Vasil, Dom Hamel, Brandon Sproat and Tyler Stuart provide a reason for optimism. That’s aside from a core of position players that includes Drew Gilbert, Jett Williams, Luisangel Acuna and Ryan Clifford that could be headed to Citi Field eventually.
But Cohen, who received an underwhelming return (in terms of production) for the money he spent on high-priced free agents such as Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, is clearly most enthralled with the pitchers.
“To me, that is exciting because pitching is so freakin’ expensive in baseball today,” Cohen said. “So if we can start building a team where we have some young, fresh blood and then surround it with veteran talent, that’s a winning combination.
“For the first time we’re starting to look stacked [on the farm] and I don’t think I ever would have used that term before, and that is a good feeling.”
By trading Verlander and Scherzer last season after the All-Star break, Cohen infused the farm system with Gilbert, Clifford and Acuna — prospects ranked higher than almost all others the Mets had already.
Cohen, without mentioning the previous owners by name, threw shade in the Wilpon family’s direction for the team’s mostly disappointing results in the first three seasons of his tenure, in which the farm system lacked overall depth. Upon buying the team before the 2021 season, Cohen said his goal was to win a World Series within three to five years.
“I would hope that we would have had more winning seasons, but it’s not easy,” Cohen said. “In the end, I was given what I was given.”
As for this year’s team, which was retooled under president of baseball operations David Stearns with lower-tier free agents than previously — Sean Manaea, and Luis Severino were the biggest additions in an offseason the Mets emphasized depth — Cohen said he expects to compete for the playoffs.
“Last year was a disappointment with the high expectations,” he said. “This year I think we have built up the floor of what’s possible. I think there’s a couple of great teams in the National League, but other than that I think we’re as competitive as any other team.”
With a goal of competing, Cohen said the Mets could look to add at the trade deadline if there are moves that will better position the club for the postseason.
“We’re going to be opportunistic,” Cohen said. “We will assess when we get there and the goal is to make the playoffs. What’s my job? My job is to support David and the baseball ops and the team in any way we can to make the playoffs.”
Cohen mentioned the bullpen and team defense as two areas he views as strengths for the Mets.
“When you talk to the players they say the defense is going to be so much better,” Cohen said, “Last year we were giving four outs in an inning. I think you can see it. We’re in almost every game in spring training and I suspect that is the way it’s going to be during the season.
“The relief pitching looks strong. It looks like we have a lot of depth there which means we’re going to be in a lot of games and if you are in the game you have a chance to win.”