New York Mets Joel Sherman The Mets’ blessing that could come out of likely having to spend less in 2027 By Joel Sherman Published Sep. 20, 2026, 8:41 p.m. ET Alex and Steve Cohen attend a ceremony to retire the number of Carlos Beltran at Citi Field in New York, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. AP Photo/Noah K. Murray It would have been an ideal day for Rose-colored glasses.
Alas, these are the Mets — specifically the 2026 Mets — so the forecast was terrible and Howie Rose’s farewell ceremony was delayed to next year, when the forecast to play baseball is so labor-induced cloudy that who knows when the first 2027 homestand will arrive.
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When it does, the Mets will no longer have an all-time All-Star in their radio booth. What they will have on the field will be heavily influenced by what comes out of a new collective bargaining agreement. A salary cap — even one that is introduced over a few years to permit big spenders such as the Mets to taper down — would force instant belt-tightening.
Even without a cap, the Mets probably should anticipate further penalties than currently exist to try to curtail spirited spending, particularly by them and the Dodgers. It will come at a time when the past two expensive, disappointing years already have made owner Steve Cohen leerier about continuing to swell his payroll.
