The New York Mets came into the 2023 offseason with plans to significantly improve their team. The Mets have made moves, but they missed signing Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto in MLB Free Agency.

Yamamoto added to the Dodgers' stacked 2023 free-agent class by choosing to go to Los Angeles. Mets owner Steve Cohen expressed his honest thoughts on losing Yamamoto to LA.

Steve Cohen is proud of the Mets' efforts to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto despite his choice to join LA

Cohen opened up about New York's pursuit of Yamamoto shortly after the star pitcher decided to join the Dodgers:

“I think the whole organization tried our hardest, and someone was going to win, and someone was going to lose, and that is the way it goes,” Cohen said, per the  New York Post. “I feel good about our efforts, and I left it all on the field.”

One of Cohen's efforts included a trip to Japan to meet with the coveted pitcher. Cohen and President of Baseball Operations David Stearns met with Yamamoto shortly before the winter meetings.

The Mets reportedly offered the same contract to Yamamoto as the Dodgers. However, New York could not seal the deal.

One cannot blame Yamamoto for choosing LA. The Dodgers just signed reigning AL MVP Shohei Ohtani, who was a teammate of Yamamoto on Team Japan during the World Baseball Classic.

New York is still on a mission to avenge its playoffs-free year in 2023. While the team has not signed a player of the same caliber as Yamamoto, the Mets are still making small improvements to their roster. Furthermore, they still have the services of Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo.

Will New York make a blockbuster trade before the start of the 2023 season?