Steve Cohen's $8,000,000,000 idea fails to excite New York Mets fans: "All that to stay in last place"

The New York Mets and their owner Steve Cohen are continuing their complete overhaul of the franchise. While the team has several front office and roster moves that they will need to address this offseason, Cohen made another announcement that will completely revamp the area surrounding Citi Field.

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen announced an astounding $8,000,000,000 commitment to the area surrounding Citi Field, which is expected to completely change the community. The 50-acre development will change the atmosphere around Citi Field, which is currently rather barren, with limited options for fans pre and post-game.

The redevelopment of the area surrounding Citi Field will have seen several massive upgrades, including the construction of a Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, restaurants, bars, live music venues, and public park spaces.

Although the investment by Steve Cohen will change the area around the team, many fans of the team are more concerned with the product on the field. Last season the Mets finished with a 75-87 record, falling well short of expectations, something that some fans feel needs to be addressed over the upgrades to the area surrounding the stadium.

For those fans who are more concerned with the on-field product than the off-field part of the franchise, they feel like the exterior developments are a way to distract from the poor team performances. Others have gone as far as to say that the renovations will just be $8,000,000,000 spent just so the team can continue to finish behind the likes of the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.

Steve Cohen and the New York Mets' free spending has disappointed in the past

The Mets entered the 2023 campaign with World Series aspirations, however, the team struggled out of the gate, falling well short of their expectations. Injuries and under-performing played a large role in the team's early struggles, however, as the season progressed, the roster clearly was not championship caliber.

After spending a record amount of money last offseason, Steve Cohen and the Mets were forced to cut bait at the trade deadline, trading off several high-priced veterans to not only shed cap space but also restock their farm system. Among those players who moved were Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Mark Canha.

Even after Steve Cohen's massive spending on the New York Mets roster, it just further proved the thought that money does not guarantee winning. This may be another reason why New York Mets fans have taken a pessimistic turn on the proposed upgrades to the area surrounding the stadium.