Ruh-Ro

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

That statement from Cohen is an understated doozy. "I gave it my best shot." WoW



https://twitter.com/kevinmdraper/status/1225613250433253376/photo/1https://twitter.com/kevinmdraper/status/1225613250433253376/photo/1

[Benjamin Grimm]

I wish I had an extra $5 billion or so lying around in my kitchen junk drawer. I'd offer it all to the Wilpons with the requirement that they disappear immediately. They can have one day a year where they can show off for Sandy Koufax by posing for photos with the players in Port St. Lucie, but that's IT!

[dgwphotography]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I wish I had an extra $5 billion or so lying around in my kitchen junk drawer. I'd offer it all to the Wilpons with the requirement that they disappear immediately. They can have one day a year where they can show off for Sandy Koufax by posing for photos with the players in Port St. Lucie, but that's IT!

I wouldn't even give them that.

[Centerfield]

What a crazy few days. If I had to guess:



1. Either the Wilpons changed something in the deal (like Jeff staying in power for more than 5 years), or Steve Cohen, who never really intended to give five years of control, started demanding some input during the 5 year window.



2. A frustrated Steve Cohen leaked something to the media for leverage, knowing that the Wilpons had to sell.



3. The whole world lashes out at the Wilpons.



4. Wilpons get pissed. Tattle on Cohen to Rob Manfred.



5. Manfred comes to their defense. Through his minions, sends a message that they are mad at Cohen and he can kiss any chance of owning any team goodbye. We don't know if Cohen actually did anything wrong, or if he just make the Wilpons mad, which is a huge offense in Manfred's eyes.



6. Cohen withdraws.



7. Wilpons withdraw, but know that if they don't control the damage, the fanbase is going to go out of control. They reiterate that they're selling and have already engaged the big fancy investment firm, so you know they're serious.



Now we wait and see. If Cohen overplayed his hand, there will be another buyer and he/she will give the Wilpons the $$$ and terms they want. If the Wilpons overplayed their hand, they'll lose on one or another, either the $$$ or the control. Or even both.



I'm not sure what we know at this point. The Cohen deal seems dead, but if one of them caves, I guess it could be revived. The Wilpons say they're selling, but can we even believe that? The whole "sell the team" storyline has helped distract from a super-shitty winter. A real cynical view is that this whole sale is just cover, and that the Wilpons are hoping that the games start, the team wins early, and everyone forgives and forgets.



One thing I have learned, is that I will never, ever celebrate again until they are gone. Locked, sealed, key thrown away, gone.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

The Times intimates that Cohen believed the 5 year titles were to be symbolic in nature and it broke down over that. And that deal is definitely dead

[batmagadanleadoff]

There's a part of me that thinks the Cohen deal isn't dead. It's the way Cohen seems to be so polite about all of this, as if he doesn't want to burn any bridges.



Or maybe it's just my wishful thinking.

[Guest 41Forever]

That $2.6 billion sitting there on the table is hard to walk away from.



Big part of me thinks that the rest of the family members who think they would have a nice slice of that $2.6 billion are right now screaming, "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?" and are coming up with some kind of scenario where Jeff can save some face -- Run the Cyclones and Syracuse as a hobby! -- and they get their cash.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Maybe Jeff should bring a food-taster to the next family gathering.

[HahnSolo]

This is soooo Wilponian.

[Benjamin Grimm]

"However, the family still intends to sell the team."



There's the good news. Time for them to shit or get off the pot, whichever of those two actions represents selling the team.

[Centerfield]

I've thought this through.



Shitting is acting like a real owner, ponying up for a top tier payroll, then stepping aside and letting the smart baseball people run the show. I guess you have to hire those people first.



Getting off the pot is selling.



And the Mets are the pot (toilet) and they play in Flushing. This metaphor works so well.

[Centerfield]

That $2.6 billion sitting there on the table is hard to walk away from. Big part of me thinks that the rest of the family members who think they would have a nice slice of that $2.6 billion are right now screaming, "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?" and are coming up with some kind of scenario where Jeff can save some face -- Run the Cyclones and Syracuse as a hobby! -- and they get their cash.

