In a recent interview with the New York Post’s Mike Puma, New York Mets owner Steve Cohen expressed his disappointment over the team’s failure to sign Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. However, he also emphasized his satisfaction with the organization’s efforts in pursuing the highly-touted player.
“I think the whole organization tried our hardest, and someone was going to win and someone was going to lose and that is the way it goes,” Cohen said, during a vacation in the Caribbean. “I feel good about our efforts and I left it all on the field. Life goes on.”
Before the winter meetings, Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns traveled to Japan to meet Yamamoto. Additionally, Cohen hosted a dinner party at his home, where the pitcher had the opportunity to meet Mets manager Carlos Mendoza and pitching coach Jeremy Hefner.
According to a source, the Mets’ offer of 12 years and $ 325 million was one of the first received by Yamamoto’s camp which matched what the Dodgers ultimately offered the Japanese ace. Unfortunately, the Mets never got the opportunity to increase their bid sources also confirmed and were unlikely to significantly raise their offer due to the additional posting fee required to sign Yamamoto.
So what’s next with Yamamoto no longer an option for a Mets team who aren’t shy when it comes to opening up the checkbook?
Cohen emphasized that the Mets are not solely focused on making headlines in the coming week. Instead, they are committed to making moves that will contribute to the team’s sustainability in the long term. Likewise, the Mets have been linked to the next big names up such as Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery.
“We’re going to be thoughtful and not impulsive and thinking about sustainability over the intermediate long-term, but not focused on winning the headlines over the next week,” Cohen said. “I think there’s a couple of ways to build a team.”
In any sense, the hope is the Mets learned a lesson from last season when they had the highest payroll in baseball but finished fourth in the National League East.
