Edwin Diaz Aug 31, 2022; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz (39) reacts after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

It’s no secret that Edwin Diaz’s injury was devastating to the Mets and their World Series aspirations. It’s also no secret that New York is a different ball club under Steve Cohen, who bought the organization from Fred and Jeff Wilpon, a little over two years ago. In the past, an injury to a superstar player would’ve been a death blow to this organization, which likely wouldn’t have made Diaz the highest-paid reliever in the history of the sport, anyways.

But, that was the past. The team is under new management and it’s shown in both their spending habits and the way they treat injured players like Diaz. That was made inherently clear in a recent article published in The Athletic, which detailed Cohen’s likely conversation with Diaz in the hours following his patellar tendon injury and subsequent surgery.

We’re going to do everything we can to get you better and take care of you,” Cohen told Diaz, per The Athletic’s Will Sammon.

When Diaz returned to his home in Port St. Lucie from his surgery, which is supposed to sideline him for six months at the very least, he had a trainer, nutritionist and personal chef waiting for him, courtesy of Cohen and the Mets.

Needless to say, the reaction from the MLB world was shocking.

“Hal making the Yankees players pay for the Wifi while Cohen gives his player a personal chef,” a fan said in reference to Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner.

One word represents Cohen’s actions, according to Casey Stern: “Culture.”

“This is how all owners should treat their players,” wrote another fan. “Steve Cohen is more than just an MLB owner. He is a person who has feelings for other people. A truly compassionate person.”

“First class organization. Man, I never thought I would EVER say that about my team,” said a Mets fan.

Other reactions pouring in were super complimentary of the Mets, while also making sure to take shots at the Wilpons.

https://twitter.com/ralphcarhart/status/1637132151266091011?s=20

[The Athletic]

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.