The 2026 Major League Baseball season is somehow already more than halfway through, providing yet another example of the difficulty of predicting baseball outcomes.
Case in point? New York Mets.
The Mets are one of the richest teams in baseball. Billionaire owner Steve Cohen, upon taking over in 2020, has committed to creating a model organization that combines vast financial resources with proven front office success. Beginning with the 2022 season, the Mets have spent more on player salaries than any other team in baseball, at $1.671 billion. Yes, even more than the Los Angeles Dodgers.
METS OWNER STEVE COHEN BACKS ARCHITECT OF TEAM’S TOUGH SEASON, SAYS TEAM ‘WILL SURVIVE THIS CONTRACT’
They signed star player Francisco Lindor to a 10-year, $341 million contract ahead of the 2022 season. They signed Max Scherzer to one of the highest average annual contracts in baseball history. At the end of the 2023 season, Cohen hired Dave Stearns from the Milwaukee Brewers to overhaul the front office. Stearns turned the Brewers into a consistent contender despite the inherent salary constraints of a small market.
New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) looks on against the Washington Nationals during the fourth inning at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. on August 19, 2025. (Amber Searles/Imagn Images)
However, as the highest-spending team in baseball over the past five seasons, the Mets have just two postseason appearances to prove it. They lost to the Padres in the 2022 wild card series, then to the Dodgers in the 2024 NLCS. In 2023, despite all their money and star power, they went just 75-87 and finished 29 games in first place. After 2024, Stearns and Cohen signed Juan Soto to the most expensive contract in sports history; 15 years and $765 million, with potential to exceed $800 million.
Reward? It would miss the playoffs again in 2025 after an 83–79 regular season.
METS BRUTAL SEASON STARTS GAME WITH 6 ERRORS IN DOUBLE HEADING, FORMER STAR CALLS OUT OF ANGER
Stearns, instead of launching it back in 2026 with a similar lineup, went for a major overhaul. Pete Alonso signed with the Baltimore Orioles. Brandon Nimmo was traded to the Texas Rangers for Marcus Semien. They traded two top prospects to Milwaukee for Freddy Peralta, signed closer Devin Williams, brought in Bo Bichette and Jorge Polanco after strong seasons, added Luke Weaver and traded for Luis Robert Jr.
How did it all turn out? On one hand, the Mets passed the Colorado Rockies for the worst record in the National League on Tuesday. They’ve now given up 60 points on the season, are in last place in the National League East, are 15 games behind the Braves, and have dropped to just 2% of their chances of making the postseason, according to FanGraphs.
Bo Bichette of the New York Mets leaves the field after starting the seventh inning against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago on April 17, 2026. (Erin Hooley/AP)
This is a disaster, to put it mildly. A $370 million disaster. And a new report from baseball writer Jon Heyman suggests the Mets may be ready to blow it up again.
Heyman recently wrote on X that the team’s “extreme sell-off” is likely to begin any day now. “It’s time to start selling the Mets on time,” he wrote. “Everyone except Ewing, Benge, McLean, Scott and Soto should be available.”
There are a few notable names missing from this list: namely Bichette, Robert Jr., Peralta, Williams and, of course, Francisco Lindor. These are the big players. And to deal with any or all of them would be a stunning admission of failure of the plan. There is another side to this; What value do these players even have?
Bichette was a below-average hitter this season and is owed $84 million over the next two seasons, which is now virtually guaranteed thanks to his player option. Lindor missed most of the year due to injury, but is still playing below average himself. Robert also missed most of the season and was unimpressive when healthy.
But true sellers are few and far between, and if the Mets do make their stars available, there may be a couple of teams willing to take on some of those salaries to potentially separate themselves from their competitors. Cohen has previously said he doesn’t want Lindor to go anywhere. Although he may think that after billions have been spent without much reward, complete demolition is the only way forward.
OUTKICK IS NOW ON THE FOX APP: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
Lindor, at 32 years old, will bring in a decent return, although given his huge contract, it will likely be less than most fans expected. The same goes for Bichette, whose exorbitant salary and player ability limit his appeal. However, it doesn’t take much to dream of these two stars returning to form and making a meaningful run into the playoffs or a deep postseason run.
Marcus Semien of the New York Mets holds the ball after a teammate’s error allowed Carson Kelly of the Chicago Cubs to reach first base at Citi Field in New York on June 24, 2026. (Jim MacIsaac/Getty Images)
Still, it’s hard to believe it’s come to this. The Mets were supposed to be the East Coast version of the Dodgers; a union of high salaries and organizational competence. Instead, they’re set to spend another October at home and are still looking for their first division title since 2015.
Money can buy a lot, but as the 2026 Mets show, it can’t buy everything.
Ian Miller is a writer for OutKick.