New York Mets owner Steve Cohen is willing to concede that the club's wild offseason - featuring a radical roster overhaul - may have been a little too much.
"I could argue (that) we might have taken too much risk, as far as when you think about all the changes that were made," Cohen told reporters in his first comments since the Mets' trade-deadline sell-off, according to SNY's Chelsea Janes. "Whenever there are significant changes, sometimes it takes a while to integrate. Those are the things I'm looking at and it's an example of where we can do better."
The Mets, one of baseball's most disappointing teams in 2026, were among the busiest clubs last winter, building what was expected to be a contender. Cohen green-lit the signings of Bo Bichette, Jorge Polanco, Luke Weaver, and Devin Williams, as well as trades for Luis Robert Jr., Marcus Semien, and Freddy Peralta. Meanwhile, New York parted ways with longtime Mets Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso.
The facelift did not work. Bichette and Polanco both shifted to positions that they hadn't played before - Bichette to third base, Polanco to first - and the results weren't encouraging. Bichette hasn't looked like his All-Star self offensively, while Peralta was traded to Tampa Bay at the deadline after struggling all year.
Both Robert and Polanco, who likely needs season-ending ankle surgery, struggled to stay healthy, while Semien and Williams have been inconsistent at best. An early-season injury to star shortstop Francisco Lindor also helped doom the Mets from the outset.
New York's woeful season and porous defense costed manager Carlos Mendoza his job in late June. Despite a slight improvement in the second half and the emergence of youngsters such as A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge, the team still owns the National League's third-worst record.
"I just think when you add new players, when you add a coaching staff, maybe adding players with an injury history - when you add risk upon risk upon risk ... it doesn't mean it had to turn out bad," Cohen said. "It just means you have dispersion of results and maybe the possibility of an undesirable result is more of a possibility because of the risk you've taken."
Cohen reiterated his confidence in president of baseball operations David Stearns, calling him "very adaptable" and noting that he "learns from his mistakes." Cohen said he's optimistic that the Mets can shake off this forgettable season based on what he's seen as of late, both on and off the field.
"This year wasn't great. And so, yes, it is a small sample, but underneath I think there's a lot of things to kind of be excited about," Cohen said. "The development of our young players is significant, and creates a nice foundation for next year."
He added: "We've had new players, and they've adjusted to New York, and you can imagine them feeling much more comfortable next year. I think there's a lot to look forward to here. I see the foundation of something that, I think, we can get behind."
