While the long-term implications are not clear, Wednesday may prove to be a significant day in the modern history of the New York Mets.
The team announced that Steve Cohen, an investor in the Mets, is increasing his share of ownership. As part of that announcement, the team said that CEO Fred Wilpon and COO Jeff Wilpon would both remain in their current roles for five more years.
This is a potentially monumental day for the New York Mets. Putting a five-year number Fred and Jeff Wilpon’s roles with the team would seem to imply their longtime control of the franchise will be over before the 2025 season. pic.twitter.com/FWZp36P1Sb
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 4, 2019
The key is what happens when those five years are up. If that’s the end of the Wilpons’ control of the organization, it’s a radical change to the franchise. There’s a distinct lack of clarity about that right now, but the fact that the Mets went out of their way to put a timetable on both of their tenures in the statement suggests that Cohen probably has a long-term view toward reducing or ending their organizational involvement.
Why does this matter? The Wilpons are among the most criticized owners in sports due to their limited payrolls, lack of success, and questionable decision-making. Many fans would love to see them sell the team, so this could certainly be a watershed moment.
