Citi Field Becomes Baseball's Bushwood

Who invited this guy?

Welcome to Warning Track Power, a newsletter of baseball stories and analysis grounded in front office and scouting experiences and the personalities encountered along the way.

Anyone who still thinks that baseball is boring hasn’t been paying attention this month. As the Carlos Correa saga unfolds, the potentially combustible dynamic among owners and frustrated executives feels like it’s only a Heather Locklear cameo away from a ’90s FOX drama remake.

I’ve mentioned before that the X-factor in labor peace resides between small-market and large-market owners. Well, what has Steve Cohen done to that relationship? After the Mets blew past the fourth and final luxury-tax threshold — running their luxury-tax bill for the upcoming season to about $111 million — it feels like Cohen has carved out a market designation of his own.

That he happily supports this kind of spending — the Mets’ 2023 payroll currently sits around $384 million (taxes not included) — while owning a New York franchise seems fortunate for MLB, which can’t be happy with this renegade shopper. (Cohen’s behavior should be of no surprise to any of the other owners, who approved his purchase of the team.) Insanely wealthy and passionate about winning, what if Cohen had been a Pirates fan or an A’s fan? Imagine how an owner of similar fortune might behave in traditionally thrifty — okay, downright cheap — markets. At a certain point, wealth can transcend market.

For now, Steve Cohen is playing the role of Rodney Dangerfield’s Al Czervik in Caddyshack. He has entered the country club with wild abandon, a self-confident iconoclast who holds little regard for the establishment.

After all, his dinghy probably is bigger than other owners’ whole boats. He doesn’t seem interested in making friends around the league (“A member? The only reason I’m here is because I might buy it!”)

Instead of Bushwood, it’s Major League Baseball. And it seems like only a matter of time until Judge Smails demands satisfaction.

I had some other ideas in mind for this week, but it’s the holidays and we should be celebrating.

Let me wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and wonderful holiday season. Thank you for your support and loyalty as readers. Whatever you are celebrating this time of year, I hope you are happy, healthy, and among those you love.