Inside The Mets

Steve Cohen breaks silence on Mets offseason amid fan backlash

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen spoke out after his team's brutal two-day stretch.
Aug 14, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets owner Steve Cohen stands on the field before a ceremony to honor first baseman Pete Alonso (not pictured) for breaking the Mets all time home run record before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Aug 14, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets owner Steve Cohen stands on the field before a ceremony to honor first baseman Pete Alonso (not pictured) for breaking the Mets all time home run record before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Mets have not had the offseason they were hoping for to this point. While there's still plenty of time to turn things around for the better, this team's loyal fan base was hoping that a trade for Marcus Semien last month would be the start of a spree that ended up with a roster that was sure to not only be competitive in the NL East but also competitive to win a World Series.

While these fans generally weren't happy about saying goodbye to the beloved Brandon Nimmo for that trade of Semien to occur, they understood that Nimmo's departure might have been necessary to improve the defense. Plus, it opened up room for New York to sign an elite outfielder like Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger.

Read more: Mets' Pete Alonso contract talks mirror free agency decision that backfired

However, while the Mets did sign standout reliever Devin Williams, reports are coming out that the Mets haven't given any clear indication they're courting Tucker or Bellinger, at least to the degree that other teams are right now. But that's an afterthought right now, given that Edwin Diaz and Pete Alonso have both signed with other teams in the past two days.

New York Mets first base Pete Alonso (20) reacts after striking out on October 6, 2025
Oct 6, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets first base Pete Alonso (20) reacts after striking our in the third inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during game two of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Sports media personality Stephen A. Smith called Mets owner Steve Cohen out during a December 9 rant on The Stephen A. Smith Show after Diaz signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, saying, Steve Cohen, if you're listening, my man: You're the richest owner in Major League Baseball. You're worth over $23 billion, and you're $3 million apart with Edwin Diaz compared to his offer from the Dodgers? And you can't come up from $66 to $69 million? You serious? You serious right now? You're worth $23 billion! $23 billion! And you missed the playoffs!"

Steve Cohen Sends Message to Mets Fans After Major Offseason Departures

Stephen A. Smith isn't alone, as he's speaking on behalf on just about every Mets fan right now.

And it seems that Steve Cohen has heard the backlash about his team's offseason, as he was quoted as sending a message about all that has happened in a December 10 article from Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

“I totally understand the fans’ reaction. There is lots of offseason left to put a playoff team on the field," Cohen said in the article, which was included in an X post from SNY.

Of course, Cohen isn't in charge of constructing the Mets' roster. That would be David Stearns' job. But there's no question Cohen is voicing his own opinion behind the scenes right now.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

Recommended Articles


Published
Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Mets and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.