Steve Cohen assured Mets fans that his new ownership would be a dedication to winning, and he backed up that promise by backing up a truck full of cash to bring in a loaded free agent class headlined by Max Scherzer and Starling Marte.
Cohen also locked up superstar Francisco Lindor to a record contract extension, signed Eduardo Escobar and Mark Canha, and traded for Chris Bassitt, the latter move completing arguably the most loaded starting rotation in all of baseball.
On paper, of course.
The brutal lesson Cohen and the Mets are learning the week before Opening Day is one of powerlessness, and that injury woes can pop up at any time. Jacob deGrom, the best pitcher on the planet when healthy, is now sidelined for at least two months after Friday's MRI revealed a stress reaction to his right scapula, sliding Scherzer into the assumed Opening Day role.
Scherzer, acquired to be a more-than-capable insurance policy to the suddenly oft-injured deGrom as much as he was signed to be the best No. 2 in the game, is now in question to start the season as well. He didn't pitch in Saturday's sim game after experiencing hamstring tightness, and wouldn't say what his timetable for a return could be, or if he would be ready for the season opener next week.
Just like that, in a span of less than 24 hours, New York's two best pitchers, and arguably its two biggest stars, were sidelined with injuries.
Cohen, as any dedicated owner should, flexed his financial might to put together a retooled roster set to compete with the defending champion Braves for an NL East title. Cohen publicly expressed little concern about luxury tax penalties, prioritizing winning over cost, and spent like the richest owner in baseball that he is (and by a lot). But money can't buy health, and after deGrom's injury alone, the team's pennant and title odds plummeted, and if Scherzer misses any time, they will dip only further.
This of course shouldn't lead to any kind of desire to look back on what could have been changed. Cohen and his group refused to be stopped in their quest to put together the best team they could on paper, and hope it can be enough to get New York back to the postseason, or even the World Series. The risk of injury shouldn't impact a team's dedication to winning. But the possibility is always there, is often cruel, and normally is unavoidable. Sure, deGrom has had all kinds of ailments since last season, but until just days ago, he seemed on track to rebound in 2022 and be a favorite for another Cy Young. What else could have been done?
The goal is to put together the best team possible and hope the odds are in your favor over a 162-game season. That dedication isn't always rewarded in sports. The Warriors couldn't have put together a team much better assembled for a three-peat, but could have never counted on losing two superstars in Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson in the 2019 NBA Finals. The Mets couldn't have put together a much better rotation suited for a playoff series than the one they had on their active roster just a day ago. Now, it looks a lot different.
Of course, the injury to deGrom and the seemingly minor hamstring issue to Scherzer is far, far from a death sentence to the season. It's a long season, and if Scherzer only misses one start, he is more than capable of leading the rotation for two months. But the latest news for him and deGrom are another harsh reminder that sometimes, going all in isn't always rewarded, as health is always the greatest determining factor.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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