Will concerns about Mets' future cause Steve Cohen to sell ahead of trade deadline?

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen had plenty to say to MLB insiders Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman on the latest edition of "The Show" podcast about the current state of the last-place club. 

Interestingly, Cohen also indicated he is concerned about the future of the organization beyond the 2026 season. 

Steve Cohen "extremely worried" about future of the Mets

"I’m extremely worried," Cohen said about the young talent in the Mets' system, per Erich Richter of the New York Post. "Good teams develop players and have a pipeline of players. When we looked at last year, we were generally feeling pretty good about our farm system. We’ve had regression in our farm system. Now I’m told that 'development isn’t linear.' It isn’t like some straight line where everything goes up. That doesn’t mean that some of these players will, over time, improve where they are today. When you’re looking at things objectively, and you’re saying, 'How are we going to get better?'"

One piece of good news for Cohen is that an MLB scout recently referred to Mets rookie outfielders Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing as "really good pieces for anybody’s offense." That said, Cohen's comments could lead one to believe he wants to acquire top-tier prospects via pre-trade-deadline moves that won't include making either shortstop Francisco Lindor or star outfielder Juan Soto available to would-be buyers. 

The trade deadline is Aug. 3. 

Steve Cohen "not afraid" to sell this summer

In the summer of 2023, Cohen signed off on a fire sale that involved the Mets loading up on prospects by dealing Max Scherzer, co-ace Justin Verlander and other proven commodities. According to TJ French of Heavy, Cohen said during the podcast that he could embrace a similar plan this season. 

"I’m not afraid to go down that path," Cohen said about another fire sale. "I’ve demonstrated that path. Is that my preference? No, but the reality is it’s going to play out, and we’re going to know. If it’s ambiguous, tougher place to be, then we’ll know, but if we don’t get into gear, it’s not going to be ambiguous. It’s going to be obvious." 

The Mets head into Friday holding a record of 36-51. Thus, one would think it's "obvious" that starter Freddy Peralta and other Mets players who aren't signed via long-term deals will soon be made available, if such conversations haven't already begun.