“YOU’RE WORTH $23 BILLION! YOU SERIOUS?”
The New York Mets’ disastrous Winter Meetings were capped off by the loss of superstar closer Edwin Díaz to the back-to-back champion Los Angeles Dodgers on a three-year, $69 million contract. This stunning turn of events, where the Mets were reportedly only $3 million apart from the Dodgers’ final offer, sent ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith into a blistering, no-holding-back rant, demanding answers from owner Steve Cohen and the front office.
Smith’s outrage centered entirely on the financial optics of the failure to retain one of baseball’s most dominant closers:
“And Steve Cohen, if you’re listening, my man: You’re the richest owner in Major League Baseball. You’re worth over $23 billion, and you’re $3 million apart with Edwin Díaz compared to his offer from the Dodgers? And you can’t come up from $66 [million] to $69 million? You serious? You serious right now? You’re worth $23 billion! $23 billion! And you missed the playoffs!”
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QUESTIONING COMPETITIVENESS
The core of Smith’s argument was not just the money, but the message it sends about the team’s competitiveness under President of Baseball Operations David Stearns.
- Failing to Close the Deal: According to reports, the Mets’ offer was three years, $66 million, with an indication they had “wiggle room” to go higher. Smith questioned why they failed to use that “wiggle room” to match the Dodgers’ offer immediately, especially when dealing with a cornerstone player.
- Fueling the Dynasty: Smith was particularly enraged that the Mets allowed their star closer to walk directly to the team they must compete with in the National League: “You don’t lose Diaz when you know he can end up going to the Dodgers! At some point in time, if you’re the New York Mets, are you gonna stop being a fair-weather stepchild?”
THE LARGER CONTEXT OF DEPARTURES
Smith’s rant was fueled by the context of a disastrous offseason where the Mets also lost franchise slugger Pete Alonso (to the Orioles) and traded popular outfielder Brandon Nimmo (to the Rangers).
The cumulative effect of losing three key figures, all while the Mets had the resources to prevent at least two of the departures, led Smith to a scathing conclusion: “Talk about a franchise that has basically said, ‘You know what? We ain’t trying to win.'”
The loss of the “Narco” trumpets and the undeniable perception that the Mets were “outbid” by a rounding error has left the fanbase, and sports media, unified in their demands for accountability.
