Will The Mets Be The New Kings Of Queens

Latino Sports

So what just happened over in Queens? We have a new owner in billionaire Steve Cohen, a new team president, Sandy Alderson, a new general manager in Jared Porter, a new catcher, 30 year old free agent James McCann who accepted $40 million plus for four years and relief pitcher Trevor May who agreed to a two-year, $15 million contract. Money is being spent like a dad at his daughters wedding. In 1968 I was the #75 guy picked in the January draft. I was offered $10,000 to sign and $600 a month to play ‘A’ ball. Boy, how times have changed.

But getting back to the Mets, we can see that this new owner is making a positive impact on how things will be for the Mets moving forward in the coming years. He is not afraid to spend money, intelligently. Although there have been no block buster deals either in the free agent market or in trades yet, we can see that a plan has been put in motion for this organization.

The biggest names in the free agent market this year are having serious talks with the Mets now. When was the last time we heard anything remotely familiar with the big names in baseball talking with the Mets? It is inevitable that they will sign one or two of the top free agents out there this year. That’s going to happen.

Hopefully we will see less disasters like Kazuo Matsui (2004, two years, $20.1 million), Oliver Perez (2009, three years, $36 million), Jason Bay (2009, four years, $66 million) or Bobby Bonilla (1991, five years, $29 million) which turned out to be the worst contract ever. Paying him about $1.1 million a year until 2035. Giving Mets fans another 15 years to celebrate Bobby Bonilla Day.

The Mets are in a better place than they were now that Cohen has taken control. There will be mistakes and setbacks. That’s just how it goes with any sports franchise. How well an organization bounces back from the bad things is what defines a successful club from one that flounders. I believe Cohen and Alderson can handle those situations.

So far, the decisions that are being made, although baby steps right now, are showing us that the Mets are serious about winning for the first time in a long time. But there is still one big question for next year that we have no answer for, Will we be able to go to games at Citi Field? Will there be another abbreviated season? Or will we see less than 162 games and a short spring training? Anything is possible as we begin to come out of this pandemic. And let’s face it, what ever happens in the 2021 season will never be as bad as the 2020 year.

We need baseball to shows that it is still the national pastime in this country. We need to laugh and cheer again. We need a winning team in Queens again. We need the Mets to make going to Citi field special and exciting every game. Not just when Jacob deGrom pitches.

They are not there yet but for now, we have to be feeling like we are beginning to see the the light at the end of the tunnel as we watch the excitement the Mets are generating with a new leader in owner and true Mets fan Steve Cohen and a proven baseball man, Mets president  Sandy Alderson.