We got a state of the union this morning from Steve Cohen and a couple pieces of audio I will play for you. First and foremost on his feeling on the 2026 Mets as they begin spring training.
You know, I feel like there's a different energy here this year than last year. I don't know what it is. It just feels really optimistic. A lot of new faces and so I'm kind of, you know, I'm really excited by this team. I'm excited by the energy I see and we'll see what happens.
Why would there be more energy this year than last year when last year they were coming off not only a trip to the NLCS but the addition of Juan Soto? I find that odd.
Well, it's a new nucleus.
No, no, I totally get that. And a lot of new faces coming in to meet each other.
It's a new team. No doubt you could argue.
I can see that a little bit.
Well, you're coming off like the year a year ago he's referring to was a year in which I thought coming into the year there was as much optimism as maybe we had in a long time as a Met fan. When you combine the success of the previous season and then the addition of Soto and keeping Pete Alonso. I'm surprised that that's the vibe he gets. I'm not saying it's wrong. I have no idea. I'm just telling you like let me bring it into this place. We, I thought we were all doing well. All our shows are doing well and we started a new lineup January 1st, right? The whole newsroom felt like it changed. Everything changed.
You didn't feel like and it doesn't mean the other was a bad situation. Like there was a new energy on January 1st when we walked in this building.
There was definitely a new energy.
Well, I think that's all he's saying. Things have changed up.
I don't know if it was new energy. I mean, it felt different. There's less people here for sure.
Well, that's a new energy.
There's less people and Tiki and I were excited. We could go home at a reasonable time.
That's right.
I think it pretty much stops there.
That's new energy.
Okay.
All right. Now Steve Cohen, we all feel this is as fans, you know, obviously me with the Mets, of course, too. The lack of winning a World Series. Is Steve Cohen as bothered by it as Met fans are? Let us know.
I'm annoyed. I'm absolutely annoyed. You know, every year that goes by, I get frustrated and I'm really listen, I'm really committed to this team and I know how much the fans care. I know we're celebrating the 40th anniversary of 1986 and that's just too long. And there's a lot of great teams out there. No matter what you do, it doesn't mean you're necessarily going to win the World Series. But I just want to put myself in position every year in the playoffs where we have a good a chance with a really good team.
Well said. I can't argue with a damn thing he said. The goal is obviously to win a World Series, but at the bare minimum, if you're a playoff team every year, like the Yankees have been, even though they haven't won anything since 2009, you give yourself a real chance. And I actually believe his frustration. I don't think it's one of those fake owner frustrations. He wants to win. And it's been a challenge. And his ownership in terms of wins and losses has been a very mixed bag.
Right.
Okay.
You.
We lost Pete Alonso. We lost Edwin Diaz, which was the talking point this weekend. How does it feel losing all these long tenured players, Mr. Cohen?
And you develop these relationships and I felt what the fans felt, right? I mean, and the worst part was these players left and yet we hadn't signed or figured out who was going to fill those positions. And I describe it as even I was feeling anxiety, right? Like how are we going to get there? And but David kept cautioning me and telling me that you know stay patient where you know that it's a long off season. I think you know the off season doesn't end December. It ends you know even past you know today right I mean potentially right for teams and we stayed patient and disciplined and I feel really good about what we accomplished.
Here's the only thing I don't want to hear. Don't tell me you feel what fans feel because unlike us, we had no power in this.
Yeah.
You could have resigned Pete Alonso.
You could have been more aggressive in keeping.
But didn't they likely make an organizational decision?
Yes.
And so they move past it quickly.
Yeah.
And so I think he maybe they went through that process that the fan went through the month and a half ago. They went through it four months ago.
Oh, I got you. He still had the power to change the decisions that he's saying he understands how fans feel. I mean, you really don't. And right now with Steve Cohen, who I think is overall, if I'm grading his ownership here, I think he's been a wonderful owner. He's certainly invested in the team, which I appreciate. But here are the facts that no one can dispute. Even if you want to argue with me about it, under his watch, Jacob deGrom walked out that door. Under his watch, Pete Alonso walked out that door. That's a lot. Yeah. For a five-year sample size in which Edwin Diaz has too. I wasn't even going to include him, but fine.
They walked out the door. Now, you can sit here and argue with me and say, 'Here's why it was the right decision.' Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Look, it was the right decision to let Darryl Strawberry go. No one admits it. No one sits here and says to Joe, 'Yeah, you complain about it, but wasn't it the right decision? Look what ended up happening.'
