It's July 1, which means it's Bobby Bonilla day. For many baseball fans, this day is a humorous, yet head-scratching reminder of how impressive it is that someone who hasn't played in over 20 years is still getting paid so handsomely. For the New York Mets, it's a stark reminder of what has been a tumultuous past, filled with unmet expectations and misguided, thoughtless decision making. And now owner Steve Cohen is getting perhaps the first glimpses of that this season.
Is Bobby Bonilla the curse of the Mets?
Since the Mets signed Bobby Bonilla back in 1991, they have been plagued by what has seemed a series of unfortunate events that have left many wondering if the team is cursed.
When the Mets signed Bonilla, he was coming off his best statistical season to date, in which he placed third in NL MVP voting, won the Silver Slugger award, and earned his fourth consecutive All-Star selection the season prior. However, his time with the Mets was far from successful. His batting average dipped significantly from his .302 he came in with, and he was eventually traded to the Orioles and other teams throughout the rest of his career, including back to the Mets in 1999. He did, however, win a World Series with the then Florida Marlins in 1997.
Bobby Bonilla is the symbol for years of Mets woes
Bonilla, in so many ways, has become a symbol of the unfulfilled potential and longing years of disappointment for the Mets.
In 2008, it was the beginning for some of the team's financial woes, which began when Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme collapsed. The Mets had invested heavily with Madoff, and the fallout from the scheme left them in a dire financial situation. To meet payroll obligations, including Bonilla's deferred payment, which came in part because of the investments with Madoff, the Mets were forced to take out $65 million in loans, with $25 million coming from other baseball owners. The team's past decision to defer payments, including Bonilla's now infamous deal, stands as what had been a series of misguided judgments rooted in misplaced faith, resulting in years of misery for the Mets and their fans.
Since 1992, which was Bonilla's first official season in New York, the Mets have made the playoffs only six times, although with two World Series appearances but no championships. They have won the NL East division title only twice. Fast forward to 2023, and the current Mets team, boasting one of the most talented and expensive rosters in the league, finds themselves a staggering 18.5 games behind the first-place Atlanta Braves. The question therefore arises: Will the Mets have to wait until they are released from the curse in 2035 to rid themselves of the pain they continue to endure?
Bonilla will be cashing checks from the Mets until July 1 of 2035. Does that also mean the Mets will be in the debt of misery until then as well? It's certainly looking that way.
Steve Cohen is trying to buy way out of Mets' curse
Bobby Bonilla's annual deferred salary payment serves as a constant, painful reminder of the Mets' past mistakes and their struggles to escape their unfortunate history. Cohen and all his billions can't even escape it so far, though he's certainly tried by giving out hefty contracts of his own. Cohen committed over half a billion dollars alone just to the 2022 team. Now, with the team looking to be potential sellers heading into the trade deadline, Cohen has already stated that pitchers Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer could become available if the right opportunity presented itself. In fact, Cohen is apparently even willing to eat a large sum of their contracts should the right prospects be available in potential trades.
If history has spoken at all, it's that the Mets think money is the cure of all. In a league full of billionaire owners, money is certainly needed. But perhaps better management all around is an even greater necessity, that goes all the way from the front office to the dugout. Cohen can't keep signing bloated checks in hopes it buys his was out of whatever spell that has been placed on the Mets. It'll take a lot more than that.
The team's current reality, despite their wealthy talent roster, leaves fans wondering if they will ever break free from the curse that has seemingly haunted them since Bonilla's ill-fated signing in 1991. The Mets have accumulated a multitude of mistakes in that time — Bobby Bonilla Day just serves as an annual reminder of their ongoing struggle to overcome them.
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