Mets legend: Steve Cohen plans to make 'astounding' profit on franchise

New York Mets legend Keith Hernandez believes team owner Steve Cohen is thinking about short-term and long-term futures with his offseason activities. 

"I have used basically three words — 'staggering, astounding, and astonishing.' Steve wants to win," Hernandez told Mike Puma of the New York Post about Cohen spending hundreds of millions of dollars to complete moves such as holding onto closer Edwin Diaz, signing three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander, and landing Japanese ace Kodai Senga. 

That doesn't include the Mets possibly signing All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa or the club previously inking big-money deals with shortstop Francisco Lindor and ace Max Scherzer. Cohen clearly is pursuing more than just a World Series appearance, but Hernandez seems convinced the billionaire hedge-fund manager has even more in mind. 

"Look at what the Phoenix Suns just sold for — $4 billion," Hernandez continued. "What does that make the Mets worth? If he wants to sell five years down the road if he’s got his world championship and wants to sell, what’s he going to sell it for in five years? $10 [billion]? $15 billion? He’s going to hang on to it until he gets his winner and then we’ll see if he wants to stay in, but he is not going to lose money. He will make an 'astounding' profit on his investment."

It was learned in October 2020 that MLB's ownership committee approved the sale of the Mets to Cohen. Scott Soshnick and Barry M. Bloom of Sportico reported at the time Cohen agreed to pay $2.42 billion for the franchise. 

Hernandez added that Buck Showalter, the reigning National League Manager of the Year, is "one of the best skippers in charge" and "keeps the players on their toes and keeps them thinking." Under Showalter, the 2022 Mets won 101 regular-season games but suffered a wild-card series loss to the San Diego Padres.