Joe Benigno

The Mets now have the richest owner.

The Mets have the smartest executive team.

Players are recognizing it.

Juan Soto for $5 million more.

$5 million.

765 to 760 chose the Mets because he knows that's where winning will take place.

That's the best chance for him to come here and win because of the future of the franchise, because of the farm system, because of the pockets of the owner, because of the savviness of this young executive who built up to Milwaukee Brewers and now is going to be able to use this owner's payroll and build a super team.

And within a year and this week, now the feeling around this entire franchise is completely different.

Everybody thinks the owner is either cheap

somehow was only waiting to get his casino and now doesn't care about spending, done losing $200 million a year and you can forget spending money for a while, or is being led by a general manager who has control over the franchise who doesn't want to spend money and doesn't believe in it and thinks he's the smartest guy in the room when in honesty he's a moron.

That has now become the overwhelming thought of the Met fan base, without question.

And that's one hell of a week and one hell of a year.

You get the 83 wins and losing out on the postseason spot to the Cincinnati Reds, losing the last game of the year to the Marlins, which has become a familiar refrain.

And then to have this offseason where they allow Pete Alonso to go be a Baltimore Oriole.

And over the weekend, we saw that press conference and allow Edwin Diaz, their star closer, to become a Dodger.

And in both of those press conferences, what are they talking about?

The exact same things that the Met fans thought they had in spades.

Winning, right?

Edwin Diaz, whether you believe they blew the negotiations with Diaz as I do, and I think they allowed him to go to the Dodgers.

I know many Mets fans disagree with me that he just wanted to be a Dodger.