The first full-squad workout of the spring is typically an exercise in restraint. Optimism is expressed carefully, expectations are framed conservatively, and ownership remains largely ceremonial.<\/p>\n
That is not how Steve Cohen approached it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like there\u2019s a different energy here this year than last year. I don\u2019t know what it is, it just feels really optimistic,\u201d Cohen said, surveying a roster that looks materially different from the one that finished last season.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like there\u2019s a different energy here this year than last year. I don\u2019t know what it is, it just feels really optimistic.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steve Cohen says he\u2019s \u201cexcited\u201d by this year\u2019s Mets: pic.twitter.com\/H8WY2evNSz<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) February 16, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n But beneath the surface, optimism was an equally strong, contrasting tone: impatience.<\/p>\n \u201cWe haven\u2019t won, and I really want to win. Each year that goes by, I get more annoyed.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked to clarify the depth of that frustration, Cohen did not recalibrate. He then contextualized the drought in unmistakable terms.<\/p>\n Steve Cohen says he\u2019s \u201cannoyed\u201d about the Mets not winning:<\/p>\n \u201cI know how much the fans care. I know we\u2019re celebrating the 40th anniversary of 1986, and that\u2019s just too long.\u201d pic.twitter.com\/pfjO30ClkF<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) February 16, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n For an owner whose professional life has been shaped by performance metrics, time horizons, and capital efficiency, the language felt consistent with his background. Cohen does not speak about the Mets in abstractions. He speaks about them as an enterprise that must yield competitive returns.<\/p>\n Let me know when you see smoke<\/p>\n \u2014 Steven Cohen (@StevenACohen2) January 15, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Transparency as Operating Philosophy<\/p>\n Cohen\u2019s tenure has been defined not only by capital deployment (Looking at you, \u201cCohen Tax\u201d) but also by access.<\/p>\n At Amazin\u2019 Day in 2025, seated alongside President of Baseball Operations David Stearns and broadcaster Gary Cohen, chants of \u201cWe want Pete!\u201d erupted regarding Pete Alonso.<\/p>\n Cohen publicly acknowledged that he did not like how negotiations were unfolding. He explained that the organization valued Alonso, but would not operate without discipline.<\/p>\n Such candor during active negotiations is atypical in Major League Baseball. Most ownership groups defer commentary to baseball operations or avoid it entirely. Cohen\u2019s approach has been different with direct engagement, even when the subject matter is uncomfortable.<\/p>\n Conviction Paired With Flexibility<\/p>\n The offseason illustrated a second hallmark: decisive adjustment.<\/p>\n The Mets aggressively pursued Juan Soto, reportedly presenting a detailed vision of his legacy outside Citi Field, alongside Tom Seaver. The bid was both financial and symbolic \u2014 an effort to secure not just production, but identity.<\/p>\n When the organization missed on Kyle Tucker, Cohen acknowledged the disappointment.<\/p>\n \u201cI actually went to bed annoyed. \u2018Oh, we didn\u2019t get him.\u2019 The agent for Bo had called us right after and discussions started. You never know how they\u2019re gonna go. They moved really quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n Steve Cohen talks about the Mets pivoting to Bo Bichette after not getting Kyle Tucker:<\/p>\n \u201cI actually went to bed annoyed. \u2018Oh, we didn\u2019t get him.\u2019 The agent for Bo had called us right after and discussions started. You never know how they\u2019re gonna go. They moved really quickly.\u201d pic.twitter.com\/TM4dPWemsF<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 SNY (@SNYtv) February 16, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The pivot to Bo Bichette followed with notable speed. There was no prolonged recalibration period, no visible inertia; the response was immediate. So much so that media outlets called it a \u201cpanic pivot\u201d for weeks following. But in financial terms, it resembled portfolio reallocation.<\/p>\n Disrupting a Familiar Core<\/p>\n Perhaps the most consequential decision of Cohen\u2019s tenure was his willingness to dismantle a recognizable nucleus.<\/p>\n The group anchored by Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, and Edwin D\u00edaz represented continuity and, at times, elite production. But it also represented a plateau.<\/p>\n Cohen\u2019s reference to 1986 was not a rhetorical flourish.<\/p>\n \u201cI know we\u2019re celebrating the 40th anniversary of 1986, and that\u2019s just too long.\u201d<\/p>\n The implication clearly states that sentiment cannot supersede results.<\/p>\n The previous alignment, envisioning the top of the order featuring Francisco Lindor, Nimmo, Soto, Alonso, and McNeil, appeared formidable in isolation. In practice, it frequently served as a focus for outcomes. When the first four or five hitters stalled simultaneously, the offense stagnated, and the capitalization with RISP was abysmal.<\/p>\n The recalibrated roster suggests a different design principle: length over clustering, and run manufacturing over reliance on a compact power core. The objective appears structural, reducing volatility by distributing production more evenly throughout the lineup.<\/p>\n Cohen did not obscure the emotional weight of the shift.<\/p>\n \u201cYou develop these relationships. I felt what the fans felt\u201d<\/p>\n Steve Cohen talks about the Mets letting some long-tenured players go this offseason and staying patient through the offseason as the Mets filled key roles: pic.twitter.com\/jlr3hJRmyw<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) February 16, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYou develop these relationships. I felt what the fans felt.\u201d<\/p>\n Yet he proceeded with the adjustment. That combination, acknowledgment and action, is not common among ownership groups.<\/p>\n Competitive Parity and Cultural Intent<\/p>\n Cohen\u2019s views extend beyond personnel.<\/p>\n \u201cMy own views on how I want a locker to be. My view is every year the team\u2019s different, and let the team kind of figure it out in the locker room, rather than having a designation. Having a captain in baseball doesn\u2019t happen often, right? It\u2019s actually unusual. So whatever previous ownership did, that was their way of doing things. I look at things differently.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs long as I\u2019m owning the team, there will never be a team captain. That was my decision. My view is, the locker room is unique and let the locker room sort it out year-in, year-out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2013 Steve Cohen pic.twitter.com\/ELWZXGQ88f<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 SNY (@SNYtv) February 16, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The philosophy favors adaptability over hierarchy, a fluid structure aligned with roster turnover.<\/p>\n When asked about the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cohen succinctly framed the competitive landscape.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re formidable. They have the ability to spend. So do I, by the way.\u201d<\/p>\n Steve Cohen talks about the Dodgers:<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re formidable. They have the ability to spend. So do I, by the way.\u201d pic.twitter.com\/tP65AKUT2e<\/a><\/p>\n