Cohen aims for playoffs: 'Let’s not overthink this'

NEW YORK -- The question was not yet fully out of a reporter’s mouth when Steve Cohen began his answer. Yes, Cohen responded Friday morning, winning in Major League Baseball is more difficult than he thought it would be when he purchased the Mets three and a half years ago.

“There are so many variables in human performance,” Cohen added. “You can write it down on a piece of paper, but in the end -- between injuries and variability in performance, you just never know.”

So began another season for the Mets, who are revamped if not entirely overhauled, intriguing if not indomitable. Opening Day provided the first glimpse at a team that, for one day, looked a lot like it did last season. The Mets stayed competitive but ultimately found themselves overmatched at Citi Field, recording just one hit in a 3-1 loss to the Brewers.

“They played better than us today,” shortstop Francisco Lindor said. “So hats off to them.”

Before the Mets even took the field, their Opening Day plans had been scuttled twice. The first occurred back in February, when starting pitcher Kodai Senga suffered a shoulder strain that will keep him sidelined at least until May. The second happened just this week, when rain forced the Mets to push back their opener from Thursday to Friday.

It was under much clearer skies that the teams finally met, and things even briefly went well for the Mets: Starling Marte homered in the second inning to back Senga’s replacement, veteran left-hander Jose Quintana. But Christian Yelich tied the score in the fourth with a homer of his own, the Brewers took the lead an inning later on a William Contreras sacrifice fly, and the Mets didn’t make any additional noise against Freddy Peralta or Milwaukee’s bullpen.

About the feistiest they grew was in the top of the eighth inning, when Jeff McNeil took exception to Rhys Hoskins’ hard slide into second base. Both dugouts and bullpens emptied, but umpires reviewed the tape and ruled that Hoskins’ slide was legal.

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If nothing else, that episode pointed to the type of thing president of baseball operations David Stearns said he would be looking for early in the season.

“You want to see a team camaraderie and a team energy that is consistent, and that can lead to winning baseball,” Stearns said. “I felt like we had that in Spring Training, and so I’m eager to see how we carry that over into the regular season.”

For a Mets team that had won a league-best 41 of their previous 54 Opening Day games, the afternoon’s ultimate result was a letdown; by the time Brett Baty struck out to end the eighth inning, fans were already booing. But team officials continue to offer confidence that even if this year doesn’t prove entirely different from its recent predecessors, it can contain enough organizational growth to support Cohen and Stearns’ plan. Hours before the opener, the owner acknowledged that he’s “really pleased at what we’ve created,” citing his club’s improved defense, depth and bullpen. He pushed back on the word “reset” as a descriptor for 2024.

“I think we built a club that’s going to be there in September,” Cohen said, adding: “The goal is to make the playoffs. Pretty simple. Let’s not overthink this.”

Ever willing to put his wallet where his mouth is, Cohen said Friday that he will consider adding salary at the Trade Deadline despite the heavy penalties the Mets are already paying for exceeding MLB’s highest Competitive Balance Tax threshold. He even acknowledged that the Mets could live permanently within MLB’s CBT system, unlike some rival clubs that routinely try to dip below it.

For Cohen, spending is a way to compensate while the farm system matures enough to begin pumping out cheaper, younger talent. The owner speaks often about wanting to build a sustainable franchise and believes he has at least hit on a manager -- Carlos Mendoza -- and a baseball operations head who will be here together for many years to come. Fans, Cohen added, have been sympathetic to what he’s trying to do. He called this an intelligent fan base that’s willing to be patient along with him -- at least to a point.

“They’re still pretty supportive. I’m waiting for that to run out,” Cohen quipped. “We’ve got to win at some point. And listen -- I think the goal is to make the playoffs and be there year in and year out. I think we’re going to, over time, accomplish that.”