It still happened under his watch. So, when you tell me I feel your pain, no, you don't.
So, not mad at him. I think feel your pain is something that you just say to make you feel empathetic towards the fan. He doesn't really mean it. He's just saying I hear you.
I hear what you're saying. Not I feel your pain cuz he doesn't.
He just he's listening to you.
Okay, we have two more left to play here. The next one is about, you know, is there a floor to your expectations on the 2026 New York Mets?
You talk about how badly you want to win. Obviously, only one team can win every year. Given that context, I mean, what would a successful season look like to you? What does this team have to achieve for it to be considered a success?
Yeah, listen, I think, you know, I think table stakes is making the playoffs. Got to make the playoffs, right? I mean, I missed the playoffs last year. Missing two years in a row, that's not good. And then obviously you want to go deep and yeah, I can't you can't you know, these are short series. You can't control what goes on in these short series. Anything can happen. But I think the idea is keep putting yourself in that position, you know, year in year out, which we haven't done, right? It's been off and on. And so, we got to do better. And, you know, those are the goals that I'm seeking.
He's spot on. He's spot on. And this is where I know Yankee fans get very upset with Brian Cashman when he says, 'Hey, you know, it's luck. You get to the playoffs, it's a crapshoot.' Steve Cohen is also saying that, but he's also acknowledging, 'We're not even in the crapshoot every year.' And that needs to change. You have to It's like to win the New York State Lottery, you have to buy a lottery ticket. The Mets every other year don't even buy a lottery ticket. You got to be in the tournament to have a shot. And so I agree with his assessment. The bare minimum expectation is being a playoff team. That's what they have to do.
Powerhouse New York Mets.
And if they don't, it's a massive disappointment. Was that Bush?
Let me play that again. Let's see who that was.
The powerhouse New York Mets.
Come on. Bush. Who was that? The powerhouse New York Mets.
It's President's Day.
The Powerhouse New York Mets.
Oh, that's Reagan.
There you go.
The Powerhouse New York Mets.
Wait, wait, I know this voice. I can't place it. Yeah. There you go. That's Ronald Reagan, ladies and gentlemen.
Nice.
Okay. Now, last but not least, you ready? 40 years ago, by the way.
He was president, Sean.
I got it. He was an actor, too.
Yeah. How many terms?
Reagan was only a one-term president.
Oh my god.
Oh my god.
I had a 50-50 shot.
A 50. You think he was a one-term president?
Dude, I What do you want me to tell you? Like I.
He was a TWO-TERM PRESIDENT.
SO, I guessed wrong. I could tell you the anatomy of a chicken cutlet. You come to me for that.
I'm trying to think. There hasn't been a one-term president other than Bush.
Yeah.
I mean, how do you count Trump? It's one term.
Yeah. Now, you're right. I just the separate terms is like the way I think of Grover Cleveland. I don't know. It's like two separate one terms, but you're right. I'm not going to argue it.
Then Joe Biden.
Joe Biden. Very good.
Oh, it's a good point.
That's true. How'd you forget Joe Biden?
I don't know.
You know why you forgot? Because he's forgettable.
Because he chose not to run.
That's why you forgot about him. It's like there's a distinction on this President's Day at the.
Right because well, he knew he couldn't win, but whatever.
Right. Right.
At the end of the day, he didn't run. Whether it's for whatever reason, there's a distinction between the guy who's a one-term president and lost, right?
And the guy who's a one-term president and said, 'Nah, I'm good.'
There is. I'm telling you.
Is there? Yes, there is.
Okay.
Not in history. Just in your memory right now.
Yeah. Well, the history goes back so far. I don't think you remember a lot of this stuff.
Oh, clearly.
Cuz we've had a run of two-term presidents. It's kind of crazy.
But when you think of Jimmy Carter, unfortunately, you say he's a loser. He lost to Reagan, right?
I mean, it sucks, but that's who he lost to.
The peanut farmer lost to the actor.
Wow.
Okay. Go ahead.
Where were we?
Last clip.
Last clip. All right. I guess speaking of presidents, on this President's Day, the president of a team could be the captain. What? Steve Cohen, we expected that Lindor announcement. Where's our Mets team captain?
Any movement to name a team captain or is that something you don't think is necessary?
As long as I'm owning the team, there will never be a team captain.
Okay. That was my decision. My view is the locker room is unique. You know, and let the locker room sort it out year in year out. And so.
So you're not saying that there'll never be one, but.
No, they'll never be a captain.
They'll never be a captain.
