Steve Cohen

New Mets owner Steve Cohen already taking pages out of Islanders’ owners playbook

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Steve Cohen has owned the New York Mets for more than a week now, and in that time he’s done exactly what a new owner of a professional sports franchise should do: Listen.

He’s listened to the fans, their suggestions and complaints. He’s listened to Sandy Alderson, who he brought back to the organization and was the reason for the success the team had a few years ago. And he’s listened to what will make the Mets feel like a franchise that the fans and players should be proud of.

In doing all that, Cohen has thus taken a page out of the book from another New York-based franchise’ stewards — Scott Malkin and Jon Ledecky — who not too long ago had the same goal of leading that woe-be-gone franchise out of the abyss.

When the New York Islanders were in major need of an organization overhaul after the 2017-18 season, a year where the season fell apart after December and the end result was second consecutive year without a postseason appearance, it was Malkin and Ledecky who had finally seen enough. They took it upon themselves to right the ship and bring some much-needed credibility back to the franchise.

And it started at the top.

Out went the old regime with Garth Snow and Doug Weight, in came Lou Lamoriello and Barry Trotz. With that duo at the helm, the Islanders outlook immediately changed, even  with the departure of former captain John Tavares shortly after those changes were made. Two years later, the twosome has helped transform the Isles into one of the top teams in the NHL and a place where players want to play.

All of that was a result of ownership going for the cream of the crop and letting those masters of their class do their jobs while they stood quietly in the background.

Cohen showed he’s already had that thinking.

Immediately after taking full control last Friday, the hedge-fund billionaire had Alderson clean house and rid the franchise of the brain trust the last two years who failed to build a winning team, traded top prospects for retreads, and failed to make the postseason. This shortened season in the summer was considered an even larger failure with the extended playoff format.

But it’s not just on the field product where Cohen wants changes, he wants the image of the entire franchise to change. He’s mirrored Malkin and Ledecky in that aspect as well.

Ledecky is not on social media (there’s been rumors of a burner account), but he’s been extremely forthcoming about talking to as many fans as possible when he would walk the concourses at Nassau Coliseum/Barclays Center during home games. Those conversations have helped put the off-ice dynamic of the Islanders in a whole new light. The proof is already there and will show even more when the team’s new home UBS Arena opens next fall.

Cohen has taken the same route re-establishing his Twitter presence and answered Mets’ fans questions on how to make their experience as fans better was the perfect step to introduce himself and show how committed he is.

Cohen is set to be formally introduced this morning as the team’s new owner but things are changing at 41 Seaver Way just as they did once at 1255 Hempstead Turnpike.

We might not see the full scope of those changes for a few months when spring training begins.

Even so, Cohen has already taken huge steps in the right direction with getting the Mets to the place they should be by using the Islanders’ playbook.

New York Mets to introduce Steve Cohen and Sandy Alderson on Tuesday

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New York Mets fans: today, at 12:30 p.m. ET, you will get to know your new owner. Steve Cohen, the hedge fund personality that acquired the team from Sterling Equities in a deal that surpassed the $2.4 billion, will have his first encounter with the media on Tuesday.

Cohen, a lifelong fan of the New York Mets, had to overcome several hurdles since last year, as he attempted to buy the team on multiple occasions from the Wilpon and Katz families. In the latest round of negotiations, he had to beat several other interested groups and parties, including the Alex Rodriguez – Jennifer Lopez association.

But it was all worth it. Cohen, who is now on Twitter, wants to take the Mets into a new era of greatness. He has big pockets (he will be MLB’s wealthiest owner, and that’s saying something) but that doesn’t mean he will be spending irresponsibly. To the contrary, he’s said to want to develop a culture of sustainability, with top-notch player development and analytics departments, a la Los Angeles Dodgers.

To help him achieve that, he brought Sandy Alderson, a well-respected executive with years of experience making baseball decisions on the Mets (he was the general manager between 2010 and 2018.) He will now be the team president.

The Mets’ president will be there too

Alderson will also be present at Cohen’s introductory press conference today. Together, they are expected to address the Mets’ search of a president of baseball operations and a general manager.

Some candidates to fill both roles are Bobby Heck (currently the Tampa Bay Rays special assistant) Rays GM Erik Neander, Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff, with a track record of success with the Cleveland Indians; the Oakland Athletics’ assistant GM Billy Owens, Diamondbacks assistant GM Amiel Sawdaye, Royals assistant GM Scott Sharp and J.P. Ricciardi, who has twice worked Alderson.

The press conference will be virtual, and according to MLB.com, it will air live on Mets.com as well as the Mets’ Twitter, Facebook and YouTube channels.

Of course, the Mets’ strategy for the free agency (and trade market) are also expected to be addressed in some form.

It’s official: Steve Cohen is the owner of the New York Mets!

