Mets' Cohen: Angry owners 'need to look more at themselves'

Steve Cohen might not be making many friends among his peers, but the New York Mets owner doesn't seem too bothered.

The Mets boast a $369.9-million payroll entering the 2023 campaign, the highest in MLB history. As a result, some owners reportedly believe he's making a mockery of the system, which will tax his club an additional $98.6 million for exceeding luxury thresholds.

"I've heard what everyone else has heard: that (owners) are not happy with me," Cohen told ESPN's Jeff Passan. "I hear things from people who are maybe more neutral - that they're taking a lot of heat from their fans. I kind of look at that like, you're looking at the wrong person. They're putting it on me. Maybe they need to look more at themselves.

"I'm not responsible for how other teams run their clubs," he continued. "I'm really not. That's not my job. And there are disparities in baseball. We know that to be true. I'm following the rules. They set the rules down, I'm following them."

Cohen purchased the Mets two years ago for $2.4 billion, one of the largest sales of a team ever in North American sports. Since then, the richest owner in MLB history has committed to spending ruthlessly to improve the on-field product.

The Mets won 101 games last year thanks in large part to his investments but were unceremoniously bounced from the postseason by the San Diego Padres in the wild-card series.

This offseason, Cohen has committed nearly $500 million to additional signings, retaining Edwin Diaz and Brandon Nimmo while also landing Justin Verlander and Kodai Senga in free agency. The Mets also came remarkably close to giving a 12-year, $315-million contract to Carlos Correa, but a medical issue ultimately quashed the deal.