Mets owner Steve Cohen’s latest angry, unhelpful tweet appears to rip Steven Matz’s agent

It seemed like there might have been a chance for starting pitcher Steven Matz — a Long Island native drafted by the New York Mets in 2009 who pitched for the club for six years before being traded to the Toronto Blue Jays last season — to return to the Mets this offseason as a free agent.

But on Wednesday, we learned he was signing a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals, for a reported four years and $44 million.

Apparently, behind the scenes, that wasn’t what the Mets thought was going to happen. And owner Steve Cohen appeared to make sure the world knew it:

I’m not happy this morning . I’ve never seen such unprofessional behavior exhibited by a player’s agent.I guess words and promises don’t matter.

— Steven Cohen (@StevenACohen2) November 24, 2021

So what’s that all about? A report from MLB Network’s Jon Heyman:

Mets also had the impression the Long Island native Matz wanted to come back home until the very end. Ultimately, that wasn’t the case. Matz agent Rob Martin suggested Matz changed his mind. https://t.co/z9vlJN9dNR

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 24, 2021

Mets GM Billy Eppler told Matz’s agent Rob Martin he was upset. Mets thought they’d have a final chance and didn’t get it. Word from Matz camp is he had a late change of heart,

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 24, 2021

Mets are upset about the Matz situation and his last minute call to Cardinals. They had the impression he was going to come back to them for a final chance. Sources say Mets would have gone to that level ($44M, 4 years) https://t.co/IQb31i6Tvu

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 24, 2021

And a thread from Joel Sherman of the New York Post:

2/His quote: “Most relationships I have had with agents have been wonderful. The conversations have been good, they really have been. But here this was different. This was something so over the line.

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) November 24, 2021

3/I can’t imagine what the agent was thinking in the context of how they reached out to us and the reasons they wanted to come back. I have ever had an agent do that before with me.”

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) November 24, 2021

Steve Cohen also said: “Steve (Matz) was a good Met when he was here. I only wish him well. This was about the interaction with the agent.”

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) November 24, 2021

Hm.

I’ve written before about Cohen’s tweets and how they don’t help the Mets from an on-field point of view. I’m fine with the owner having fun on Twitter, trolling here and there, interacting with fans and floating ideas that people can respond to. That was enjoyable and a huge change for a franchise that needed it earlier in the year.

But the tweets about “unproductive” hitters or trying to out anonymous sources in articles criticizing him? Not helpful. I can imagine free agents pausing and wondering if this is the franchise for them if the owner acts like that, and that culture spreads down across the organization.

And this tweet is under that umbrella. Yes, he clarified it was about Matz’s agent. But does that mean other agents won’t want to deal as much with the front office if it means being called out by Cohen?

Just dial it back a little! That’s all.