After catapulting the Mets to the top of the MLB payroll ranks, soaring above $300 million last winter, Steve Cohen has measured his spending this offseason. With a new president of baseball operations in David Stearns, who some reduce to a mere “small market GM,” the ball club has settled for one-year deals with reclamation projects like Luis Severino, Joey Wendle and Jorge López among others.
With Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Cohen has shown glimpses of his former self. And all signs seem to indicate that he’s willing to spend big for the 25-year-old Japanese ace.
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“He’d go from having the biggest payroll ever to having the most expensive pitcher ever,” a high-ranked executive told ESPN’s Buster Olney. “He’s not playing nice.”
Cohen might even be willing to outspend the Yankeeswho are seen as co-favorites for the pitcher, a clear separation from the Wilpon days.
It would be a fair fight too, as the Yankees appear to have returned to their old ways this offseason — they acquired Juan Soto from the Padres in exchange for five players and are said to be willing to pay the potential $300 million for Yamamoto.
But Cohen has already begun to add a personal touch to his meetings with Yamamoto. He traveled 14 hours to Japan to meet with the three-time Pacific League MVP winner and later hosted him at his home in Greenwich, Connecticut.
It’s a clear indication that he’s intent on reminding MLB, and perhaps even the Yankees, of his spending power.
With good reason. Pitchers like Yamamoto don’t become available often. The three-time Sawamura Award winner, Japan’s equivalent of the Cy Young, is just entering his prime at 25 years old and has a career 1.82 ERA.
He’s also believed to be seeking a challenge on his quest for greatness.
“This is a guy who is all about winning,” a front office official told Olney, via ESPN. “He is all about greatness. He wants to be great and he wants to be a part of something great.”
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Manuel Gomez may be reached at mgomez@njadvancemedia.com.