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When Fred Wilpon infamously stated in spring training 2004 that his team goal was for the Mets to play "meaningful games in September," it stuck to him and his ownership as a losing mantra.
So part of new owner Steve Cohen’s allure was not just the promise of the future, but the fumigation of the past. At his introductory press conference, Cohen stated it would be "slightly disappointing" if the Mets did not win a title in his first three to five years in charge — he mentioned wanting it "sooner" than that.
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Yet, in Year 1, Cohen is looking more and more like he will be fortunate to reach the Wilpon-ian mandate of September contention. After all, the Mets entered Saturday as many games out of first place in the loss column (six) as they were ahead of the fourth-place Nationals, who dealt a third of their roster at the trade deadline. That included the Dodgers obtaining Max Scherzer and Trea Turner from Washington.
Turner had one of the Dodgers’ three solo homers off Rich Hill. Scherzer delivered one-run ball over five innings. The Mets managed one hit in 16 at-bats with men on base — a Pete Alonso two-run homer in the seventh that drew them within 4-3. But that was the final score as Alonso struck out with the tying run on second to end the game. That made the Mets hitless in nine at-bats with runners in scoring position in this game and 9-for-70 (.129) in what is now a 1-8 stretch against the Giants and Dodgers.
Back to Cohen’s introductory press conference, at which he mentioned that if there were an organization he hoped to emulate, it would be the Dodgers. That the Mets have curled up in an 0-6 fetal position against those Dodgers so far is a reminder of the gap between here and there — and not just in 2021. For does anyone see Mets title roots in the next three to five years, on or off the field?
The Mets have been challenged, competence-wise, from the top of the organization to the smallest detail this year. Some of this can be associated with the learning curve and overreaching that comes with near every new ownership. Maybe some of it lingers from the ineptitude of the previous ownership. But blaming the Wilpons will become a tired game, if it isn’t already.
This administration has had no impact on stemming injuries and acting general manager Zack Scott was bemoaning the players’ responsibility in this area recently. Wouldn’t that also reflect that those in charge cannot win the hearts and minds of the clubhouse? How was it possible before Game 123 — as before so many games this year — that manager Luis Rojas was still bemoaning the positional group’s failed approach to fastballs?
The Mets these days are playing like a team that is going to end up with two top 15 draft picks in 2022, but one of those is because they so badly messed up this year’s draft. Perhaps that can be repaired by their president of baseball operations. Oh yeah, they botched that search too — the title remains open.
As worrisome as anything is that the play and health of their positional group raises concerns about just who will be the cornerstone of that near-term title team Cohen forecast. Did the Mets squander the best of Jacob deGrom, whose body kept betraying him this year after three-plus seasons as the best pitcher in the world? On truth serum, would the Mets’ leadership reverse the 10-year deal they gave Francisco Lindor — or perhaps not even acquire him? Same truth serum about giving up one of their best prospects for Javy Baez, whose good vibes with the Mets lasted as long as Mike Richards did as Jeopardy host.
Alonso and Brandon Nimmo (when healthy) have been good, but what to make of this season from Jeff McNeil and Dom Smith? Should one or the other be sent to Triple-A when Baez and Lindor return to see if they can fix themselves? Did the Mets invest $40 million for a backup catcher in James McCann? What should they do with the free agencies of Michael Conforto, Marcus Stroman and Noah Syndergaard?
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The Mets — from top to bottom — still have a quarter of a season to improve impressions, for now and tomorrow. Lindor and Baez are due off the injured list in the coming days, and the Mets sure need them to be a great two-way double-play combo in more than imaginations. Perhaps the whole team will finally handle fastballs better. Maybe deGrom and Syndergaard could still make it back next month to provide vital innings.
Next month? That would mean making it to September to play meaningful games. For now — as painful as that notion may seem to Mets loyalists — it is once more the organizational goal.
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