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Simeon Woods-Richardson

The New York Mets, after several months of negotiations, rumors, broken deals, and a little controversy are finally ready to start a new chapter. Steve Cohen announced via Twitter that the sale of the team has been finalized.

“It’s official, we are closed.” Short, but concise. With that message, published on his Twitter account @stevenacohen2, the new owner of the New York Mets is now ready to take control of the team and start planning ahead to the 2021 season and beyond. He will have former Mets’ general manager Sandy Alderson as his president and right hand.

Cohen acquired the Mets from the Wilpon and Katz families for a little over $2.4 billion. He had previously tried to buy the club but had a deal fell through several months ago. He re-entered negotiations and had to outbid other groups and interested parties, including Alex Rodriguez and his fiancée Jennifer Lopez.

Cohen is reportedly acquiring 95 percent of the Mets. His wife Alex will have a minority share.

The Mets can go ahead and plan

Now, Cohen can go ahead and begin planning the roster for next season. The Mets have several areas to address, most notably pitching, if they want to return to the postseason and be relevant.

Behind Jacob deGrom, the starting pitching depth is lacking, as Marcus Stroman, Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha are all hitting free agency. The bullpen also needs to be addressed, and the team doesn’t have a starting catcher.

A news conference is expected within the next few days, although it will probably be next week. It is unclear if the Mets will retain general manager Brodie van Wagenen and skipper Luis Rojas.

There is enthusiasm within the Mets’ fanbase. A new era is about to begin, one that will have the richest owner in baseball, one that is also a lifelong fan of the team.

New York Mets’ sale could be finalized as soon as Friday

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New York Mets

Steve Cohen, who will be the New York Mets‘ owner after acquiring the franchise from the Wilpon and Katz families for a sum over $2.4 billion, has cleared most of the hurdles that separate him from actually gaining control over the team.

However, the sale isn’t yet official. Some things need to be completed before he, and his right hand Sandy Alderson, can start planning the 2021 season with no restrictions.

Thankfully for New York Mets’ fans, the sale process is about to be finalized and the closing is expected to come either this week or early next week. SNY’s Andy Martino is reporting that it could be as soon as Friday.

Last week, MLB owners approved the Mets’ sale to Cohen. The new owner needed 23 out of 30 votes, and he got 26, more than enough to move on. Per reports, Jerry Reinsdorf of the Chicago White Sox, Arte Moreno of the Los Angeles Angels, Bob Castellini of the Cincinnati Reds, and Ken Kendrick of the Arizona Diamondbacks were the ones that opposed to Cohen taking the reigns.

What is next for the Mets?

When the closing occurs, ownership of the Mets will change hands and Alderson will become team president, as previously stated by Cohen.

Shortly after taking control of the Mets, Cohen and Alderson should decide who will be in charge of baseball operations. Brodie Van Wagenen is currently the general manager, but it is unclear if he is wanted back in Queens.

A news conference by Cohen and Alderson is expected early next week. After that, other tough decisions will come, most notably whether to retain or let go manager Luis Rojas.

The news conference will also provide more details about how the Mets will handle free agency. There are three top players that they could pursue: pitcher Trevor Bauer, catcher J.T. Realmuto, and center fielder George Springer.

New York Mets: Steve Cohen is on Twitter and already interacting with fans

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New York Mets

Steve Cohen is, apparently, a man of the people. Now proclaimed as the New York Mets‘ owner following nearly a year of rumors and negotiations, the hedge fund billionaire wants to know what is on Mets’ fans minds, as he opened a Twitter account to interact with them.

Cohen’s wife confirmed over the weekend that the next Mets’ owner is on Twitter. We say “next” because paperwork still needs to be completed, but it is essentially a formality. The owners have already given the green light for Cohen to take over this offseason.

The new boss is now on the microblogging platform asking Mets fans what they want to see new ownership do about their experience with the team and Citi Field, according to SNY. “I would love to hear your ideas to make YOUR Mets experience better,” one of the messages said. That is music to fans’ ears.

Cohen said that the transaction should be done in the next 10 days, “and then it’s off and running.” If you don’t believe the account is legitimate, well, ask his wife Alex.

“I can confirm that my husbands Twitter account is in fact Stevenacohen2 – we are working on making it verified,” she wrote on her account.

The Mets are already working

The team has already gotten back to work with a series of roster decisions, although those are presumably still on the Wilpons. Chances are that Cohen has had a say in those, however.

For now, the New York Mets extended a $18.9 million qualifying offer to free agent starting pitcher Marcus Stroman. If he declines it, the Mets will get a draft pick after the first round as compensation.

The Mets also declined to pick up the club options they held on catchers Wilson Ramos and Robinson Chirinos, and infielder Todd Frazier. They claimed pitchers Jacob Barnes and Nick Tropeano from waivers, and saw Dellin Betances and Brad Brach exercise their own player options.

