New York Mets owner Steve Cohen believes his spending spree is required to make the Mets a contender again:  "I came in saying I'm all-in"

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen has redefined free agency in baseball this off-season. He has spent almost with reckless abandon as he continues to try and rebuild the Mets to their former glory.

That includes re-signing stars like Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Diaz and others, but it also includes bringing in free agents Justin Verlander and Kodai Senga. They nearly had Carlos Correa on top of it all.

Cohen took over in 2020, so in his second offseason, he is redefining the game. Cohen said this about his wild spending spree via ESPN:

"I didn't know I was going to have to spend like I did. I actually was a little naive in that regard. But once I got comfortable and realized, OK, what's it going to take to put a great team on the field, I still had made a commitment to the fans, and to baseball, that I was going to come in and turn this thing around. I came in saying I'm all-in. And I keep my word."

He decided early on that he wasn't worried about the money so much as he was worried about putting the best team out there:

"We're in New York, and I'm competitive. If you're going to own a team -- I came in with a commitment that I was going to put a good product on the field. And I think I've done that. I had no idea what it was going to cost to put a good product on the field, but I'm in a position where I make a good income, right? So I can do this."

So far, it seems as if he's done that. The Mets aren't World Series favorites, but they arguably boast the best roster in baseball.

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How much is the New York Mets payroll?

The New York Mets barely let any of their players leave in free agency and for the ones that did, they were replaced with high-priced stars.

The New York Mets are all in

In 2023, they're expected to pay an astonishing $304 million. That's well above the second place team, the New York Yankees. The Mets have truly redefined spending.