Despite pushing his team's payroll right near the fourth-tier luxury tax mark of $290 million, New York Mets owner Steve Cohen is still looking to improve his club ahead of the August 2 trade deadline later this summer.
“I’m not ruling out anything,” Cohen told Jon Heyman of The New York Post at MLB owners meetings in New York this week. “It would be dumb to rule anything out. You always have to keep your optionality.”
The Mets' current luxury tax payroll is sitting at $288 million, and based off Cohen's comments, New York appears destined to surpass $290 million at the deadline. If they do so, they will have to pay an 80 percent tax penalty, better known as the "Cohen Tax" named after the Mets' billionaire owner. But that doesn't seem to bother Cohen.
Among the areas, in which the Mets could use potential upgrades are on offense and in the bullpen.
Although the Mets' offense entered play on Wednesday night leading baseball with a .265 batting average, .335 on-base percentage and 305 RBIs, they have only hit 59 home runs as a unit. They have also struggled against lefties at times. A right-handed power bat, who could serve as a designated hitter, looks like an ideal fit to complement first baseman Pete Alonso, who leads the National League with 18 homers.
Josh Bell, Trey Mancini and C.J. Cron could be potential targets as DH options, given their teams are likely to be sellers next month. According to Heyman, Cubs catcher Willson Contreras is another possibility, but is expected to cost a lot in prospect capital to acquire.
As for bullpen help, the Mets could explore trades for a high-leverage reliever such as David Bednar, David Robertson or Michael Fulmer, among others.
Cohen's latest comments about the Mets’ all-ears deadline strategy only re-confirms what he said at Dodger Stadium at the beginning of the Mets' 10-game road trip on the west coast earlier this month.
"We've added a lot. I know we're making progress," Cohen said in front of the visiting dugout at Dodger Stadium on June 3, "but I will never feel satisfied. That's not who I am. I'm always trying to figure out where else we can go next. I'm always in a state of constant improvement. And that's the way I want this organization to run."
The Mets lead the NL with a 41-22 record, and it sounds like they’re going to be aggressive ahead of the trade deadline in order to put their club over the top.
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