When the New York Mets officially introduced Steve Cohen as the team’s new owner in November, he made it clear that this would be a new era in Mets history: “I can promise that we will act as a great team in the market,” he assured. He said all the other things right. That he would let the baseball folks make the decisions about baseball. Let them invest more in their analytics department and player development team. Above all, Mets fans appreciated that they could almost relate to a man with an estimated net worth of $ 14.5 billion because he, like them, is an obstinate: he watched the first Mets game in 1963, when the team still played at the old Polo Motivos.
For almost two months since then, Mets fans have waited for that highly successful move. It finally came on Thursday, with the acquisition of superstar Francisco Lindor and pitcher Carlos Carrasco of Cleveland in exchange for players Amed Rosario, Andres Gimenez and two candidates. Lindor is obviously one of the best players in the game, twice a Gold Glove winner who is also just one of four shortstops in MLB history with at least three seasons of 30 home runs. At 27, he is at the peak of his career. This is a franchise player, not only for his skill on the pitch, but also for that famous smile as wide as the Whitestone Bridge and the endless engine and enthusiasm. He wins games, sells tickets and attracts viewers.