3.) New York Mets
Next up is the New York Mets and there is a lot to parse here. For starters, it is weirdly refreshing to see an owner commit so strongly to being a World Series contender like Steve Cohen has. The Mets turned the baseball world upside with their spending spree last offseason. Many thought that New York had successfully put together one of the best rosters in the National League after that much activity and coming off a 100+ win season last year.
However, that is decidedly not what happened this season. Instead of being the class of the National League, the Mets find themselves 11 games under .500 and duking it out with the Nationals for last place in the NL East. Much of the blame deservedly belongs to the players for failing to perform, but the front office deserves some of the blame as well for not investing all that money as wisely as they should have.
Giving credit where credit is due, the Mets actually did a pretty good job at the trade deadline this year once the decision was made to tear things down. The returns they received in the Scherzer and Verlander deals were substantial and their farm system now actually looks promising after several years of trades and poor drafts had depleted their minor league ranks.
Still, it looks like the Mets are going to have to continue to take a hard look in the mirror and make some top level changes when it comes to their decision-making. They have an owner that very clearly is willing to go for it, but they are going to have to build a sustainable model for success before that will matter as much as they want it to. The initial steps they have taken are in the right direction and if they can get a decent foundation put together again, the Mets could be become contenders again in a hurry.