Mets' Steve Cohen Wants Payroll Down to 'Something More Reasonable' After FA Spending

The New York Mets went wild in free agency to produce the highest payroll in baseball, but owner Steve Cohen doesn't plan for this to be a sustainable model.

"Ultimately, I want to develop a farm system and lower our payroll to something more reasonable," Cohen told reporters Monday, per Evan Drellich of The Athletic.

The Mets have a projected $336 million payroll for 2023, per Spotrac, which is not only a record but nearly $70 million than any other team in the league. The mark is more than double the league average of $148 million.

This comes after a free-agent spending spree that saw the team add Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga and Jose Quintana while also re-signing Edwin Díaz and Brandon Nimmo. The Mets also initially agreed to a 12-year, $315 million deal with Carlos Correa, though that later fell through.

The stream of moves didn't necessarily make Cohen, who is heading into his third season with the Mets, the most popular owner in baseball.

"I've heard what everyone else has heard: that they're not happy with me," Cohen said, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The Mets' spending is a main driver in MLB forming an economic reform committee, per Drellich.

While some teams could try to push for a salary cap, commissioner Rob Manfred indicated the first step is create better payroll balance.

"The reality is you got to solve your revenue disparity problem before you can even think about a cap," Manfred said. "We're so disparate right now, that it's almost hard to make—and I mean, literally—the math of a salary cap work."

Of course, Cohen stands by his decisions:

Opposing teams will still be happy to hear that the crazy spending isn't likely to continue each season, and that the plan is to reduce costs down the road.

Cohen admitted Monday the team is currently losing money.

"I'm not going to give you that number, but it's bigger than a breadbox," the owner said. "I'm not going to get into the economics."

With an estimated net worth of $17.5 billion, per Forbes, Cohen can afford to be aggressive now with the hope of making more money down the line.