Mets owner Steve Cohen denies team is planning to sell at trade deadline despite now-deleted tweet

To put it mildly, this has been an up and down season for the New York Mets. Or, more accurately, down then up then down again. The Mets started 0-5, then won 12 of their next 15 games, and now they’ve lost 15 of 22 games since. It adds up to a 19-23 record that has them closer to the last place Miami Marlins (13-32) than the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies (31-13).

Mets fans are frustrated, understandably so after the team went 75-87 last season and owner Steve Cohen declared “I think the goal is to make the playoffs … If we don’t make the playoffs, obviously I’d be disappointed” on Opening Day. With the Mets down big to the Phillies on Wednesday (PHI 10, NYM 5), Cohen replied to a fan on social media who said the front office should blow it up and sell at the trade deadline. The tweet was deleted soon thereafter:

It’s not unreasonable to interpret those words — “All in the future, not much we can do until the trade deadline” — as Cohen saying the Mets indeed plan to again trade away veterans for prospects, but they can’t do it yet because the market hasn’t developed. Last summer the Mets dealt away Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, and others at the deadline, and leveraged Cohen’s wealth by eating salary to receive better prospects on return.

On Thursday, Cohen clarified his since-deleted tweet to SNY, the team’s regional network, saying he did not intend to signal the Mets are looking to sell. The tweet, he said, was meant to be a direct message, but more importantly, was not meant to imply any future plans. Here are the details (via SNY):

“I believe in this team,” Cohen said. “I believe in the back of the baseball card. It’s way too early to speculate on anything. It’s May 16. I expect to make the playoffs. I know the fan base is frustrated, but it’s still early. We’re still very capable of making the playoffs. I fully expect to make the playoffs.”

I’m not sure saying you intended to send “All in the future, not much we can do until the trade deadline” to a single fan via a direct message rather than tweet it out for the world to see is the best defense, but credit to Cohen for being honest about his intentions. He could’ve played the “I was hacked” card or something along those lines.

More importantly, Cohen again reiterated that he believes the Mets are “still very capable of making the playoffs,” not that I would expect him to say anything less on May 16. The Mets may be a disappointing 19-23 overall, but they’re only one — one! — game out of a wild-card spot in the top heavy National League. One hot streak and everyone feels better about things.

Wednesday’s loss was New York’s third straight (all to the Phillies). The team designated Joey Wendle for assignment before the game and called up Mark Vientos in an effort to spark the offense. The move leaves them without a proper backup middle infielder behind Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil. That doesn’t scream desperation, but it is a step down that road.