New York Mets: Steve Cohen Now Owns The Franchise

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New Yor k Mets, Dominic Smith

After months and months of New York Mets fans begging for our misery to end, it has finally happened. Steve Cohen is now the owner of the franchise and is officially the richest owner in the sport. Major League Baseball’s owner approved the deal around 1:45 p.m. on Friday, and shortly after, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the city approves as well.

With Steve Cohen as the franchise owner, the Mets enter a future they have never been in before. They are no longer playing as a “small market” team. Cohen’s Mets are the big fish in a current market where no one is looking to spend. The Mets will be in on every free agent, and no price will be too step for them.

Political Game

Of course, de Blasio had to get some money out of Cohen so he can try to look good. Cohen plans to donate $17.5 million to small businesses in the city and “dramatically increase the giving of the Mets Foundation in the coming years.” He will also return Mets workers to their salaries before the pandemic.

Cohen is a longtime Mets fan who is partnering with Sandy Alderson to bring the franchise back to glory. The big questions that lie ahead come with the future of Brodie Van Wagenen, Luis Rojas, and who is the first big free agent the Mets will bring in.

Buckle up because it is going to be an exciting and wild offseason for the Mets.

New York Mets: Good Morning, It is Steve Cohen Day

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New York Mets

The day New York Mets fans have longed for is finally here. At 1:30 p.m. ET, Major League Baseball’s owners will vote whether to approve or deny Steve Cohen’s bid to purchase the Wilpon/Katz group’s franchise. There has been plenty of noise in the last week, but everything is scheduled to go as planned for Cohen.

As reported, Cohen is expected to receive the votes needed for approval. It should come in the 27-29 “yes” range, with White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf as the only confirmed no. Of course, Reinsdorf has close ties with Alex Rodriguez but will not convince enough owners to vote against Cohen. Reinsdorf cannot even keep the people in his organization happy (hiring Tony LaRussa), so working in collusion with other current owners is a major long shot.

Of course, Mayor Bill de Blasio had to throw his name in the mix to block the sale, but there is nothing he can do. Once Cohen gets approval, he owns the team at the 95% stake he agreed to. de Blasio comes in because the land Citi Field sits on belongs to the city. Since Cohen has no crimes to his name, he likely is hoping the owners vote against Cohen to get A-Rod back in the mix as well.

Stay Calm, Do Not Panic

Mets fans have learned not to take anything for granted and assume nothing. Despite the worries, all key sources say Cohen will get ownership of the team, and de Blasio is all talk. The Mayor cannot afford to get under the skin of any more people in his city. The vote should go as smoothly as planned since MLB desperately needs an owner who can spend plenty of money like Cohen.

As we inch closer to finding out the news on approval, there is nothing to do but check Twitter constantly and watch the hours tick away. Either way, we are in one of the most important days in the history of the New York Mets franchise, and Christmas might be coming early this year.

New York Mets: de Blasio’s Spokesperson Contradicts NY Post’s Report

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Simeon Woods-Richardson

On Wednesday night, the New York Post added some unneeded worry to New York Mets fans regarding Steve Cohen’s ownership future. The Post reported that Mayor Bill de Blasio told MLB commissioner Rob Manfred that he would do everything he can to kill the sale. The Mayor’s spoke person, Bill Neidhardt, came out shortly after the story broke and said no such story is true.

Neidhardt did not confirm what de Blasio said to Manfred, but it is a big story that he quickly falsified the story. In past stories, we have talked about the untrustworthy reporting of the NY Post and Andy Martino. Both of them were right in the middle of the story and proved how untrustworthy they are again.

Click Bait?

The article also had characteristics of one that just wanted views. Throughout the article, there are unsubstantiated sources, and it all leads to the final line in the article saying, “But he has no real standing, and Cohen will sue him. And Cohen will win.” It was another example of poor journalism from the Post.

Since the news broke about the de Blasio hurdle, it was clear that he had no legal standing to block the deal. It became a story that is likely due to the political game where de Blasio is trying to get extra incentives from Cohen. The Mayor would lose every single lawsuit if he halted the deal without any criminal charges. de Blasio’s dying political career would officially come to an end if he ended the Cohen deal as well. Not to mention, it is another example of Alex Rodriguez’s cronies doing his dirty work for him.

Mets fans, try to hold off the stress. The owner’s vote is coming on Friday; Cohen will be approved and will get the team. Follow Laura Goldman and Joe Pantorno on Twitter for the best coverage, and whatever you do, do not trust the Post or Martino.

