Steve Cohen and Co. would probably like to forget the past few months. Even after signing the most expensive contract, a whopping $760 million on one single player, they collapsed early last season, which eventually wiped out all their playoff hopes. And just when Mets fans thought, “Okay, maybe the off-season will revive us,” the Mets have fallen into a bigger pit.

Three fan favorites left the team, including Edwin Diaz. And Steve Cohen, who normally has a big pocket, has been unusually cheap this season. For fans who are used to the big spending, this penny pinching is leaving them uneasy.

For sure, the Mets have gotten Devin Williams as a backup for Diaz, and given that Steve Cohen mentioned that much of the offseason is still left, the roster still has potential for being salvaged.

New York radio host Joe Benigno gave out his two cents on what he thinks now is the Mets’ only path to winning. For him, the Mets’ success is entirely hinging on the young pitchers. And there seems to be no plan that they would even go on to spend big on starting pitching. Instead, the rotation will depend on McLean, Tong paired with Clay Holmes and either Sean Manaea or David Peterson.

Beningno said, “Because I think the master plan for the so-called little geniuses, and I really believe this, is that he’s not going to spend any money on starting pitching.” And honestly, this track has given the most notable spend has been Devin Williams $51 million deal!

Beningno also explained that the front office’s philosophy is short-term contracts over long-term contracts. Two years, interchangeable veterans, and flexibility are what the Mets seem to be going for now. And as for the long-term commitments, those are reserved for more generational talents like Juan Soto.

Hence, it’s not difficult to understand why they didn’t go after Pete Alonso. But if this new strategy doesn’t work for the Mets, fingers will be pointed at David Stearns for sure. Because he is operating the team like a small-market one. And as far as Cohen goes, while his wealth is real, his investments might be going elsewhere only.

Where is Steve Cohen’s money going? 

Steve Cohen is about to make a huge splash in New York. The hedge fund billionaire who is the owner of the New York Mets and even runs the $42 billion Point72 fund won the approval to build the city’s first full-scale casinos. And this is huge. His metropolitan park project that is right next to Citi Field is, anyway, set to open in 2030.

That project will include a hotel, a live events venue, a food hall, and, of course, gambling. For Cohen, outside of baseball, this $8 billion complex is his biggest investment. He is projecting $3.2 billion in revenue in the first year, out of which $1.5 billion is coming from the slot machines.

Cohen pitched the project as a way to rev up the area around Citi Field and create thousands of jobs for the people around. But not everyone is sold on it, including the local activists. They worry about the addiction and money simply leaving the community.

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But Cohen has been planning this project shortly after buying the Mets in 2020 for $2.4 billion, so this is a huge achievement for him. Even though it’s hard to imagine the Mets fans thrilled with any of this news, especially when the owner is not willing to spend on even the franchise cornerstones.