Mets' Steve Cohen cautions spending doesn't mean a title

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — New York Mets owner Steve Cohen cautions the team's record spending won't necessarily lead to a World Series title this year.

«You know how hard it is to get to get into the World Series — as we saw last year, right?» Cohen said Monday at New York's spring training camp. «So, the only thing you can do is put yourself in position where good things can happen. Got to make the playoffs. The team's got to be healthy. It's got to be rested. It's got to be raring to go. And then you let the chips fall where they may. And if you keep putting yourself there, one day we'll get there. Obviously, I'd love it sooner than later. But, you know, I can't control that.»

New York won its only World Series titles in 1969 and 1986. The Mets won 101 games last year, second-most in franchise history but were unable to hold off the Atlanta Braves in the NL East after sitting atop the division for all but six days. The Mets were eliminated by San Diego Padres in a three-game wild-card Series.

New York raised its payroll to a projected $370 million and is set to shatter the record, set by the 2015 Los Angeles Dodgers at $291 million.

The Mets had a $146 million payroll in 2019, the last fully played season under the Wilpon and Katz familiies. New York boosted payroll to $199 million in 2021, the first season after Cohen bought the team, and $275 million last year, when the Mets led the major leagues in spending for the first time since 1989.

Cohen cited inflation as a factor in the offseason spending spree.

«All of the sudden we were looking at prices up 20, 30%,» Cohen said. «That was a shocker to me, and certainly changed our plans, and I had to think differently. You know, $300 million, which is still a lot of money,