Mets owner has funny response to question about $300 million payroll

Sep 11, 2021; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets majority owner Steve Cohen and his wife Alexandra Cohen at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets are hot to the touch, getting off to a 35-19 start this season. They have the second-best record in the NL and their +70 point differential is third among MLB teams. But owner Steve Cohen is not satisfied.

“I will never feel satisfied. That’s not who I am,” Cohen said on Friday, via the New York Daily News. “I’m always trying to figure out where else we can go next. I’m always in a state of constant improvement, and that’s the way I want this organization to work.”

The MLB trade deadline is August 2, which gives Cohen roughly two months to wheel and deal. But how much more payroll can he afford to add? After all, the Mets already lead the league with a payroll above $260 million (as things currently sit).

Could we see New York make a move that pushes them over the $300 million mark?

“Either I will or I won’t,” Cohen said. “There’s only two possibilities: 299.9 or 300.1. Maybe I will do the 300.1 just for fun.”

It’s a lot more fun when the team is winning. If the Mets were on the opposite end of the spectrum, the prospect of spending more than $300 million in payroll certainly wouldn’t be nearly as amusing. But Cohen has put in the time and the work, and now the results are beginning to pay off.