Highlights of various Mets losses in 2023. Photo via New York Post
In the world’s largest baseball league, Major League Baseball, a high enough payroll does not always equate to on-field success. The only major North American sports league without a salary cap, big-market teams often feature higher payrolls in the hopes of producing on-field success. This is much to the chagrin of smaller-market teams who simply cannot (or don’t want to) afford such high prices.
And in the sport’s largest market, both of New York’s teams have blown past luxury taxes only to fail. They have thus become representations of the very idea that in baseball, money does not always equal success.
The Mets have mailed it in
Despite the Mets’ $360 million payroll, Steve Cohen has already given up on the 2023 season. The team traded away large contracts such as Max Scherzer and newly-acquired Justin Verlander in an attempt to gain back prospects and “rebuild.” Through this, it is clear the Mets do not view themselves as competitive, and have essentially waved the white flag.
“You look at the [playoff] probabilities, what were we, like 15 percent, and other teams were getting better,” Mets owner Steve Cohen said. “You have to take the odds down from that and if you’re going to have a 12 percent chance of just getting into the playoffs, those are pretty crummy odds. I wouldn’t want to be betting any money on that and I don’t think anybody else would, either.”
The Mets gave up on the season despite having a 12% chance of making the playoffs at that time (and it has since dipped). The Yankees, however, have remained steady with their hole-filed plan of sustaining on-field success with the current team they have.
Despite having a payroll much lower than the Mets, at $285 million, that figure is still the second-highest in MLB, and it has not sustained much more success than the Mets this year. After a disastrous 2-7 road trip, the Yankees have fallen under .500 for the first time since 1995. With a 60-61 record, they are 6.5 games back of the last American League wild card spot.
The Yankees are living in denial
The primary problem with the Yankees, however, is their injuries. While the Mets were healthy for the most part and simply did not play up to their potential (and this was the case with the Yankees for most of this season), the injuries have started to pile up in recent weeks. After starter Nestor Cortes Jr. missed two months on the Injured List (IL) with a rotator cuff strain, he came back and pitched four scoreless innings against the Houston Astros. However, he soon after went back on the IL with a similar injury and could now miss the rest of the season.
Carlos Rodón, another pitcher Brian Cashman paid big bucks for in the offseason, has not pitched well this season and is on the IL for the second time. Frankie Montas was acquired injured last season and has been out since. Anthony Rizzo is on the IL after playing for two months with a concussion. DJ LeMahieu was scratched for a few days with right calf tightness.
The injuries aren’t the only problem
Plus, other players such as Luis Severino and Domingo Germán have been either awful or had their share of issues. Severino has an ERA of 7.98 this season, and Germán will miss the rest of the season after checking into rehab with alcohol issues. This comes despite Germán pitching a perfect game in Oakland earlier this season.
Aaron Judge has returned after missing nearly two months with a toe injury sustained in Los Angeles. However, it is clear he is playing through the injury and has not been himself. Fans fear the only way he will return to his prime format is with surgery, which would sideline him for months.
All in all, it is not looking good for New York baseball in 2023.
