Those who are snakebitten can get struck by lightning even when the sun is shining. So, by this logic, the Mets' revelation that de facto ace Kodai Senga is expected to start the season on the injured list with a shoulder strain didn't come as a surprise. Then again, on the eve of what figures to be another lost season for the organization, it was impossible not to chalk this up to a typical cursed situation. Now, the spotlight is much brighter on owner Steve Cohen.
Regardless of his history as a big-shot on Wall Street, Cohen would be wise not to relocate his team to Vegas. He'd even be dumb to buy $100 worth of dollar scratch offs at the local Queens bodega, considering how unlucky his franchise has been since taking over. Gone is that honeymoon phase, when Cohen won fans over by spending his billions like a drunken sailor at the bar. Even his remote introductory press conference, that occurred during COVID, feels like it was a decade ago.
When star closer Edwin Diaz suffered a season-ending knee injury last March, fans weren't singing the old tune of deja vu just yet. Diaz's absence ultimately had very little impact on a 2023 campaign to forget, and relievers are easier to replace than position players and starters.
Reflecting on that injury, it was yet another classic example of the Mets' long history of bad luck. Diaz had just signed a monster $110 million contract, and having another quality bullpen arm still would've been beneficial. Sadly it was only a foreshadowing of what was to come.
Not even the most eternal Mets optimists could've set high expectations for this season, after Cohen sent out the punting unit with a fire sale during last season's trade deadline. Stability atop the starting rotation with Senga -- who posted a 2.98 ERA in 2023, the fifth-lowest in MLB – was supposed to be the one certainty. A paper thin staff wasn't going to upend their season until later on. Now, the season feels over before they've thrown a spring training pitch.
Of course, Senga's shoulder will be far from the Mets' only issue this season. But the gruesome nature of it does beg all-important questions. Where's this team going? What's their future identity? Hiring David Stearns as the general manager seemed like a massive upgrade over Billy Eppler. But then he had an underwhelming offseason. Let’s also not forget that Cohen was the man who originally set forth high expectations, promising to win a championship within three to five years. The Mets haven't won it all since 1986.
The Mets are now in their third year under Cohen's stewardship, and it's clear there was some emotional over-delivering in a moment where he was already too drunk to realize the red wine was actually grape juice. Watching the likes of Jonathan Arauz and DJ Stewart finish off an 87-loss season was supposed to ignite a fire among those in the front office.
Instead, it caused the franchise to take a step back and realistically reassess expectations. These Mets are a long ways away from competing for anything significant, and despite having plenty of pearls to clutch at to increase levels of optimism right now, they'd be lucky to have a watchable product by June.
Remember the narrative about Cohen? He was supposed to be the opposite of the penny-pinching Wilpons. That's all gone now. So far it's been much of the same, with an unlikely NL wild-card exit coming off the heels of a 101-win season to boot. One could argue dysfunction from moles in the locker room, to Eppler's suspension through the World Series last season, is much worse. At least the Wilpons helped take the Mets to the World Series in 2015. Since then, they have just two NL wild-card round losses to show for it.
With each stroke of bad luck, the leash around Cohen's neck becomes a bit tighter. Not in terms of selling the team -- he's too passionate and rich to do this – but rather earning the trust of fans. He's now finding out the hard way that being a financial genius doesn't necessarily correlate with wins or good luck.
Senga's injury may seem out of anybody's control on the surface -- largely, it is -- but the Mets had an entire winter to apply preventative safety measures for his throwing arm and failed. Similar to how Carlos Rodon's injury setbacks with the rival Yankees can be traced back to not thoroughly reading previous medical reports, there's plenty of internal blame to be passed around here.
Between the struggles of Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander to now another injury to a starting pitcher, everything that could possibly go wrong has. With the Mets' promising crop of prospects in Jett Williams, Luisangel Acuna, and Logan Gilbert, their future could be bright. But there's no guarantee, and the belief in Cohen's abilities aren't exactly shooting through the roof right now.
Cohen's certainly pushed all the right buttons, from engaging with Mets fans on social media to being transparent in press conferences. But, the fans still don't know if Cohen's charismatic personality and leadership style are what's best for the baseball team.
There'll be no shortage of opportunities for Cohen to prove doubters wrong, with a potential Pete Alonso contract extension at the forefront of upcoming big decisions. While everybody stubbornly eats the overpriced hot dogs and drowns their sorrows in pricey beers during another lost season at Citi Field, reason for retention of interest will need to be provided. Another early injury to a high-priced ace feels like it's the start of a ratcheting up of the pressure on a man whose checkbook won’t be able to shield him from harsh realities.