How the Mets' Culture Convinced Ryne Stanek to Return

The family culture has seemed to be the main factor for why free agents opted to take their talents to the New York Mets ever since Steve and Alex Cohen bought the team. As for newly re-signed reliever pitcher Ryne Stanek, it continues to be a common theme.

Speaking with reporters on Monday in Port St. Lucie, Florida, the veteran reliever explained that the clubhouse vibes from last year and the Mets' family-friendly treatment were major factors on why he wanted to return.

"The clubhouse and the vibe. The team is good, but they were really welcoming for me and my family," Stanek said. "The baseball is the baseball, that's the easy part to see. But it's a lot of the stuff that happens behind the scenes, like the quality-of-life things for families that matter for people with kids and stuff like that. That actually takes a bigger weight [in the organization] than most people would assume. They took great care of my family, and that meant a lot to me."