Who is protecting Jeff? Gotta be Fred right? No way his in-laws or the brother who hates him would let him get away with all this. Let's hope that once the old man is gone life will be very different for Jeffy.

[Ceetar]

none of the extended family is exactly scraping for meal money. they can wait another 6 months/year if Jeff tells them it's going to be as good or better. (team value pretty much only going to go up)



Cohen's playing nice because he does still own 8% of the team. It's not like we'll never hear from him again. (where'd he get the second 4%!)



Allen & Company are buddies. And baseball people. They did the Naming rights, and the first sale I think, perhaps some other things. Seems like they're probably serious. There's a chance that "first shot at purchase" was part of the deal of minority ownership, and it's possible someone has talked to the Wilpons about wanting in that isn't Cohen. That kind of makes sense right? Otherwise they'd probably have been like, "hey Hank Greenberg's son, find us a buyer" right from the beginning.



So many they took a home run swing on selling and keeping some modicum of control, knowing they'd get 'open auction' if they struck out. Notice how the Mets were mostly mum about the deal actually being dead until Cohen said it was done officially? "Oh, he declined his right to first chance to purchase, ONWARD!"



Oh, and that Bradley is there doesn't really mean anything except that they're long standing friends. He's a grunt, not an executive. He'd been interning there while playing baseball at UPenn. Nepotism.

[Frayed Knot]

=Steve Cohen]As an 8% holder I'm looking forward to a higher bid"

[dgwphotography]

I'm starting to really like Deesha Thosar:

[Centerfield]

From the latest Post article, it seems like both sides were changing the goalposts at the last minute.



https://nypost.com/2020/02/07/steve-cohen-could-be-blocked-from-buying-another-mlb-team-after-mets-mess/https://nypost.com/2020/02/07/steve-cohen-could-be-blocked-from-buying-another-mlb-team-after-mets-mess/



Cohen, it finally dawning on him that giving control of your $2.6 billion investment to Jeff Wilpon might not be such a smart idea, and Jeff Wilpon wanting sole control, more pay, and an ongoing role in the organization.

[Ceetar]

I tend to give all the newbies a chance but I unfollowed her late last year. Wasn't adding anything for me, and just contributing to the re-writting Mets tweets beat that a lot of these writers are on.

[Frayed Knot]

https://nypost.com/2020/02/07/steve-cohen-could-be-blocked-from-buying-another-mlb-team-after-mets-mess/Cohen could be barred from future team ownership



So sez NY Post reporters Kosman (sadly, only one 'O' in that name) McErney who seem to have been doing most of the basic digging in this story.



The article talks about MLB's need for a 'Control Person' on every team, the guy who is ultimately responsible for the club's actions. That person is not necessarily the majority owner (think Marlins/Jeter

or the designated person when Steinbrenner was suspended, etc.). Apparently Cohen had the idea that he could be the power behind the throne, so to speak, and gradually assume greater control

despite initially agreeing to this five-year window thing. So according to these two reporters, when Cohen realized that he really couldn't run things during the five years, he began trying to change

the terms of the deal and that's where things started to break down. Cohen apparently tried to either lessen the total price and/or pay less up front during those transition years. This, in the eyes of

MLB, broke the terms of the non-binding offer sheet he signed months ago to buy the team so his actions are considered to be in bad faith.



The upshot of all this is that this could torpedo any chance he might have of passing MLB's approval process if he should attempt to buy a team in the future, whether the NYM or some other club, even

as it wasn't assured that he'd pass muster in the first place.





oe: cross-posted w/CF. Same link as above, just with my yapping added.

[batmagadanleadoff]

The **********s that run MLB apparently do whatever the fuck they want to do. Now they're piling on Cohen who's offering to rescue what should be the jewel franchise for acting reasonable -- insisting on actually running the team he's paying $2.6!B's for.



Meanwhile the scumbag Wilpons are allowed to run the team into the ground even though they're metaphorically looking for dimes underneath the couch cushions.



I cant wait for the NL DH and eleven more wild card teams.