Reese Kaplan -- The End of the Wilpons Vs. Steve Cohen

Before you know it Opening Day will be here and it often makes sense to put one's enthusiasm temporarily on the back burner and look behind at seasons in the recent past to see how much improved, if any, the current squad is expected to be in the season yet to begin. No one knows for sure how any individual will do, but using past history and contracts (new and pending) as indicators, you can make some educated guesses.

For purposes of today's exercise, let's look only at the final year of the Wilpon regime and then compare it to these first few years of the Steve Cohen campaign as owner and at least temporarily King of New York.

2020

The Opening Day lineup for the 2020 season was on long delay due to the international COVID outbreak that derailed many business from what was their normal way of doing things. The actual commencement of the 2020 season waited until late July after a July 1st beginning to what was previously known as Spring Training. On July 24th the team that took the field for the Mets included three familiar names but then it was filled with a lot of now former Mets:

• Brandon Nimmo CF
• Jeff McNeil 3B
• Pete Alonso 1B
• Michael Conforto RF
• Yoenis Cespedes DH
• Robinson Cano 2B
• J.D. Davis LF
• Wilson Ramos C
• Amed Rosario SS

As expected, Jacob deGrom started the game on the mound.

This season was very much hard to grasp given the late start and 162 game normal duration reduced to just 60 games. It was not surprising that the Mets did not do well, finishing with a losing record of 26-34 and were awarded last place when the Washington Nationals finished with an identical record but bested the Mets in their head-to-head contests. The leaving not with a bang but a whimper was a good final denouement for the Wilpon mismanagement.

2021

For Steve Cohen's first season in command he was not initially making the wholesale changes that would follow. He allowed Luis Rojas to serve his sophomore season as manager despite his losing record for 2020 as the last minute substitute for the hired and then fired Carlos Beltran. The season did not progress particularly well, with the team once again finishing with a losing record across the full 162 game schedule of 77-85. 

There was a front office issue with the chosen and then replacement GMs having issues that had nothing to do with baseball terminating their careers. Lots of players were brought into New York, but the most conspicuous one was the trade of Amed Rosario, Andres Gimenez, Josh Wolf and Isaiah Greene to Cleveland for shortstop Francisco Lindor and starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco.

While newcomers Aaron Loup and Taijuan Walker contributed quite well from the mound, most of the other roster changes and additions were at best neutral (Trevor May and James McCann) and often negative in their outcomes.

The Opening Day lineup included:

• Kevin Pillar CF
• Francisco Lindor SS
• Michael Conforto RF
• Pete Alonso 1B
• J.D. Davis 3B
• Robinson Cano 2B
• Jeff McNeil LF
• James McCann C
• Brandon Nimmo LF

Starting pitcher was once again Jacob deGrom. This season looked on paper as if they would finish better than they did, but people like Pillar, Conforto, Davis, McCann and (surprisingly) McNeil did not perform up to expectations.

2022

It was in this season that Steve Cohen started flexing his ownership muscles quite a bit more. First came the front office with former Angels' GM Billy Eppler brought in to head up the Mets in that role. He was followed quickly by bringing in the eventual Manager of the Year for 2022, Buck Showalter.

On the roster, several changes were made. All Star Starling Marte who made his career playing center field was brought to the Mets to play right replacing Michael Conforto. Eduardo Escobar was brought here on a rather modest contract to take over at 3B. Mark Canha was a bit of an unknown in the NL East but he performed fairly well though perhaps a tad below his salary level. 

 No one knew what to expect nor where to play Jeff McNeil who began in the outfield, but finished the season by winning the batting title compared to all major leaguers. Robinson Cano was shown an expensive exit door after failing to perform and Jeff McNeil retook his usual spot at second base.

On the pitching side Max Scherzer was brought to the Mets to complement the already solid rotation (when healthy). He performed like the future Hall of Famer he's been. There were substitutes in a great many games at starting pitcher due to various injuries, but the club did wind up winning 101 games but lost the wildcard playoff game.

Here is the starting lineup:

• Starling Marte RF
• J.D. Davis DH
• Francisco Lindor SS
• Pete Alonso 1B
• Eduardo Escobar 3B
• Robinson Cano 2B
• Mark Canha CF
• Jeff McNeil LF
• James McCann C

In place of Jacob deGrom who was injured the Mets sent little known Tylor Megill to lead them on Opening Day. He gave them five brilliant innings, walking no one, giving up just three hits and striking out six.

2023

So far the Mets don't know who will be in the lineup nor which order will be used, but a reasonable assumption would be something like:

• Brandon Nimmo CF
• Jeff McNeil 2B
• Francisco Lindor SS
• Pete Alonso 1B
• Starling Marte RF
• Daniel Vogelbach DH
• Mark Canha LF
• Eduardo Escobar 3B
• Omar Narvaez C

This year it won't be injuries keeping Jacob deGrom off the mound for the Mets as he exercised his free agency and took a deal offered by the Rangers. Instead flip a coin between returning veteran multiple Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer or newcomer multiple Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander.  Following them will be free agent acquisitions Kodai Senga and Jose Quintana as well as returning Carlos Carrasco.

In the bullpen they brought back Edwin Diaz and Adam Ottavino while adding David Robertson and Brooks Raley to replace some of the outgoing relief pitchers.

Underperformer James McCann has been traded away. Seth Lugo, Trevor May, Joely Rodriguez, Trevor Williams and others have found new employers.

About the only criticisms still being levied against the front office are not improving the DH production and not finding another left handed veteran relief pitcher. Still, the overall assessment by most in the media is that the Mets are certainly looked at as a front runner to go all the way.