With Steve Cohen becoming the next Mets owner, loads of fans expect the Mets to sign a lot of free agents. Fans think that he is going to set the market on fire. Today a graphic was shared with the richest owners, which to me, says something different.

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This graphic shows, that the Dodgers or Yankees don’t even have a top 10 owner in terms of wealth? They still have the biggest payroll? It’s all about the revenue. Dodgers and Yankees sell the most merchandise, tickets and have the world wide attention, when you talk about baseball. As a Dutch person, you see tons of Yankee caps when you walk around the country. But do you see Mets caps? No. People often don’t realize the (Yankees) cap they wear is from a baseball team, but still the Yankees make money off it. That’s why they have the ability to have the highest payroll, not the owner his wealth.

If you look at the top 10, you see the A’s owner for example, a team that’s cutting payroll for decades. You see the Red Sox owner, who were drasticly cutting payroll the last off-season. And what about the #2 Nats owner. The Nats let Harper and Rendon walk and pay their rotation spread out over years to come. Again, a rich owner, doesn’t necessarily mean high payroll.

What it should do, is the owner being able to bring in a good analytical team and build up a good system. Build a brand and a team from the ground up to stay a contender. That’s what the Mets should, and with Alderson, will do. So expect some trades and with money coming off the books, some free agent signings. Just do not expect to much out of the free agent market.

The development of minor leaguers will most likely benifit the most. Build a team around your home grown talent. Still very important to make smart decisions and don’t break the bank on any need. It won’t work in the long haul. If you build a steady and winning team for years to come, the tickets will sell as well. I don’t want to see an overpaid group of 30+ players. I want a young core team developed from within. Make that possible Steve.

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Photo: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg