On the Baseball Tonight podcast the other day, I asked Karl Ravech about Steve Cohen's purchase of the New York Mets and about what advice he would give to Cohen -- and really, what I aimed for was some sense of direction in the Mets' player personnel.
In other words: Would the best suggestion be an immediate deep dive into free agents, such as J.T. Realmuto and/or Trevor Bauer? Or perhaps a buy-low opportunity in the trade market, like offering the Rockies a chance to unload the contract of Nolan Arenado? Or maybe work off the model of the Dodgers' Andrew Friedman and invest resources in player development, while looking for opportunity buys in trades and free agents -- like Mookie Betts.
But Ravech surprised me with an interesting idea: He said he would suggest to Cohen that he go all-out in the pursuit of a general manager already proven in New York -- the Yankees' Brian Cashman.
.@karlravechespn has interesting advice for new Mets owner Steve Cohen: Call up Brian Cashman. Plus, he and @Buster_ESPN discuss the playoff bubble and the new postseason strategies. Later, @SlangsOnSports plays The Numbers Game #BBTNpod https://t.co/zWpOCm5JjA pic.twitter.com/JU8AaVokhq
— ESPN Podcasts (@espnpodcasts) September 16, 2020
My first instinct was that it really couldn't happen, because Cashman is in the middle of a five-year, $25 million deal that won't expire until 2022. But there is a potential loophole in this situation.