It's not a dream, Mets fans.
You're waking up on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019, knowing that there's a light at the end of the tunnel. And it's not the 7 train — it's Steve Cohen.
Years of questionable on-field decisions, off-field scandals and just generally bad baseball-ing seem to be coming to an end, as Cohen is reportedly angling himself to buy a majority stake of the team, effectively making him the boss of the boys from Flushing.
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But with any ownership change comes big questions, so here are a few to mull:
Who is Steve Cohen, really?
OK, so we know who Steve Cohen is. He's a billionaire hedge fund guy who bought a $24 million penthouse apartment overlooking Central Park in 2004. He's worth almost $14 billion. He bought an 8 percent minority stake in the team in 2012. He's a lifelong Mets fan. Hell, there's even a TV character modeled after him!
Cohen was also investigated by the SEC and FBI several times and was caught for insider trading, having to pay $1.8 billion in fines in 2012.
But who is he? It's equal parts existential and tangible.
Mets fans are (maybe irrationally) excited for the Wilpons to move on, given years of egg on their faces and public backlash over the Bernie Madoff scandal and questions about the team's commitment to winning. It's already tough playing second fiddle to the Yankees in New York, but with the team not having operated as a big-market squad — in New York City, no less — there's reasonable disappointment with the Mets' hesitance in free agency and apprehension with baseball moves in general.
But while a dude that's got more money than we'll ever see in a billion lifetimes is potentially taking over, let's pump the brakes. Going to an all-you-can-eat joint sounds great until you get to the restaurant and realize everything in the buffet is vegan. Hate to rain on your tofu, but just because Cohen is taking over doesn't mean the Mets' problems are solved, and the baseline of "well, he's not a Wilpon" is a low bar to clear. There are many questions as to what kind of owner he'll be.
The early feedback: "Ruthless." "Hates to lose." Sounds great.
While owning the Mets is a "boyhood dream" for the Long Island native, actions speak louder than words. Early reports say that Cohen isn't going to be afraid to spend, but it won't mean a thing if he takes the reins and nothing changes. Early reports also say that Cohen will continue to pursue his "first passion … investing."
Hopefully that means investing in the bullpen.
What does this mean for the Wilpons?
As always with the Mets, there's a certain cloud of uncertainty surrounding this whole ordeal.
While sunny skies may be ahead for NL New York baseball fans, there's a weird supposed five-year window for Fred and Jeff Wilpon right now as head honchos for the Mets. What does that mean, exactly?
With this five-year window, will Cohen amass more power daily? Is he going to be the guy the second the check clears? Are the Wilpons going keep their offices in Citi Field?
Early reports say that should the sale go through, Cohen will become boss after that five years. But if he's the owner now then what's stopping him from giving the Wilpons the boot? So many questions! It would probably behoove Cohen to completely shake up the Mets' front office, which had one of the smallest analytics departments in the league before 2019. There are some other inefficiencies, we'd bet.
Is this setting up for a "Godfather"-esque scene, where Cohen sits down with Fred Wilpon, looks him dead in the eye and says, "You're out, Fred," a la Michael Corleone to Tom Hagen? Given the amount of drama that's surrounded this Mets organization since the 2002 sale of the team to Fred Wilpon, it would only be fitting.
Hopefully no one goes fishing.
What does this mean for Brodie Van Wagenen?
Brodie Van Wagenen is in his second year of a somewhat confusing tenure with the Mets. Are they in or out? Are they trying to rebuild on the fly? It seems like BVW is trying hard to build a contender while keeping an eye on the future, kind of. It hasn't exactly worked out yet.
While you can question the methodology behind BVW's moves over the past year, if (that's a big "if") there's a plan in place for the roster, he should be allowed to see it through before Cohen brings in his own baseball guys.
But if Cohen makes like Uncle Phil, BVW could be out on his rear like Jazz. It's going to be interesting to see how and whether Van Wagenen survives this five-year window — or his own contract — before Cohen's rise to power.
What does this mean for SNY?
SNY, the Wilpon's real money maker, might not be changing hands in the sale, early reports say. The Wilpons will still maintain control of the network, but given the potential new owner's deep pockets, that might not be an issue.
The Mets still own 65 percent of SNY, and given owners' penchant for, well, making money, it would be surprising to see the Wilpons part ways with the network whether now or in the future. But if Cohen comes calling for more revenue, it'll be interesting to see whether this is in play.