New York Mets: Cohen Has Votes in Place For Ownership Approval

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New York Mets

Steve Cohen’s quest to own the New York Mets is reaching the finish line. The 14 billion dollar man should receive at least 23 of 29 votes from the owners to gain the franchise’s full ownership. Of course, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office is the final hurdle, but de Blasio does not see it from stopping Cohen from disposing of the Wilpon family.

There is also confirmation from inside sources working for the Mets. During an employee zoom call today, Jeff Wilpon said good-bye to everyone for good. Despite sources against Cohen making it seem like de Blasio will stop the sale, no such dream for them exists.

Vote, Vote, Vote

The only guaranteed vote against Cohen will come from Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf. He voted against Cohen in 2012 and this year as a member of the MLB ownership committee. Reinsdorf is a good friend of Alex Rodriguez and may bring 3-4 owners to vote against Cohen, but it will not be enough to stop the inevitable.

For those who dislike the way Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez handled their loss to Cohen, they get the last laugh too. If the couple was the group the owners voted on, they would not get the votes needed for approval. It is no surprise that A-Rod would get this treatment considering his controversial career and the number of enemies he created over 25+ years.

As the week begins, we are in the final turn of the final lap of this long, strenuous race to rid the Mets of the Wilpon family. If all moves as expected, the words “Steve Cohen owns the Mets” can be tweeted by the end of the week.

 

New York Mets Opinion: Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez Need To Quit

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As each day marches forward towards the end of the season, we get closer to the New York Mets being handed off to Steve Cohen. Unfortunately, Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez see that differently and attempt to brainwash people into thinking the same way. Despite it being a 99% chance for Cohen to own the team, they continue to hang on to the 1% of hope, and they are making a circus out of it.

The Wilpon’s personal reporter, Andy Martino, dropped a new report that Mayor Bill de Blasio could stop the sale. Martino’s reporting is the baseball world’s equivalent of Rudy Giuliani leaks to the NY Post. It is not just the de Blasio report that is continuing the Cohen slander. ESPN’s First Take made it a topic of discussion that Lopez should be the owner because she is a woman and minority.

Alex Rodriguez is employed by ESPN and has made plenty of friends with the higher-ups of the network. It became another play by Rodriguez to have this topic discussed on the channel’s most-watched show so it could become a trending topic on social media. Using the media and other people is exactly how this process has gone since Rodriguez lost the team.

Nothing But Talk

This is the “sore loser” game Rodriguez loves to play when his back is up against the wall, but it does not stop there. White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf is Rodriguez’s mentor and also joined A-Rod in his quest to stop Cohen. In 2013, the two coupled to work with Bud Selig to reduce Rodriguez’s record 211 game suspension. Reinsdorf and A-Rod were in cahoots again as the White Sox owner was the one person in the ownership committee who voted against Cohen’s bid on the ownership committee. Reinsdorf also successfully lobbied against Cohen’s run to buy the Dodgers in 2012, but no such miracle is in place to stop Cohen now.

Rodriguez continued his imaginary promises to Mets fans when he stated that he would raise the Mets payroll to $225 million if he became the team’s owner. The statement in itself is laughable, and it does not take a brilliant accountant to understand making that happen under A-Rod’s ownership would be impossible. The reason Cohen is getting the team is because of the enormous amount of money he brings to the table.

At the moment, Cohen would absorb the debt left by the Wilpons and still have plenty left over to continue to improve the franchise. On the other hand, Rodriguez’s net worth ($350 million) is equal to the amount the debt the Mets are in. The money would have to come from other investors instead of A-Rod himself.

Why Cohen Gets the Team

People outside the situation still do not understand who Steve Cohen really is. Whether people like him or not, there is no denying that he is a brilliant businessman. Cohen shows his strategic abilities to escape trouble by avoiding any financial criminal charges while making his fortune. His hedge fund was the focal point of a prior investigation. The advisors plead guilty, but Cohen got nothing despite being the heart of S.A.C. Capital.

A prime example of this “4D Chess” game that Cohen has mastered shows his decision to pay the Mets seasonal employees during the offseason. The $2,500 committed money to each of the 1,140 workers is a move Rodriguez cannot make. This was announced way before the de Blasio news broke, which is why paying the workers came first.

Should de Blasio halt the deal he is making a statement against Cohen, the workers, and the unions representing them. The mayor is disliked in his state by teachers and law enforcement unions due to prior mistakes. Should he want any future political career in NY or even the country he cannot afford more enemies.

Cohen also did the same by hiring Sandy Alderson to a key position in his front office. Alderson is widely respected throughout baseball and shows his commitment to bettering the franchise. This is a classic case of someone playing chess while the opponent is playing checkers. Cohen has everything to become the owner despite any distractions his opponent tries to put out. The final vote for Cohen could come as soon as the first week of November. Should this be an action movie, Cohen is standing over A-Rod while he tries to hang on to the ledge by his fingernails with Lopez dangling from his ankle.