Mets Owner Cohen Still Believes in Team, Praises Front Office and Manager

Despite a slow start to the season, Mets owner Steve Cohen remains confident in his team's ability to turn things around, citing recent improvements and a strong roster.

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen expressed optimism about his team's future despite a disappointing start to the 2023 season, praising the front office and manager while acknowledging the need for improvements.

During a news conference before the final game of the London Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Cohen acknowledged the team's struggles but emphasized the importance of staying focused on the present rather than dwelling on the past.

"I know everybody's focused on the trade deadline," Cohen said. "That's all anybody wants to talk about. We’ve got a lot of games to play. Let’s get focused on what’s happening now. We’ve got to chip away."

Cohen praised the team's front office, led by president of baseball operations David Stearns, and manager Carlos Mendoza for their contributions to the organization's improvement.

"I have a great deal of respect for David," Cohen said of Stearns. "He comes from a winning club, he’s demonstrated success in the past, well-respected in baseball. I like what I see but unfortunately it's going to take time."

Regarding Mendoza, Cohen highlighted his strong rapport with the team and his ability to deliver difficult messages when necessary.

"He [has] got [an] incredible rapport with the team, he’s thoughtful," Cohen said of Mendoza. "He’s very capable of relating to the players, delivering hard messages when he has to. I’m impressed by how he conducts himself."

Cohen also addressed the team's defensive struggles, pointing to a key error in Saturday's game that led to a five-run inning for the Phillies. However, he cautioned against blaming the bouncy turf at London Stadium for the mistake.

"The fly ball that fell in front of Starling yesterday — that was pretty high," Cohen said.

He also dismissed concerns about jet lag affecting the team's performance, noting that the Phillies played well despite the long travel.

Cohen acknowledged the challenges of pinpointing the exact reasons for a team's underperformance, citing the variability of human performance.

"You can write it down on paper, but then you’ve got to play the games. Frankly, we haven’t really put it all together for a consistent period of time. I still think that can happen. There [are] a lot of good ballplayers on this club. It’s just a question of getting a little confidence, getting on a run."

Cohen expressed hope that the team could turn things around and remain competitive in the coming weeks.

"We’ll see what it looks like four to six weeks from now. The locker room is good, the culture is good. So I’m hopeful."