The MLB lockout is now over three months old. And even now the owners and players have not agreed to the new collective bargaining agreement. Earlier, the owners’ only headache was how to get the best CBA deal from the players’ union. But now, they have another big problem in the name of New York Mets’ new owner, Steve Cohen.
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Notably, the New York Mets have been one of the most unorganized and unsuccessful teams of MLB in the past few years. But ever since Steve Cohen has bought the team, they have become a tension for other teams.
Even reports also suggest that a few MLB owners used the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers as examples of outspending.
Are the other MLB owners afraid of New York Mets’ owner Steve Cohen?
Notably, the Players’ Union is still clear on its stand regarding the hike in CBT (competitive balance tax), and this is probably the main roadblock for the new CBA. Players are asking for $238 million CBT, instead of the current $210 million, while the owners are not ready to go over $228 million.
Steve Cohen, that rare rich guy who isn’t worrying about or working against new taxes #mets https://t.co/OBbmeFzxka
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 9, 2022
Apart from $238 CBT, players are also demanding to increase the CBT every year until the deal expires in 2026. With this, every MLB owner is worried, except Steve Cohen of New York Mets.
According to a report from SI.com, Steve Cohen is worth over $15 billion, and he won’t hesitate to spend $238 on CBT. Not only this, but the other MLB owners are also in tension because of his outspending nature. Notably, before the lockout, the Mets spent a lot of money on signing Max Scherzer, Starling Marte, and a few other players. And once the season starts, the Mets are likely to add a few more players to their roster.
Why other teams are "afraid" of Steve Cohen and the Metshttps://t.co/RDdOiW7vk2
— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) March 8, 2022
As of now, the Mets luxury tax payroll is around $271 million, and before the start of the regular season, it might cross the $300 million payroll mark.
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Not to forget, the Mets also hired Buck Showalter as their new manager before the lockout. It’ll be interesting to see how far they will go after spending so much in this season alone.
