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Mets Owner Steve Cohen ‘Annoyed’ That Dodgers Got Kyle Tucker
New York Mets owner Steve Cohen may not be intimidated by the Los Angeles Dodgers’ deep pockets, but he admitted they still get under his skin.
The Mets and Dodgers both pursued outfielder Kyle Tucker in free agency this offseason, with the Dodgers emerging as the winner on a four year, $240 million deal.
That acquisition in particular rankled Cohen, he told SNY.
“I actually went to bed annoyed. ‘Oh, we didn’t get him,'” he said.
Cohen’s Mets also lost star closer Edwin Diaz to the Dodgers in what he called a “perplexing” move when speaking to team broadcaster Howie Rose.
It’s not all doom and gloom for the Mets, though, as Cohen and company quickly found another high-value free agent to add shortly after losing out on Tucker.
“The agent for Bo [Bichette] had called us right after and discussions started,” he said “You never know how they’re gonna go. They moved really quickly.”
By signing Bichette, the Mets are actually in a better position than they would’ve been with Tucker, Cohen argued.
“Frankly, once it was all done, and we got Bo to come to the Mets, (I) actually feel Bo might be a better fit for the team,” said Cohen, as reported by Tim Britton for The Athletic. “So I think things worked out for the best.”
Baseball Split on Big Spenders
The Dodgers’ big spending has led to criticism by some in baseball, and the MLB, the only major North American sports league without a salary cap, could make major changes after this season.
For now, though, prominent players are standing up for the Dodgers’ willingness to spend, arguing that it’s good for the sport.
“I f—ing love it,” San Diego Padre and former Dodger Manny Machado said of the Dodgers’ spending. “Every team should be doing it. … S— is f—ing great for the game. So I think every team has the ability to do it, so I hope all 30 teams can learn from that.”
Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies echoed that sentiment.
“I love what the Dodgers do, obviously,” Harper said. “They pay the money, they spend the money. I mean, they’re a great team. They understand how to run it. They run their team like a business, and they run it the right way. They understand where they need to put their money into.”
