Olney: Enhanced Shohei Ohtani Pursuit by Mets Subject of Insider Speculation
The New York Mets are closer to last place in the National League East than a playoff position at 37-46, and their struggles this season have reportedly led to plenty of speculation about what is next and whether that will include pursuing megastar Shohei Ohtani.
"The continued failure of the most expensive roster in baseball history has fueled a lot of macro speculation around the team's direction—about whether the Mets will be adding or subtracting before the Aug. 1 trade deadline, about whether this will enhance [Steve] Cohen's pursuit of Shohei Ohtani in the offseason," Buster Olney of ESPN wrote.
This is not how it was supposed to go for the Mets this season.
After all, they won 101 games last season, which was tied with the Atlanta Braves for the second-best record in the National League. They kept much of the core together and then went out and added 2022 American League Cy Young winner Justin Verlander.
New York has the highest payroll in the league in 2023, and the expectations were World Series or bust on Opening Day.
It has been all bust.
The Mets are 18.5 games behind the first-place Braves and nine games behind the San Francisco Giants for the National League's final wild-card spot. This is shaping up to be a lost season for the team, which could stop the front office from adding ahead of the trade deadline.
Whether the Los Angeles Angels are going to trade Ohtani was a major storyline coming into the season since he is scheduled for free agency and could sign elsewhere without the return that would come in a trade during the upcoming offseason. However, the Angels are just two games behind the Houston Astros for the final wild-card spot in the American League, so they could keep him and make a playoff push.
Even if they keep him, the Mets are one of the teams that figure to pursue him as a free agent next offseason.
They have an owner in Cohen who has consistently shown he is willing to spend significant money to chase titles and could be even more motivated to bounce back from a disappointing 2023 effort.
Ohtani is having one of the best seasons in baseball as an elite hitter and pitcher and would send expectations sky-high for the Mets again in 2024 if they signed him. Ideally for their sake, they would respond better than they have this year.
