Mets owner Steve Cohen sent a letter to season ticket holders on Saturday trying to reassure them of the team’s future after their trade deadline sell-off.
In the letter obtained by The Post, Cohen has promised the current 50-59 and fourth in the NL East Mets to be “competitive” and “formidable” in the 2024 season.
He also expressed how disheartened he was by 2023.
“We added several key pieces to our team, but things have not turned out how we planned,” Cohen said in the letter. “You are rightfully disappointed and so are we.
“This is not where we wanted to be in 2023. Our goal is to be a consistent contender. The only way to do this in a sustainable way is to build a pipeline of high caliber talent in our farm system that will fuel our major league team for years to come.”
The Mets had a $364 million payroll this season, by far the highest in baseball, but it did not equal results.
After the deadline, general manager Billy Eppler and Cohen stated that the Mets might not spend as much this offseason, viewing 2024 as another potential growing pains year before the team really hits its stride.
“We will be competitive in ’24 but I think 25-26 is when our young talent makes an impact,” Cohen wrote in a text message to the Post’s Jon Heyman. “Lots of pitching in free agency in ’24. More payroll flexibility in ’25. Got a lot of dead money in ’24.”
Cohen took a similar tone speaking with reporters during the Mets series in Kanas City early this week.
“I think the expectations were really high this year and my guess is next year will be a lot lower,” Cohen said. “But I can’t speak to what is going to happen in the offseason. There might be opportunities — I am opportunistic. I don’t want to roll a team out there we are going to be embarrassed by.
“But we also know that spending a fortune … doesn’t guarantee you a trip to the playoffs.”
The message seems to come in response to what Max Scherzer told The Athletic after being dealt to the Rangers, saying he was told the Mets’ future plan consisted of smaller deals within free agency and 2024 being a transition year.
“I’m really excited about the acquisitions that we made,” Eppler said during a virtual availability with reporters after the deadline. “We’re just trying to restock and reload the farm system. You have to go through a little pain to get where we want to go, but I feel that the organization is making strides towards a better future.”
Cohen, 67, purchased the Mets in 2020 under the guise of “doing it for the fans, our community” and claims it “remains true today” after a surprising trade deadline week, shipping out co-aces Scherzer and Justin Verlander along with Tommy Pham, Mark Canha and David Robertson.
He backed up the moves of the club as helping it reach the goal to be a “consistent contender” and the Mets chose to expedite that process last week by obtaining a haul of prospects.
Everything to know about the Mets’ historic sell-off
After a disappointing season, the Mets are selling off their historically expensive roster.
The Amazins dealt out some big name players before the MLB trade deadline — including now-former co-aces Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.
Below are the players the Mets have shipped out:
Tommy Pham
The Mets traded the outfielder minutes before the 6 p.m. deadline to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Arizona is sending back 17-year shortstop Jeremy Rodriguez, who has a .751 OPS rookie ball this season.
Justin Verlander
The Mets traded out Verlander, a sure-fire Hall of Fame pitcher, back to his former team, the Houston Astros.
The Amazins reportedly will receive top Astros prospect Drew Gilbert, a Double-A outfielder, and 20-year-old outfielder Ryan Clifford, who owns a .919 OPS through 83 games in Low- and High-A this year.
Max Scherzer
Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young winner that was a co-ace with Verlander, was sold off to the Texas Rangers.
The Mets landed one of the Rangers’ top prospects, Double-A infielder Luisangel Acuña, brother of Braves star Ronald Acuña.
Mark Canha
The veteran outfielder was dealt to the Brewers for Justin Jarvis, a promising 23-year-old pitcher that was ranked No. 12 in the Brewers’ farm system.
David Robertson
The Mets traded closer David Robertson to the Miami Marlins, a move that started off the club’s deadline dismantle.
In exchange for Robertson, who is having another terrific season, the Mets received a pair of minor leaguers, infielder Marco Vargas and catcher Ronald Hernandez, from Miami.
“Our front office was able to acquire young, exciting athletes who excel in multiple facets of the game. These include top prospects, infielders Luisangel Acuña, Marco Vargas, Jeremy Rodríguez, Jeremiah Jackson, outfielders Drew Gilbert, Ryan Clifford, catcher Ronald Hernandez and right-handed pitchers Justin Jarvis, Coleman Crow and Landon Marceaux,” he said.
“It’s going to be fun watching them rise through our system as they develop and learn to win together.
“We want to thank Max, Justin, Tommy, David, Dominic, Mark and Eduardo and their families, and wish them luck with their new teams.”
Cohen also named the Mets core players, saying those and more in the free-agent market will come together to be a “formidable team next season.”
He noted Brandon Nimmo, Francisco Lindor, Jeff McNeil, Edwin Diaz and Pete Alonso, who was rumored to be out on the market but sources say the Mets’ price for him was extremely high.
“We promise you, we will work hard to field a competitive team in 2024.”
For the remainder of the season, Cohen reminds the loyal fans of what they still have in front of them — Kodai Senga, Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, and named National League Rookie of the Month Francisco Alvarez — who they say promise will bring “exciting baseball” just like the longtime Mets favorites.
The owner also mentioned the new additions to the ballpark, such as the big scoreboard, themed game nights, new vendors and more, ensuring the fun at Citi Field will “never change,” along with a teaser of “wait until you see what’s in store for next season.”
“We can’t stress enough how grateful we are for your continued support,” Cohen said. “Without you, none of this would be worth it.
“We believe in this organization and our future, which only got brighter over the last few days.”