The emergence of Steve Cohen as the likely owner of the New York Mets is being treated as great news by player agents, in a year of a lot of bad financial developments in major league baseball. "A godsend," one called it.
Cohen will become the richest owner in baseball if his purchase of the Mets is approved by at least 23 of the other 29 owners, and there's natural concern among some agents that part of the vetting process will be the application of subtle peer pressure -- or not-so-subtle -- with others warning the newcomer against jumping in and immediately flexing his financial muscle.
But whether Cohen chooses to follow the model of the Los Angeles Dodgers of recent years, investing heavily in player development while being selectively aggressive on big-name deals, or chooses to go all-in on free agents and exploit a depressed market, there is a wide industry expectation that the Mets will finally conduct their business as a powerful big-market team should.
This could affect many in the game directly, and indirectly. Among those: