{"id":572277,"date":"2026-02-14T14:34:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T14:34:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/572277\/"},"modified":"2026-02-14T14:34:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T14:34:15","slug":"ny-mets-steve-cohen-gets-candid-about-losing-pete-alonso-and-edwin-diaz-in-free-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/572277\/","title":{"rendered":"NY Mets’ Steve Cohen gets candid about losing Pete Alonso and Edwin D\u00edaz in free agency"},"content":{"rendered":"

The New York Mets<\/a> underwent significant roster changes this offseason, parting ways with several cornerstone players who had defined the franchise in recent years. Among the most notable departures were Pete Alonso<\/a> and Edwin D\u00edaz, two longtime contributors whose exits marked the end of an era in Queens.<\/p>\n

Owner Steve Cohen acknowledged that the transition was emotional, both for fans and for him personally. While the Mets made competitive offers to retain their stars, financial limits and player preferences ultimately shaped the outcome of free agency.<\/p>\n

In an interview with Mets radio broadcaster Howie Rose, Cohen addressed both situations candidly \u2014 admitting that Alonso\u2019s departure was easier to process than D\u00edaz\u2019s unexpected move to Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

Cohen on Pete Alonso\u2019s exit<\/p>\n

Cohen explained that the Mets were unwilling to extend to five years in negotiations with Alonso. The slugger ultimately secured a five-year, $155 million deal from the Baltimore Orioles \u2014 an offer Cohen described as \u201cgreat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Pete<\/p>\n

Pete Alonso with the Mets congratulates pitcher Edwin D\u00edaz after finishing out a game. Calvin Hernandez\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Given the organization\u2019s internal valuation, the Mets chose not to match that length of commitment, signaling a strategic shift in long-term roster construction. <\/p>\n

\"NY<\/p>\n

see also<\/p>\n

NY Yankees\u2019 Aaron Boone sends strong message on Gerrit Cole\u2019s return after encouraging bullpen session<\/p>\n

<\/a>D\u00edaz\u2019s decision caught Mets by surprise<\/p>\n

The situation with Edwin D\u00edaz<\/a> unfolded differently. The All-Star closer agreed to a three-year, $69 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, despite what Cohen characterized as a strong offer from New York.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did find that one perplexing,\u201d Cohen said. \u201cI\u2019m not sure exactly how Edwin arrived at that decision. Obviously it\u2019s a personal decision on his part and I thought we made a pretty respectable bid.\u201d<\/p>\n

Emotional shift, competitive expectations<\/p>\n

Beyond the business side, Cohen admitted the departures carried personal weight. Many of the exiting players \u2014 including Alonso and D\u00edaz \u2014 were part of the roster when Cohen first took ownership of the team.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt it too, by the way,\u201d Cohen said. \u201cThe players that left were the players that I started with in my ownership, Day 1. And so I had developed pretty close relationships with some of these players. From a personal standpoint, I really felt it.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, the roster overhaul has also brought renewed optimism. The Mets added several playoff-tested players this winter, including Bo Bichette<\/a>, reshaping both the clubhouse and on-field identity.<\/p>\n

SurveyWhich departure will hurt the Mets more in 2026?<\/p>\n

Which departure will hurt the Mets more in 2026?<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m excited by this team,\u201d Cohen said. \u201cIt\u2019s different than the team we had last year, but a lot of these players that we got are playoff tested. Gamers. They performed in high pressure situations. I expect this team to be a playoff team.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The New York Mets underwent significant roster changes this offseason, parting ways with several cornerstone players who had…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":572278,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2396],"tags":[5,1087,101,4,1690,61,2548,4203,74],"class_list":{"0":"post-572277","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york-mets","8":"tag-baseball","9":"tag-edwin-diaz","10":"tag-mets","11":"tag-mlb","12":"tag-new-york","13":"tag-new-york-mets","14":"tag-newyork","15":"tag-newyorkmets","16":"tag-pete-alonso"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/116069484444436673","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/572277","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=572277"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/572277\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/572278"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=572277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=572277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=572277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}