Mets front office taking heat with fan favorites Pete Alonso, Edwin Díaz and Brandon Nimmo headed out of town

Key Highlights

• I’m confident we’ll like where our team is once we get to opening day.”What a difference a year makes, though. Cohen and Stearns were the toast of the town last December, beating out the crosstown New York Yankees for prized free agent Juan Soto with a record $765 million contract. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThat came on the heels of an unanticipated thrill ride to the 2024 National League Championship Series, after Stearns scored big with several unheralded acquisitions during his first year in charge: Sean Manaea, Luis Severino, Jose Iglesias and Tyrone Taylor. Surely with Cohen’s bankroll and Stearns’ brain, the Mets were poised to take a large bite out of the Big Apple for years to come. Yankees, be damned.
• Dodgers, on notice.
• Phillies, fuhgeddaboudit!But as their top rivals continued to flourish this year, the Mets finished 83-79 and missed the playoffs.
• Baseball’s second-biggest spenders, at $429 million in payroll and projected luxury tax, went 38-55 in a stunning collapse after building the best record in the majors (45-24) through June 12. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe day after the season ended, Stearns took the blame for failing at the trade deadline and Cohen apologized to fans on social media.
• The coaching staff under manager Carlos Mendoza soon was overhauled. Many figured Cohen, one of the wealthiest owners in sports, would quickly reach into his robust wallet this winter — at least to keep Díaz and Alonso from leaving in free agency.