New York Mets owner Steven Cohen tweeted on Tuesday that he intends to hold a press conference prior to the club's night game on Wednesday against the Milwaukee Brewers. Cohen declared that fans will "get it from me straight." It's unclear if Cohen intends to announce any personnel changes, or if he'll simply face the press. Whatever the case, Cohen's presser is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. ET.
The Mets enter Wednesday with a 36-43 record on the season, making them one of the biggest disappointments in the majors this year. New York is stationed in fourth place, some 16 games back of the National League East-leading Atlanta Braves. If the playoffs were to begin today, the Mets would miss out on the postseason by a shocking 8 1/2 games. SportsLine's forecast has their postseason odds down to 22%. (Other projection systems have them even lower than that, suggesting the odds are very much no longer in their favor.)
That is, to put it lightly, not what anyone expected from this Mets team. After all, a few winters of heavy spending have positioned the Mets with the majors' highest payroll, at $344 million, according to Spotrac. Only one other club, the San Diego Padres, is within $100 million. Nevertheless, the Mets have had an abysmal June that has seen them win just six of their first 22 contests.
Predictably, given the disparity between the Mets' expectations and their results, there's been a growing curiosity about whether or not Cohen will make a change in the dugout. It would be unreasonable to put all of the responsibility at the feet of skipper Buck Showalter, but being fired for others' underperformance comes with the managerial job. Again, though, there's no indication at this point that Cohen intends to make a change, and least of all on Wednesday. Also of note is that general manager Billy Eppler on Tuesday gave Showalter a vote of confidence in advance of Cohen's media session. As such, it seems highly unlikely that Cohen will announce any major firings.
